5 things to watch for in today's Ontario and Alberta byelections

Besides being the day that many Canadians will be taking off so they can have an extra-long weekend, Monday is also byelection day in four federal ridings.

Here are five things to think about before the results roll in on Monday night:

1. Scarborough-Agincourt and the 'Jimmy K' effect

Jim Karygiannis is the former Liberal MP the winner of this byelection will replace. He's probably not well known outside of his riding or the confines of the parliamentary precinct but, boy, did he have a way of blowing the dust off his knuckles. Never one to shy away from speaking his mind, Karygiannis definitely felt most comfortable fighting from the right corner of the Liberal Party of Canada. 

Liberal Jim Karygiannis, who was never afraid to speak his mind while serving as MP for Scarborough-Agincourt, resigned to run for a city council seat in Toronto. (CP PHOTO/Fred Chartrand)

So there was some concern for the party's prospects in Scarborough-Agincourt when Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau talked of legalizing and regulating pot and announced that all future Liberal MPs would have to be pro-choice. Karygiannis's hand-picked successor lost the nomination to Arnold Chan, which likely worried Grit headquarters.

Karygiannis eventually came around and endorsed Chan. Tory flyers that implied Trudeau's marijuana policies would end up corrupting the children of Canada probably helped.

Regardless, it's a three-way race. The NDP candidate is immigration lawyer Elizabeth Long and the Conservative candidate is Trevor Ellis, a teacher.

2. Trinity-Spadina: Do you want the orange sauce or the red sauce?

Among the many other things this cosmopolitan riding has to offer are restaurants — Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian, Portuguese, breakfast joints, haute cuisine, fast food and the faces and voices to go with it. But when it comes to federal politics, there are just two flavours: Liberal and NDP. 

Full coverage tonight

CBCNews.ca will have full coverage of the byelection results after polls close at 9:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. MT). Follow our live blog after 8 p.m. ET (6 p.m. MT) in the lead up to results.

The riding was represented by former Toronto city councillor Olivia Chow, who resigned to run as a mayoral candidate.

The New Democrats are serving up Joe Cressy. He's young and the son of a former city councillor. His NDP credentials are impeccable. He was president of the party's riding association in Trinity-Spadina. He worked as Chow's campaign chair in the 2011 federal election and is a member of the NDP federal council.

And up until the Liberals presented their candidate, he was a shoo-in to win the riding.

Adam Vaughan left his Toronto city councillor job (do you see a theme here) to run for the Grits. Before politics, he was the city hall reporter for Toronto's Citytv and he did a stint at the CBC. 

The two opposition parties have a lot riding on Trinity-Spadina. Since 1972, every time the Liberals have won the riding in a general election, they've gone on to form the government. Each time the NDP has won, the Conservatives have taken power. That probably explains why both leaders have spent a lot of time in the riding with their candidates.

3. Rural Alberta

Need we say more than that. Ridings in Canada don't get much more Stephen Harper Conservative than these ones. A loss for the Tories in either Fort McMurray–Athabasca or Macleod could signal a break in the space-time continuum or trigger a run on lottery tickets. 

Fort McMurray's former MP, Brian Jean, stepped down to spend more time with his family. Given that he probably could have had the seat for as long as he wanted it, he's probably telling the truth about his reason for leaving politics. 

Down in Macleod, Ted Menzies left his minister of state for finance portfolio to take over the reins of CropLife Canada, an agricultural trade association. 

Conservative MP Ted Menzies resigned his southern Alberta seat in the riding of Macleod to become president and chief executive officer of CropLife Canada, a trade association for plant-life technologies. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

The MPs in waiting are Conservatives John Barlow and David Yurdiga in Macleod and Fort McMurray-Athabasca respectively. Barlow is a newspaper editor who had to fend off criticism from the gun lobby during his nomination race. Yurdiga is a former Athabasca County councillor and reeve.

See ya soon, guys!

4. Voter turnout: How do I get to the polling station from the lake?

Byelections are rarely well-attended exercises in democracy. So they can usually use all the help they can get if lots of people are going to cast a ballot. Wedging voting day between a weekend and Canada's national holiday does not fall into the helpful category.

Advance polls were held in the ridings on June 20, 21 and 23. Numbers were down in all four ridings compared to the advance polls in the 2011 general election. Macleod had the steepest drop, going from 6,581 voters casting an advance ballot to 3,087. In Trinity-Spadina, there was almost no difference. 

Earlier in the campaign, there were worries that the Ontario provincial election would confuse matters. NDP Leader Tom Mulcair called the timing "curious."

5. What constitutes a win?

Not losing.

Federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, right, speaks to supporters with Trinity-Spadina candidate Adam Vaughan during a campaign stop in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)

"The NDP needs to hold Trinity-Spadina. If the Liberals win that, that's a big setback for Tom Mulcair," national affairs editor Chris Hall said on CBC Radio's The House on the weekend.

Hall said he will also be keeping an eye on how much opposition parties cut into the votes of the Conservative candidate in Fort McMurray-Athabasca. Oilsands development and the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program are big issues in that booming riding.

CBCNews.ca will have full coverage of the byelection results after polls close at 9:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. MT).

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Rob Ford's return: What will Toronto's mayor say today?

For once, it's not what Mayor Rob Ford has said that is causing a stir — the buzz surrounding his return to Toronto City Hall today following a stint in rehab is what he plans to say when he addresses media, something that remains a mystery.

Coun. Doug Ford says the public will have to wait and see what his brother plans to say Monday.

"Stay tuned, tomorrow at 3:30 [p.m.], the mayor will be addressing the people and I'm sure he'll be able to answer those questions," the councillor told reporters Sunday.

Doug Ford said the mayor is "looking forward to coming back, that's for sure."

Ford will make a statement to the media Monday, an event CBC.ca will stream LIVE n this story.

The mayor has been in rehab for about two months. He released a statement at the end of April acknowledging "a problem with alcohol," which led him to seek professional help.

Ford has already been spotted north of Toronto in a Barrie, Ont., clothing store, where he posed for some pictures that were posted on Instagram.

A spokeswoman for the shop said Ford was in the store on Saturday afternoon, but gave no other details.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford posed with customers at a clothing store north of Toronto on Saturday, as he shopped for new formal wear. (calamatta_7/Instagram)

"He looks the same, but a little lighter," his brother said. "He'll be hungry and looking forward to meeting the people."

Doug Ford said the people of Toronto can expect to see a completely new mayor.

His trip to rehab came months after he admitted to having smoked crack cocaine, likely during one of what he described as his "drunken stupors."

The mayor's crack use admission, as well as the events that followed, became part of an ongoing news story that was picked up around the world.

Ford, who turned 45 last month, is seeking a second term this fall. He is up against dozens of candidates who have registered for the mayoral race.

The news conference is by invitation only, something that has left many members of the city hall press gallery unhappy.

Rob Ford's communications director, Amin Massoud, told the Toronto Star that space restrictions are the reason not all press gallery members were invited.

The news conference will be held in the mayor's protocol office, a narrow room that can hold less than 30 people. Some reporters asked why it won't held in the members' lounge, which could comfortably accommodate all city hall reporters.

Massoud has said a feed of the news conference will be made available to reporters who weren't invited.

Torontoist editor Hamutal Dotan spoke about the media access issue on CBC Radio's Metro Morning show Monday.

"Members of the press gallery have not been invited," she said. "The president of the press gallery has not been invited. It's a very constrained group of people.

"If that's how [Ford] is handling himself on his first day back, that sets a very different tone than, for instance, if he held an open press conference where any member of the media could attend and we could ask questions on behalf of the residents of the city who want to know what rehab was like for Ford, how he's feeling now, how he plans to deal with the stresses of the campaign trail."

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Putin gets payback for Canada's anti-Russia stance: Brian Stewart

As Prime Minister Stephen Harper was pouring vitriol and sanctions on Russia for months over the Crimea and Ukraine crisis, he did not seem to have expected much of a serious slap-back from President Vladimir Putin.

While Ottawa joined other allies to punish Russia, using sanctions, criticism and even a modest arms buildup in eastern Europe, Harper's team always appeared the most determined to "tweak the Bear."

Even sensitive relations carefully built up between Canadian and Russian militaries since the end of the cold war were put back on ice, including crucial ones needed to avoid friction in the Arctic, where both nations have major interests.

This caused some nervousness within defence and foreign affairs circles, but early in the crisis, Harper, according to a Globe and Mail report, tended to play down risks that conflict between Ottawa and Moscow "could spill over into the Arctic."

That seemed to badly underestimate Putin's sense of the strategic counter-punch.  

Just as many feared, Canadian F-18s are yet again being sent screaming towards our northern airspace to see off large Russian Tu-95 heavy bombers testing our borders.

Russian military planes, seen here during the Victory Day parade in Moscow's Red Square, have tested the sovereign borders of the U.S. and Canada in recent months. (Tatyana Makeyeva/Reuters)

We don't know precise numbers – much secrecy is retained to avoid alerting Moscow to all we know – but there have been at least two interceptions this month and Russian patrols near North American borders have clearly increased this year.

The word in official circles is that this is "strategic messaging from Moscow" in retaliation for our constant criticism, as well as Canada's actions to bolster Ukraine, which has just signed an historic trade pact with the European Union that Putin has fought against.   

The fly-overs have certainly shaken complacency in Ottawa. Defence minister Rob Nicholson told Parliament recently the flights show "the need for ongoing vigilance" as Russian military activity continues in the Arctic.

Ottawa didn't anticipate payback

What's surprising is our surprise. Ottawa did not seem to anticipate such retaliation, even though Russian air probes are an easy and cost-effective way for Putin to harass our defences as payback for our anti-Putin stand in Europe. 

This is not to criticize the Harper government's strong stand over Crimea and Ukraine, which has much to recommend it, but rather to suggest we tend to underestimate the full cost a wily opponent will seek to make us pay.

The Russians have wasted no time rubbing it in. Aubrey Grebenshikov, second secretary of the Russian Embassy in Ottawa, says that Canadian and Russian militaries used to be able to work out such "misunderstandings" like those over Arctic intentions and sovereignty but, unfortunately, Canada on its own eliminated these important links.

"Regretfully, due to the crisis in Ukraine," he told the Globe and Mail, "the Canadian government has recently frozen all contacts at this level."

We'd better brace for more. In testimony before Parliament, strategic analyst George Petrolekas, a retired Canadian colonel and former advisor to the chiefs of defence staff, warned that broken relations with Russia will surely encourage more Putin probes.

"Will he test us? Yes… It's just another area where he can test reaction, he can test resolve," Petrolekas told the committee.

Putin even seems determined to test spots along the vast North American Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), which stretches out 200 miles, or 321 kilometres, beyond Canadian and U.S. continental borders.  

U.S. jets intercepted Russian long-range bombers off Alaska and California this month, just the latest in an increasing number of confrontations off the Pacific coast.

Vladimir Putin's provocations in Ukraine, including the annexation of Crimea, have angered Western leaders. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)

What startled Washington was the brazenness of the flights and their growing numbers since the Ukraine crisis broke. The latest Alaskan challenge involved four bombers plus two aerial refueling tankers. Two of the bombers later flew west to within 130 kilometres of northern California.

Such close-in probes by the Tu-95 bombers, capable of carrying nuclear bombs and cruise missiles, are not strictly illegal, but North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) always scrambles fighters unless foreign pilots file detailed flight plans and maintain radio and radar transponder contact.

Beginning of 'Chill War'?

With the passing of the Cold War, the probes disappeared for many years. But now under Putin and what appears to be the beginning of a Chill War, their reemergence means a lot of extra headaches and workload for U.S. and Canadian pilots.

It could easily turn into a very severe strain for Canada's modest fighter fleet of 132 F-18s, which has to cover extraordinary distances to provide full protection when Russians come snooping. It's an expensive and draining effort.

A sustained campaign of Russian harassment, if it comes to that, will compel our air force to fully employ the four Forward Operation Location (FOL) sites set up as interception mini-bases in Yellowknife, Iqaluit, Inuvik and Rankin Inlet. They're built to accommodate up to six fighters each and 200 support personnel.  

What is worrisome for those trying to predict Russian behaviour is that problems may not end with flights. Russia has been significantly increasing both civilian and military resources within its Arctic region, from nuclear icebreakers to 80 naval ships, and is now adding mobile missiles.

According to Jane's Defence Weekly, the Russians are testing short-range Pantsir-S1 missiles in the far north for use against aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, even drones. It's the latest part of military Arctic expansion as Russia "looks to secure economic rights as melting sea ice opens trade routes and potential oil reserves."

Given that Canada and the U.S. are also expanding military resources in the Arctic, the latest tension underscores the growing number of potential flashpoints at sea and in the air.

Canada deserves credit for several of its principled stands against Putin. It's not clear, however, that we carefully thought through how to respond to the strategic costs and consequences of shoving our bilateral military and civilian relations with Russia into a deep freeze.

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Canadian banks now required to ask customers where they were born

When Canada's banks reopen for business on July 2, they will begin formally operating as informants for the United States Internal Revenue Service — the IRS.

Financial institutions in Canada will be required to ask all new and existing clients opening a new account questions such as where they were born, and possibly where their parents were born.

Those who indicate they have a connection to the U.S. will have their files sent to the Canada Revenue Agency — which will automatically pass them along to the IRS.

Canadian citizens who decline to answer the new set of questions could have their personal banking information passed along to Uncle Sam to determine if they are a "U.S. person." Or, the bank could refuse to open an account for those who refuse to answer the questions.

All U.S. citizens and "resident aliens" (green card holders) are required to file U.S. taxes every year — regardless of where they live. Eritrea is the only other country in the world with a similar law.

Accidental Americans

In 2010, the U.S. announced the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), a law billed as an attempt to catch wealthy Americans stashing their money in offshore accounts. Critics quickly pointed out, however, the law makes no distinction between those intentionally engaging in tax avoidance and "accidental Americans."

It is estimated that one million U.S. citizens call Canada home, and while many are aware of the tax requirements that come with their dual citizenship, others are not.

More of a surprise to some is that the U.S. automatically confers citizenship to the children of U.S. citizens, even if they are born abroad, and with that comes the obligation to file taxes.

Banks fought law and lost

Canada's major banks and the association that represents them weren't available to comment on the new rules and the impact customers might expect — but did direct CBC News to their websites for general information concerning the new law.

The banks, and former federal finance minister Jim Flaherty complained bitterly to the U.S. about FATCA in an effort to obtain an exception for Canada — but to no avail.

The U.S. is threatening a 30 per cent withholding tax against any financial institution deemed "non-compliant," under FATCA. The Canadian government said that "could have significant negative impacts on the Canadian economy."

After lengthy negotiations, Canada eventually signed an agreement with the U.S. and passed its provisions into law in the most recent Budget Implementation Act.

Law could face challenge

Experts says the requirement for banks to handle the files of Canadians with dual U.S. citizenship differently than other clients could violate the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which protects Canadians from discrimination based on, among other things, "national or ethnic origin."

The Office of Canada's Privacy Commissioner says questions about the charter fall outside of its jurisdiction — but has expressed concern about FATCA violating privacy rights and laws.

In a written statement, the office noted information sharing for tax purposes between Canada and the U.S. is not new — however it "expects the Canada Revenue Agency to carry out its new responsibilities under FATCA in a way that meets its obligations under the Privacy Act." 

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Maternal health programs cost billions with little proof strategies work: UN

Public health officials say they were taken aback by the findings that practices such as ensuring women giving birth get cheap drugs such as magnesium sulphate to treat labour complications didn't seem to improve survival rates for mothers. (Khalil Senosi/Associated Press)

In the past decade, billions of dollars have been spent trying to save the lives of mothers in developing countries using strategies — usually inexpensive drugs — deemed essential by the UN health agency.

Yet two large analyses of maternal health programs — including one conducted by the U.N. itself — report that the efforts appeared almost useless, raising troubling questions about why all that money was spent.

However although some critics are calling for the pricey global initiatives to be significantly overhauled, maternal health programs are still being implemented despite little proof they work, the reports suggest.

The practices mainly involve things like ensuring women giving birth get cheap drugs such as magnesium sulphate to treat labour complications or pre-emptive antibiotics for those getting a caesarean section.

Even public health officials acknowledge they were taken aback by the studies.

"Nobody could have been more surprised than I was when we got the results," said Dr. Omrana Pasha of Aga Khan University in Pakistan, who led a study of maternal health interventions in six countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

"In clinical medicine, we would not prescribe a drug unless multiple trials show that it works," she added. "The FDA won't allow a drug to be marketed without that evidence. But things are different in public health."

At an international meeting of U.N. partners starting Monday in South Africa, health officials are getting ready to ask donors for even more money to pour into maternal health programs. Since 2009, the U.S. has invested more than $13 billion in maternal and child survival, hoping to save lives by supporting "high-impact" health interventions.

According to the research papers, including one done in 30 countries that tracked more than 300,000 women, scientists found no link between the supposedly life-saving interventions and the death rates of women giving birth. Areas that used the interventions didn't have better survival rates for mothers than areas that didn't.

The two papers published last year are the biggest to assess the effectiveness of maternal health strategies, although smaller studies have previously suggested the methods help. But they gained little traction, perhaps because there doesn't appear to be an easy fix.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has made maternal and newborn health a major focus of Canada's foreign aid. He hosted an international conference on the subject this spring where he pledged an additional $3.5 billion over five years toward the government's initiative.

A spokesman for the prime minister said he can't comment directly on the reports because he had not read them, but said there had been "real, concrete results" achieved since Harper launched the Muskoka Initiative, with funding of $2.8 billion, at the G8 summit in 2010.

"Canada is well on its way to achieving our goals under Muskoka," said Jason MacDonald.

 "Our [initiative] will save the lives of 1.3 million children and newborns, as well as more than 60,000 young mothers."

Experts, meanwhile, are largely stumped as to why their methods failed to prevent deaths.

"We assume that if women get these things, they will be saved. But it's too simple to say one plus one equals two," said Dr. Marleen Temmerman, director of WHO's maternal health department.

She isn't convinced the interventions don't work. She suspects there were problems implementing the strategies.

"Maybe the health facility has the medicine, but the man who has the key to the cupboard is gone," she suggested.

Temmerman also said it would be dangerous if donors abruptly slashed their support for maternal health initiatives.

"The message is not to stop investing, it's to invest money more wisely," she said.

Some experts said existing plans should be adjusted.

"These essential interventions are important but they are not enough," said Sandrine Simon, a public health adviser at Doctors of the World charity. "This is about more than buying the right medicines."

But others said major changes were required to save more women.

"We need to be more honest and serious about past failures otherwise we will keep making the same mistakes," said Bill Easterly, an economist at New York University. "It's not just the fault of countries receiving aid who aren't implementing the technology properly, it's the fault of Western aid agencies and donors who are not trying hard enough to get it right."

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House of Commons a no-go zone for tourists this summer

The House of Commons hasn't just shut down for the summer — it's been officially declared off-limits for the foreseeable future.

In a precinct-wide email sent out earlier this week, Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers announced that access to the Commons chamber — the room most Canadians would recognize from debates and question period — will be restricted from June 21 "until further notice" due to construction projects scheduled for the parliamentary off-season.

"MPs and their guests will be permitted to go up to the Bar," he notes, referring to the brass barrier at the threshold of the chamber.

Parliament Hill tours will continue, but tourists and other Hill visitors will just have to make do with the view of the Commons from the main lobby.

Meanwhile, behind the curtains, Public Works officials will be doing a little hands-on analysis of how, exactly, the current House configuration can be rejigged to include the 30 additional MPs who will be taking their seats after the 2015 election.

Over the summer, Public Works officials will be looking into how to rejig the current Commons configuration to make room for the 30 additional MPs set to take their seats after the 2015 election. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

"Construction work will be noticeable inside the chamber," Vickers warns, "as desks will have to be temporarily removed."

The stained glass windows representing Ontario and Manitoba are also slated to be replaced, which will result in "some low-level noise and vibrations."

"Odour-emitting products," the memo warns, "may be used."

The House is scheduled to reopen for parliamentary business on Sept. 15.

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Maple syrup labelling changes on tap

Do you prefer "golden maple syrup with a delicate taste" or "very dark maple syrup with a strong taste"?

Those are two potential descriptors Ottawa hopes Canadian syrup manufacturers will use, so customers can know exactly what they're pouring onto their pancakes.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency released on Friday the new descriptors and some details about its proposed amendments to the rules governing the sale of maple syrup.

The agency said changes are needed to "modernize" the way maple syrup is classified, and that the International Maple Syrup Institute has asked for the changes.

Why? Canadian syrup sellers say maple syrups labelled "No. 1" often sell best, even though consumers generally prefer the richer taste of "Canada No. 2."

The proposed changes — which are set to be released in the Canada Gazette on Saturday — would give a better hint about the taste (many producers already include similar descriptions on their packaging.)

The changes would also align Canadian and U.S. grading systems, the agency said.

The Canadian maple syrup business is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. According to government figures, Canada produces 84 per cent of the world's maple syrup, with the U.S. producing the rest.

Consumers and those in the maple syrup industry are being asked to weigh in until Sept. 10.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency​ is already recommending a two-year transition period to bring in any changes.

The move to change syrup regulations, it appears, is a slow pour.

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Peter MacKay's wife defends his comments on judges

Justice Minister Peter MacKay's wife says her husband hasn't received a fair shake over recent comments attributed to him about female judges.

Nazanin Afshin-Jam MacKay has written to the Globe and Mail, saying MacKay's comments to a group of lawyers were misrepresented in the media.

The Toronto Star reported that MacKay indicated women were reluctant to become judges because they were afraid of being sent away on the circuit courts. MacKay has been widely criticized as a result. He has said he is trying to encourage more women to serve on the bench.

"I also would have been outraged if my husband had actually stated what he is accused of saying in media headlines about women judges," Afshin-Jam MacKay writes in the letter to the Globe and Mail.

She writes that organizers of the lawyers' meeting have refused to release an audio recording of MacKay's remarks and instead ran to what she called the anti-Conservative media.

She says the media reports are based on hearsay and she likens them to a National Enquirer-TMZ mentality.

While in Antigonish, N.S., on Friday, MacKay was asked to respond to the comments he is alleged to have made about female judges and mothers. However, the justice minister refused to comment.

"I think enough has been said about what I didn't say," he told reporters.

Writing to the Globe and Mail, his wife portrays MacKay as himself fully involved in household chores:

"Even after often putting in 16-hour workdays as the main income earner in our household, he does all the sewing (his grandfather taught him), mows the lawn and takes out the garbage and recycling. He does most of the laundry and heavy cleaning in our house.

"We happily share housework and cooking. We both change diapers, bathe [their son] Kian, dress him, play with him and love him."

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John Baird defends Ottawa's efforts to free Mohamed Fahmy

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is hitting back against a former ambassador's allegations that the government is taking a quiet approach to freeing Egyptian-Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy because of its close ties with Israel.

On CBC Radio's The House, Baird tells Evan Solomon that "there are some people in this world that want to blame every single problem on Israel, the Jews… it's deeply offensive and ridiculous."

Baird was being asked to respond to comments Canada's former ambassador to Egypt, Ferry de Kerckhove, made on CBC News Network's Power & Politics on Tuesday.

De Kerckhove said, "I think our government puts the security of Israel ahead of some of the fundamental values they pretend to be fostering."

"It's very interesting, because I'm absolutely convinced that the policy adopted has far less to do with dual citizenship of Mr. Fahmy than it has to do with not rocking the boat in the region," he said.

Egyptian-Canadian Mohamed Fahmy, seen in this undated photo taken in Libya, was arrested Dec. 2, 2013, in a Cairo hotel. (Family photo/Canadian Press)

Fahmy holds Egyptian and Canadian citizenship, which can make it more complicated for Canada to intervene. 

Baird rejected the criticisms and said de Kerckhove was working for the interests of Qatar's government.

"Let me be clear, he's working for the interests in Qatar. He does work for Qatar Airways.… That's a pretty important conflict of interest to raise, don't you agree? He's on the payroll of the Qatari government," he said.

Al-Jazeera, the news organization the three imprisoned journalists work for, is funded by Qatar. There are concerns that those ties and Qatar's connection to the Muslim Brotherhood are why the journalists were imprisoned, in retaliation by Egypt.

Baird said "they [Qatar] were funding the Muslim Brotherhood, so it's more than a relationship."

In an email, de Kerckhove responded to Baird's allegations and clarified that he was not on the payroll of the Qatari government, but was doing government relations for Qatar Airways from Aug. 1, 2012, to July 31, 2013. His contract was not renewed.

On Israel, he said, "I have no qualms saying that Mr. Netanyahu is a hindrance to his own country as to the Palestinian issue. But I have always said that Israel's security is important not just for Israel but for the whole world, and the Middle East needs Israel and vice versa for the region's progress and prosperity."

‎"This is not 'blame the Jews.' It is hoping for peace,‎" de Kerckhove said.

Despite the criticism, Baird insists the government is doing everything it can to free Fahmy. He cites the government's success at negotiating the release of Canadians John Greyson and Tarek Loubani from an Egyptian prison last year.

"This is exactly how the government worked when the two Canadians were incarcerated last year… and ultimately we were successful taking that kind of approach," he said.

Baird also pointed out that while the Americans, British and Australians have been very vocal on this issue, that approach has not worked yet either.

"We're perhaps not the loudest. I'll point out that hasn't worked. I think if you want to get someone to do something and you have a relationship with them, you're best to try and be effective rather than loud. And that's what we're doing," he said.

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MP Wayne Marston's politics shaped by poverty and family tragedy

As Wayne Marston prepares to drive to Hamilton, he chooses a song from his vast repertoire.

Every week the NDP MP clocks more than a thousand kilometres back and forth from Parliament Hill to his Hamilton riding, where he lives with his wife, Barb.

He picks one of his favourite Bobby Darin tunes and Fly Me to the Moon is soon wafting through the car.

For Marston, music was an escape from the grinding poverty of his early life.

'Every MP that comes here has to bring with them who they are and how they evolved to who they are.'—Wayne Marston, NDP MP

"I had one set of clothes," he laughs. "So when I washed them I had to wait until they dried, or there was nothing to wear."

In the 1950s, poverty was not rare in the small community of Plaster Rock, N.B., so that did not make him stand out.

What did was the dramatic family dysfunction around him.

In August 1949, when Marston was a baby, his 10-year-old sister was strangled. It is believed she was killed by their mother. Marston was in the room when it happened.

Wayne Marston grew up amid poverty and tragic family dysfunction in this home near Plaster Rock, N.B. (Courtesy of Wayne Marston)

"I didn't live the incident because I was only two years old," he says. "But I lived the after-effects of it, so that went a long way to defining me.

"Every MP who comes here has to bring with them who they are and how they evolved to who they are," he says.

Family torn apart by mental illness

His mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia and sent to an institution for 10 years. She then went to live with relatives. Marston only learned what happened from his father when he was 12 years old.

"He decided when he was drinking one night to tell me the story of what happened to my sister."

Wayne Marston is pictured in 1957. (Courtesy of Wayne Marston)

Marston did not have a relationship with his mother until he was 42. He will never forget their first visit.

"She hugged me," he says. "I looked out of the side of my eye and I could see her wanting to kiss me. She did a very quick one. That's an important memory." Marston stops, tearing up and is unable to continue for several minutes.

But it was his father's addiction that was even more painful. In Plaster Rock, population of about 1,000 inhabitants, being the town drunk was an ignominious title.

"When I was 12 years old, I used to pick him up and drive him home, because it was safer for the community to get him off the roads."

Marston says that his troubled background scarred him as a young man.

"I had no personal self-esteem until I was 30 years of age," he says. "I remember going to pick up a girl for a date one time and being told, 'No, you are the Marston boy, you can't go out with our daughter. We know about your family.'"

Bit by bit, events happened to boost his confidence.

A path to empathy and politics

He was picked by his fellow Bell Canada workers to be the shop steward.

He pulled a man out of a burning car in 1986 and was awarded a bravery medal by Gov. Gen Jeanne Sauvé.

Wayne Marston was awarded a medal for bravery by Gov. Gen Jeanne Sauvé in 1986, for pulling a man from a burning car. (Courtesy of Wayne Marston)

He ran unsuccessfully against Liberal Sheila Copps several times and then finally broke through in 2006, defeating Liberal Tony Valeri in Hamilton East–Stoney Creek. He's been re-elected twice and now serves as the NDP's critic on consular affairs and human rights.

Marston finds his background often bumps up against Prime Minister Stephen Harper's tough-on-crime agenda.

He's against mandatory minimum sentences and is opposed to reopening any debate on capital punishment. He understands the concept "not criminally responsible" because of his mother's mental illness.

"I have a great empathy for people as a result of where I came from."

He spoke early in June, before the House recessed for the summer, on a bill of rights for victims, arguing for more compassion for offenders.

"It is to come to that place of understanding of what motivates and creates these situations and to pre-empt them from ever happening in the first place. In our family's case, it was the mental illness of a family member," he said to fellow MPs.

Marston is philosophical about his background.

"I don't have any sense of embarrassment about my past — those were things that happened around me."

"I have a sadness for my mother and father, for the way their lives turned out."

But his life now, he says, is "perfect."

"I'm in a place where it's very rewarding here."

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Peter MacKay's wife comes to his defence on comments about women

New

Justice minister's wife says media reports of MacKay's remarks based on hearsay

The Canadian Press Posted: Jun 27, 2014 7:17 AM ET Last Updated: Jun 27, 2014 7:21 AM ET

CBC's Compass talks to Afshin-Jam MacKay 5:21

CBC's Compass talks to Afshin-Jam MacKay 5:21

Justice Minister Peter MacKay's wife says her husband hasn't received a fair shake over recent comments attributed to him about female judges.

Nazanin Afshin-Jam MacKay has written to the Globe and Mail saying MacKay's comments to a group of lawyers was misrepresented in the media.

The Toronto Star reported that MacKay indicated that women were reluctant to become judges because they were afraid of being sent away on the circuit courts.

MacKay has been widely criticized as a result, he has said he is trying to encourage more women to serve on the bench.

Afshin-Jam MacKay writes that organizers of the meeting have refused to release an audio recording of MacKay's remarks and instead ran to what she called the anti-Conservative media.

She says the media reports are based on hearsay and she likens them to a National Enquirer-TMZ mentality.

Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.

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The House

• NDP Leader Tom Mulcair tackles mailouts, privacy & Northern Gateway Jun. 23, 2014 9:30 AM This week on The House, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair joins us to talk about some of the most controversial issues of the spring sitting of Parliament, including the allegations surrounding the NDP on mailouts and satellite offices. Then, Employment and Social Development Minister Jason Kenney joins us to discuss the long-anticipated changes to the controversial Temporary Foreign Worker program.

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RCMP disciplining more members for offences

A growing number of RCMP members are facing formal discipline for offences ranging from having sex in a cruiser to using excessive force, according to the latest report from the RCMP's professional integrity officer.

The report notes the number of Mounties facing formal discipline has reached a 13-year high, a surge it attributes to a crackdown on bad behaviour by Commissioner Bob Paulson.

Other offences outlined in the report include viewing porn on duty, lying to a boss or cheating on a test to land a promotion. Some also faced criminal charges for more serious offences including assault and impaired driving.

The report notes that even though some cases were withdrawn and others resolved by the member's resignation, a year-end balance of 144 cases marked a "notable increase" in the average caseload of 96. On top of the 128 cases carried over from the previous year, 104 new cases entered the system — creating a "significantly heavier workload," according to the report.

An increased volume of disciplinary cases had been expected under the leadership of Paulson, according to the report.

"It was observed in last year's report that increased scrutiny and the stated expectations of the new commissioner might lead to an increase in both the number of formal discipline cases and suspensions. This may well have been an accurate forecast," it reads.

In the past few years, the RCMP has been reeling from accusations of sexual harassment from female members. Paulson has complained about an outdated, drawn-out, bureaucratic process that also allows "bad apples" to remain on the payroll. The report notes that legislative reforms that passed into law last year — called the Enhancing RCMP Accountability Act — are expected to improve and "reset" the disciplinary process.

There are no cases of sexual harassment or sexual abuse of members recorded in the summary digest of formal disciplinary cases, which covers the period April 1, 2012, to March 31, 2013.

Overall incident rate falling

Craig MacMillan, the RCMP's professional integrity officer, noted that although the total number of members facing formal discipline is on the rise, the overall proportion relative to the size of force is declining. 

"That is unqualified good news," he said.

During the period covered in the report, 212 members received discipline out of a total of 24,667, or 0.86 per cent. Of those, 42 received formal discipline for more serious misconduct, representing 0.17 per cent of the force.

Staff Sgt. Julie Gagnon, the RCMP's spokeswoman, said there has been a clear message from the top that RCMP members must meet high standards set by Canadians.

"Although the overall incident rates of member misconduct are low, one case is too many," she told CBC News. "Every time a member engages in behaviour that could cause the public to question the integrity of the RCMP, it takes away from the outstanding work and commitment that more than 99 per cent of our members demonstrate day in and day out in their service to Canadians."

Members with fewer years of service and lower rank were more likely to face formal discipline, but some veteran officers were also sanctioned. One corporal with 22 years on the job was reprimanded and docked 10 days' pay for impaired driving in an unmarked cruiser and attempting to use his RCMP status to avoid criminal charges. He's on duty but facing criminal charges.

A staff sergeant with 25 years of service was suspected of false or misleading information in relation to a compensation claim and attempting to mislead a superior. In that case, proceedings were stayed for "unreasonable delay" so he remains on duty.

Sex in a police cruiser

A corporal with 13 years' service was reprimanded and docked five days' pay for improper personal use of a police car. He was also disciplined for inappropriate and unwanted touching during a public ride-along.

Some other cases in the report:

• A constable with two years' experience was reprimanded and docked five days' pay for using a police vehicle to have sex with another RCMP member.
• A constable with five years on the job is off duty and was forced to take 12 days without pay for assault and inappropriately touching two people. The officer was also recommended for alcohol and anger management counselling.
• A constable was reprimanded and docked seven days' pay for using RCMP resources to transfer pornographic images, view porn online and post pictures of a third person without consent, as well as transferring grossly indecent pictures to a computer.
• A constable with two years on the job was fired for fraud for improper use of a government fuel card.

Other cases involved a physical altercation with a member of the public, giving false information to provincial agencies, neglect of duty, making a false or misleading statement to a superior, cheating on an RCMP aptitude test, failing to properly store exhibits and providing false information during a promotion process.

The report also mentioned a specific case that is "unprecedented in its scope and complexity…. and consumed the services of many representatives for an extended time," according to Stephen Thatcher, director general of the RCMP adjudicative services branch.

Gagnon said three of the four members involved in that investigation have resigned, but she could not provide more details because one of the formal discipline cases is continuing.

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Gen. Tom Lawson warns military cuts will hurt readiness

The chief of defence staff and the deputy minister of national defence have warned the government that cuts to the Canadian Forces budget will affect readiness and capabilities across the military.

Gen. Tom Lawson and Deputy Minister Richard Fadden issued the stark warning to Defence Minister Rob Nicholson in a memo dated Nov. 20, 2013, obtained by CBC News under the Access to Information Act.

"Without at least maintaining current funding level, we will directly affect the readiness of key fleets of aircraft, ships and army vehicles. This in turn has an overall impact upon training and readiness," the memo states.

In a memo, Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Tom Lawson warns the government that cuts to the Canadian Forces budget could affect readiness and capabilities.

In 2012, the government announced a $2.1-billion cut to the military's $20-billion budget by 2015. That includes a  budget freeze put in place in 2010.

Those reductions are beginning to be felt on the front lines.

In the memo, Lawson and Fadden write that the cuts can be managed for now, but will bite harder as time goes on — and any further reductions will have a more drastic impact.

"It is clear that the follow-on effect in future fiscal years will be more severe, as the effects of lack of spares [parts] and maintenance on army fleets of vehicle, ships and aircraft begin to be felt with greater acuity," it reads.

Cancelled exercises, reduced training

George Macdonald, a former vice-chief of defence staff, said the military cutbacks "have meant that some exercises have been cancelled, some training has been reduced, some spare procurement has been deferred. Perhaps to be replaced at a greater expense later on."

In a statement, a spokesperson for the defence minister's office said the government increased the defence budget by four per cent this year. But the majority of the increase is for large purchases such as new ships, planes and trucks and cannot be used for training or maintenance.

While the Conservative government boasts about its support of the military and says military spending is up 27 per cent since 2006, the Conference of Defence Associations Institute says the budget has actually shrunk since 2010 when inflation is taken into account, leaving the military with less buying power.

"The spending now on the military, when you adjust for inflation, is back before where it was in 2008. So it's at roughly 2007 levels," said David Perry, senior defence analyst with the Conference of Defence Associations Institute.

'Direct impact on operational readiness'

In December, CBC News reported that some brigades were facing up to a 61 per cent cut to their operation and maintenance budgets. That's the money used for critical training exercises, ammunition, gas, equipment maintenance and spare parts.

Unless given the go-ahead by government, the Forces cannot reduce the number of personnel, whose salaries account for a large portion of the military's budget. Big ticket purchases are also off limits, leaving maintenance and training budgets vulnerable.

The government has said that while defence budgets need to be reduced along with those of other departments, resources are not supposed to be taken from the front lines.

Back in 2012, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said, "the Forces must be restructured to ensure administrative burdens are reduced and resources freed up for the front line. The Canada First Defence Strategy must continue to advance, and as I've said before, with the constant search for more teeth and less tail."

That doesn't seem to be happening.

Perry said operations and maintenance budgets have been reduced by about a fifth.

"It's had a pretty direct impact on operational readiness for the military," he said, warning that neglecting equipment maintenance may save money now, but could be costly in the future.

"It's like your car. You can delay getting new brakes, but at some point you're going to need an entire brake job," Perry said.

Macdonald said the impact on readiness and training can be significant even with relatively small reductions.

Air force, navy and army heads concerned

Briefing notes to Gen. Lawson from navy, army and air force commanders cover the same concerns.

Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Tom Lawson says cuts will mean the military will have less flexibility to meet assigned missions. (Justin Tang/Canadian Press)

The navy warns that significant cuts to its budget come as maintenance budgets are already stretched thin, with nine ships that need to be upgraded and two submarines under support contracts.

The army says it will have to reduce ammunition, its truck fleet and light-armoured vehicle fleet, among other things.

The air Force says its maintenance budget was cut by $99 million and warns any reduction will "impact forces engaged in operations." The briefing note goes further to say that in 2014-15, the air force is facing a $220-million cut.

It warns that any reduction in flying rates will have adverse effects on training and the ability to graduate new pilots.

Lawson's memo to Nicholson was included in a large package of documents on the decline of the army's truck fleet with vehicles reaching the end of their lives and replacements slow to arrive.

In this year's budget, the government slashed the $3.1 billion it had planned to spend on new military purchases, part of the government's attempt to balance the budget by next year, in time for the next election.

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Syrian refugees and Canada: The lessons of the boat people

Between 1979 and 1980, the Progressive Conservative government of Joe Clark resettled nearly 60,000 Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian refugees in Canada.

In 1979 there were about 350,000 "boat people" scattered across the countries of Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. They were forced out of their countries for political reasons. 

Take to the sea or die, they were told.

In Syria today, there are 6.5 million internally displaced people and another three million refugees living in camps or with relatives in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. They fled a repressive and brutal dictatorship on one side of the civil war and violent extremists on the other.

Three years into the conflict, the Canadian government said it is on track to admit 1,300 Syrian refugees this year.

The contrast in numbers is stark. And for a government that regularly urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, a little puzzling.

Faisal al-Azem is a Syrian-Canadian activist who lives in Montreal. His is a lonely voice in Canada.

Al-Azem had a couple of ideas on why the federal government is doing as little as it is.

First, he said, there is Ottawa's approach to recruiting new Canadians.

"Unfortunately, the Syrian crisis came at a time where Canada seems to be re-evaluating its refugee, immigration and, we learned not long ago, its citizenship policies," he said.

Essentially, the federal government is making it harder to get to Canada.

But then, al-Azem added, there is "no political will to do anything for Syria."

Ottawa calls refugee system 'generous'

The federal government, however, says Canada does more than its share in accepting refugees.

"Canada continues to have one of the most generous immigration and refugee systems in the world. We welcome one out of every 10 resettled refugees globally, more than almost any other industrialized country in the world," said Alexis Pavlich, press secretary to Immigration Minister Chris Alexander.

• Did you come to Canada as a refugee? Share your stories and photos with us at community@cbc.ca

In 1979, the machine of government was ready to take in tens of thousands of refugees even if the government itself was not.

"The Department of Immigration had been working assiduously under officials to develop a program of resettlement into Canada that would work. It was a program in which government policy had to catch up with bureaucratic planning," said Ron Atkey, who was immigration minister in the Clark government.

---

From the CBC archives

---

Atkey recounted how bureaucrats had been working up plans since 1975. Under the Trudeau Liberals of the day, the political will didn't exist to let in 60,000 Southeast Asian refugees. But his Liberal predecessor briefed him on the work that had been done and Atkey's boss decided he could best the Liberals' efforts.

In the late 1970s, a group of Southeast Asian refugees arrive in Malaysia after their small boat sank a few metres from the shore. (AFP/K. Gaugler)

"Because the Liberals had committed to 5,000. We said we were going to do 10 times that." 

They ended up doing nearly 12 times that. Clark's government didn't do it alone, though. 

Government and the churches

Atkey pointed out that Clark was a fan of public-private partnerships, which in 1979 meant the government and the churches. 

The Mennonite Central Committee led the way.

The church's national refugee program co-ordinator Ed Wiebe said many sponsors were guided by more than just their Christian faith.

Wiebe recounted the story of one older man who came into his office in 1979 with the papers for his church to sponsor a family of Southeast Asian refugees.

As a five-year-old in Second World War Germany, the man told Wiebe, he had a memory of walking along a road with his parents and many others. He didn't know where he was going or where he had been. All he knew was that something very bad had happened and they all had to get away. The TV images of boat people stirred this memory within him.

"When he saw those boats and lines of people scrambling on and off, he said, 'There I go. I've gotta do something,'" recounted Wiebe.

For Wiebe, one of the big differences between the Syrian crisis of today and the boat people of the late-1970s is the media landscape.

"The TV was a lot newer and had more impact then. Now media is more scattered," he said.

Wiebe said moving a similar number of Syrian refugees to Canada is "the right thing to do."

But it would only be possible if the circumstances that were created in 1979 and '80 were there again — government, bureaucracy and private actors working together. 

"You've got to line those up at the same time and in ways that make sense to the public," said Wiebe.

Getting the public on board

And that is the final piece of the puzzle — getting public support for a project of this magnitude.

Atkey said that support is going to be harder to obtain for the Syrians.

"I hate to say it, but there is not as much empathy towards the current Syrian refugees, because they're Islamic and there are still the scars of 9/11," he said.

Syrian children play outside their tent at a refugee camp in the town of Bar Elias in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley in May 2014. (Reuters)

"There generally is an anti-immigrant view in Western countries. I don't think Canada is unique. It's always been there and it's just a matter of managing it."

Where are the Syrian-Canadian voices?

There are 100,000 Canadians of Syrian descent, but their voices are almost never heard.

Al-Azem said it's because they "are afraid of politics." He said that before 2011, when the Assad regime was finally challenged by its own people, "there was a price that you pay" for speaking out. 

In Syria, that meant being "crushed" by the regime. For those outside of the country, it could be dangerous for your family still in Syria.

Al-Azem knows he can never return to Syria because of his work.

"Myself, I decided that I have nothing to lose."

Right now, there are 9.5 million Syrians in the same boat.

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Supreme Court's Tsilhqot'in First Nation ruling a game-changer for all

The Supreme Court decision on Thursday granting the land claim of a B.C. First Nation is not only a game-changer for many aboriginal communities across the country, but also for the government and the resource industries.

The unanimous ruling granted the Tsilhqot'in First Nation title to a 1,700-square-kilometre area of traditional land outside its reserve, marking the end of a decades-long battle.

But it also clarified major issues such as how to prove aboriginal title and when consent is required from aboriginal groups, which will affect negotiations on major projects such as the Northern Gateway pipeline.

The traditional territory in question is located to the south and west of Williams Lake and Alexis Creek in B.C.'s Interior. (CBC)

"This is a case of national significance and national importance, bulletproof in its legal reasoning," says Bill Gallagher, a former treaty rights negotiator and author of Resource Rulers.

While it was heralded among First Nations as a "game-changer" and one of the most important Supreme Court decisions, others warn that it will further complicate approval for resource projects such as Northern Gateway.

Here's a look at who is affected by the ruling and how.

Tsilhqot'in First Nation

First and foremost, the Tsilhqot'in First Nation is celebrating a major victory for itself.

The battle began in 1983 when B.C. granted a logging licence on land southwest of Williams Lake in the province's Interior that served as the Tsilhqot'in Nation's traditional hunting land outside the boundaries of the reserve.

The area in question is sparsely populated, with 200 of the 3,000 Tsilhqot'in people living there.

Chief Francis Laceese, of the Tl'esqox First Nation, stands in front of a poster showing opposition to the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline during a news conference Thursday in Vancouver after the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favour of the Tsilhqot'in First Nation. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

Lower courts disagreed on whether the semi-nomadic Tsilhqot'in Nation, a group of six aboriginal bands, had title to lands. The Supreme Court said they do and laid out for the first time how to determine whether a First Nation can prove title.

The Supreme Court decision not only granted title to the Tsilhqot'in, but found the province breached its duty to consult with the First Nation before approving the logging licence.

Even without a declared land title, the province must consult with aboriginal groups about uses of the land in dispute and accommodate their interests, the top court said.

Hundreds of claims in B.C.

Across most of Canada, indigenous people signed land treaties with the Crown that gave up their claim to land in exchange for reserves and other promises. But for the most part, that didn't happen in British Columbia.

There are hundreds of indigenous groups across British Columbia with unresolved land claims. That means the Tsilhqot'in win sets a precedent that many others in the province will be watching closely.

"There are many, many other First Nations in B.C. that will read this court case, get their lawyers in the room and rightly say, 'How close to this set of facts is our set of facts?'" said Gallagher.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, said the ruling marks an opportunity to 'participate in the economic future of this province as equal partners.' (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

"Some will be quite close and some will not be remotely close, but for those First Nations that are close, they will be able to use this as a precedent."

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs said the ruling marks the start of a "genuine dialogue of reconciliation that has eluded us for so long."

"I truly believe a rising tide carries all boats," said Phillip. "And in that regard we have an opportunity to participate in the economic future of this province as equal partners."

Meanwhile, the B.C. Justice Department said the province is studying the legal implications of the decision.

Implications for the rest of Canada

The ruling is also likely to have implications in other parts of the country, particularly in Quebec, through the East Coast and in areas where land treaties don't exist.

Veteran aboriginal rights lawyer James O'Reilly believes the high court's ruling could be applied to 40 per cent of Quebec's territory.

"I think it has wide sweeping consequences … for virtually every set of negotiations with aboriginal nations in Quebec," he said.

O'Reilly has spent decades working on First Nations claims in Quebec, from the Cree on James Bay to Innu along the northeastern shore of the St. Lawrence River, and he said about nine groups are currently involved in land claim negotiations.

The decision could also encourage more bands to assert their rights. However, the Supreme Court ruling focuses on lands still in use for traditional purposes such as hunting and fishing, meaning it likely rules out most developed parts of the province.

In the East Coast, it's a different set of circumstances, but one that could lead to the same result.

The Crown often asked for "peace and friendship" treaties, an agreement aimed at ending hostilities. Gallagher notes the British were "massively outnumbered" and thus more concerned with co-operation than settlements.

Fifteen years ago, the Supreme Court ruled on those treaties and found that they didn't settle land ownership issues on unceded land, said Gallagher. Thursday's ruling by the top court sets a precedent for those claims as well.

"It's now open to those First Nations to make those assertions," said Gallagher.

Industry groups and government

The high court's decision is expected to further complicate approvals for resource projects such as the $7-billion Northern Gateway pipeline proposal by Enbridge to move Alberta crude oil to the B.C. coast. That proposed route crosses no less than four territorial claims.

'This is not merely a right of first refusal with respect to Crown land management or usage plans.'—Supreme Court of Canada ruling

The Supreme Court decision states that the government has a duty to consult and accommodate First Nations even as the land claim is underway.

"This clarification really changes everything across the country," said Pamela Palmater, a Mi'kmaq lawyer with the Centre for Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University. "So, it's not just about the duty to consult anymore, this really changes it to a requirement to get consent over all unceded territory in this country."

Now that the top court has established the Tsilhqot'in First Nation's aboriginal title on the land in dispute, it has the right to determine "the uses to which the land is put and to enjoy its economic fruits," the court said.

"This is not merely a right of first refusal with respect to Crown land management or usage plans," the ruling written by Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin said. "Rather, it is a right to proactively use and manage the land."

If the First Nations group does not consent, the government can only go against its wishes if it proves it's justified under the Constitution.

The ruling also said that once title is established, it may be necessary for the government to reassess its prior conduct in light of its new obligations. For example, if it starts a project without consent, it may be required to cancel the project if it would be "unjustifiably infringing."

"It means that if you're a miner or a forester or a B.C. hydro transmission company or a pipeliner, that the legal landscape … has shifted," said Gallagher.

Gallagher stresses that if industries want to exploit resources on First Nations land, "We have to realize that they lie in the traditional territories of the most disadvantaged communities in the country.

"And they have been massively empowered by this ruling … and their expectations have just increased exponentially."

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Ethics watchdog clears Conservative senator who hired girlfriend

Conservative Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, left, was found to be dating his political assistant, Isabelle Lapointe, when attention was drawn to his expense claims in 2013. He later found her another Senate job. An investigation has cleared him of wrongdoing. (Facebook)

Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu has been given a pass by Senate ethics officer Lyse Ricard even though he twice renewed a job contract for his girlfriend, and then tried to ensure a two-week special leave for her as she moved to another position in Senate administration.

Although Ricard found Boisvenu had violated sections of the Senate's code of ethics, she concluded his conduct was "an error of judgment made in good faith" and recommended no sanctions be applied to him.

The conclusion comes at the end of a 25-page report Ricard issued Wednesday about her investigation into Boisvenu. Ricard notes this is the first formal inquiry the Senate ethics office has conducted since it was established in 2005.

In her report, Ricard says Boisvenu first met Isabelle Lapointe in 2010 at a meeting of a charitable foundation for people with disabilities. He eventually hired her to work as his executive assistant.

At the time, Boisvenu had recently been named to the Senate by Prime Minster Stephen Harper. Boisvenu, whose daughter was murdered in 2002, is founding president of the Murdered or Missing Families' Association and became a prominent spokesperson on the government's victims bill of rights.

After Lapointe began to work in his office, she and Boisvenu started having an affair. Despite the relationship, Boisvenu renewed her yearly contract twice.

He ended her contract in 2013 after media reports revealed he had charged the Senate for out-of-town expenses while staying for 31 days at Lapointe's Gatineau condo, just across the river from Ottawa.

When Boisvenu was appointed to the Senate he was living in Sherbrooke, Que., which was far enough away to allow him  to claim extra expenses for staying near Parliament Hill when the Senate is in session. However, once he split with his wife in 2012, he spent most of his time in Gatineau and continued to charge the Senate, to the tune of $20,000.

The media stories about expenses uncovered the relationship with Lapointe. In June of last year, Liberal Senator Celine Hervieux-Payette filed a complaint against Boisvenu for violating the Senate's ethics code by using Senate resources to benefit a "family member."

Ricard found the code identifies a common-law partner as a family member only after co-habitation of at least a year, and concluded Lapointe was not a family member of Boisvenu's.

The ethics officer did find that Boisvenu acted inappropriately by renewing Lapointe's contract while the two were having an intimate relationship. She found another breach of the ethics code when Boisvenu promised a two-week period of sick leave between jobs for Lapointe, and then contacted both Senate clerk Gary O'Brien and Senate leader David Tkachuk to lobby for the time off to be counted as sick leave and not vacation.

Despite Boisvenu's efforts, O'Brien told Ricard the leave would be an advance on Lapointe's vacation time.  

On Wednesday, Hervieux-Payette's office stated she had no comment other than to point out the inquiry into Boisvenu was conducted under an older Senate ethical code, and not a new code issued this year.

In his recent book Our Scandalous Senate, former MP Patrick Boyer writes that the Senate insisted on maintaining its own ethics officer rather than combine the office with the House of Commons ethics office. He also said that the previous (and first) Senate ethics officer, Jean Founier, told the Globe and Mail upon his retirement that the Senate's rules on conflict of interest needed an overhaul.

Although Ricard recommended no sanctions against Boisvenu, she can be overruled by the Senate ethics committee.

Contacted Wednesday, the chair of the committee, Conservative Senator Raynell Andreychuk, told CBC News she intends to recall committee members as soon as possible to consider Ricard's report.

The NDP's ethics critic, MP Charlie Angus, in a phone interview with CBC Radio's Tom Parry, was dismissive of Senate ethics officers in general.

"They're like the Maytag repairman," he said. "They never seem to go to work as far as I know. So, they finally get called to do a case, they say there are breaches of the Senate's paper-thin act and hey, everything's fine, he's one of us. It speaks to a larger problem within the Senate."

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Toronto byelection a preview of NDP-Liberal battles to come

Toronto's Kensington Market is always awash in colour, from the produce piled high on wooden stands to the World Cup jerseys swinging on lines stretched across storefronts.

But the most prevalent colours on display these days are the orange and red campaign signs of the NDP and Liberal candidates competing to succeed Olivia Chow as the MP for Trinity-Spadina.

There's no blue to be seen here. The Conservatives aren't a factor in Monday's byelection, one of four called by Stephen Harper for the day before Canada Day.

It's a battle between the two opposition parties for so-called progressive voters, the first of what promises to be many similar contests in urban ridings across Canada in next year's federal election.

"I actually believe that urban voters are becoming much more sophisticated," said Toronto Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam, who represents a downtown ward that's adjacent to the riding.

"They are looking for the best ideas and the most innovative solutions. And I don't believe any one single party has a monopoly on that.''

Trinity-Spadina is a perfect example of the challenges faced by the NDP and Liberals.

Thousands of potential voters live in expensive new condo towers down by Lake Ontario. Still more live in ethnic neighbourhoods where, Italian, Portuguese and Mandarin are the dominant languages. There are areas of great wealth, as well as people living on fixed incomes.

It's also a swing riding — alternating between the Liberals and the NDP for the last four decades — where the results are usually a reliable indicator of which party will get elected.

Since 1972, every time the Liberals have won the riding in a general election, they've gone on to form the government.

Each time the NDP has won, the Conservatives have taken power.

That makes the stakes unusually high for a byelection.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair has been in the riding four times, including last weekend, stumping with candidate Joe Cressy.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, speaking with the CBC's Chris Hall, has visited Toronto's Trinity-Spadina riding to campaign four times. (Michelle Gagnon/CBC)

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has made about the same number of visits for his candidate, Adam Vaughan.

Both campaigns are hitting on similar issues: the need for a national housing strategy, more money for child care and public transit.

So the leaders keep coming back, to highlight their differences.

Mulcair's pitch to voters is that the NDP has the best track record in promoting an urban agenda in Ottawa, and only his party can be trusted to deliver.

"You see, the Liberals have a record of promising things that they know people want to hear, but then doing whatever they want in power, and it's usually the opposite of what they promise,'' he said during a chat outside a Kensington Market coffee shop.

"We're not going to talk about urban issues during the campaign and then forget about them months after we're elected like the Liberals did. We're actually going to do it.''

Trudeau shrugs off the criticism. He's not interested in re-hashing the past, he's looking to the future.

At a restaurant in a predominantly Portuguese-speaking neighbourhood, Trudeau arrives with Vaughan. Both are wearing Portugal World Cup scarves as they wade into a lunch-time crowd to shake hands.

"What I'm offering is an extraordinary team with a robust and responsible plan to govern this country, bringing together great people from across the country. And I'm going to happily stack up the Liberal team, the Liberal platform, against the NDP when the time comes, but it will be because I'm focused on how to govern this country right.''

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, centre, and Liberal candidate Adam Vaughan, left, wear Portuguese scarves as they campaign in Trinity-Spadina with Nova Scotia MP Scott Brison. (Michelle Gagnon/CBC)

In 2011, the NDP captured a huge swath of urban ridings from the Liberals, most notably in Toronto and Montreal. The surge also played a role in helping the Conservatives take some urban seats away from the Liberals.

For some urban activists, a resurgent Liberal Party under Trudeau suggests more vote-splitting between the NDP and Liberals — making it potentially more difficult to topple Harper's government.

That's not a universal view.

Alice Funke, who maintains the online data base called the Pundits Guide to Canadian Federal Elections, said the Liberal/NDP battle for core urban seats is interesting, but less significant to the Conservatives' fortunes in 2015 than what she calls a ''pincer effect'' of seeing a Liberal resurgence in the more affluent ridings north of Toronto and greater NDP strength in working-class ridings in the West.

Either way, Trinity–Spadina is a significant test for the two opposition parties. Voter turnout at advance polls has been strong, as the NDP and Liberals work to pull votes from street to street, poll to poll, high-rise to high-rise and position themselves for the battles to come.

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Ottawa greenlights Arctic offshore seismic tests over Inuit objections

Ottawa has approved energy exploration in offshore Arctic waters over the objections of Inuit communities and organizations.

In a letter to the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, federal Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt says he sees no reason to deny proposed seismic tests off the coast of Baffin Island later this summer.

"I see neither the need nor the benefit to put seismic exploration on hold," he wrote in the June 10 letter.

Earlier this year, the National Energy Board concluded hearings on a proposal from a consortium of three international companies to conduct seismic testing off the eastern coast of Baffin Island.

Okalik Eegeesiak, president of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, says neither industry nor government have improved their approach to involving and informing Inuit of resource developments being considered in the waters they've used for centuries.

The proposal was opposed by the mayors of five communities, the regional Inuit organization and Nunavut's environmental review board.

Inuit fear the effect that the loud sounds used in the tests would have on the marine mammals they depend on for food. They also say the companies have provided little information on their plans or opportunity for Inuit to comment on them.

"We'd like to use the Inuit knowledge around where the marine wildlife is and when," said Okalik Eegeesiak, president of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association. "We're concerned about calving grounds and migration areas."

Valcourt notes the department is currently doing a strategic environmental assessment of the entire area to inform future decisions on development. The proposed seismic program could contribute to that, he wrote.

"Information gleaned from offshore geophysical operations such as seismic exploration surveys can also contribute to the strategic environmental assessment by focusing analysis and identifying those regions with the highest resource potential."

Eegeesiak said no work should go ahead until that report is in.

"We feel that this work needs to be done before any applications are considered," she said. "Most of the questions Inuit have would be addressed through the assessment and we support that assessment."

Eegeesiak notes Inuit have gone to court before over seismic testing in waters they want left alone.

In 2010, a Nunavut court issued an injunction to stop seismic testing in Lancaster Sound, a proposed Arctic national marine park. The injunction forced the German research vessel involved to change its route mid-cruise.

Eegeesiak said such measures are being considered again. She said neither industry nor government have improved their approach to involving and informing Inuit of resource developments being considered in the waters they've used for centuries.

"They still don't get it," Eegeesiak said. "They still don't get the fact that Inuit have concerns and we want to be part of the process. When we're part of the process we are likely to support it more."

The seismic plan off Baffin Island isn't the only Arctic offshore proposal working its way through an approval process.

In the western Arctic, a regulator is setting up hearings into a plan led by Imperial Oil to drill exploratory wells in the Beaufort Sea in 2020.

The wells would be about 175 kilometres offshore from Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., in water up to 850 metres deep, and are so complex and difficult to drill that the company estimates it would take at least two seasons to complete one.

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Mohamed Fahmy's Canadian citizenship won't be stripped: PMO

The federal New Democrats have received assurances from the Harper government that Egyptian-Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy won't be stripped of his citizenship after being convicted of terrorism in a Cairo court.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair made the request directly to Stephen Harper in a letter sent Wednesday to the Prime Minister's Office, a copy of which was obtained by The Canadian Press.

Earlier in the day, Harper told a news conference in Quebec the federal government is deeply concerned with the terrorism verdict and the seven-year sentence handed down to Fahmy and two other Al-Jazeera journalists.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has also said the government will continue to press for his release.

Nonetheless, the government now has the power to revoke Fahmy's Canadian citizenship under its controversial new federal citizenship law, Mulcair noted in the letter.

Bill C-24, which went into effect just last week, gives the government the added discretion to revoke the Canadian citizenship of someone convicted of criminal offences such as treason and terrorism.

Though Fahmy's conviction in Egypt has faced wide international condemnation, Mulcair asked Harper to essentially take the option off the table.

In the letter, Mulcair reminded Harper that "the NDP has firmly expressed our opposition to Bill C-24," noting experts have expressed concerns that it contained "serious violations" of Charter rights.

"Mohamed Fahmy's case in Egypt offers an immediate opportunity to realize the dangers of this new law," Mulcair wrote.

'No intention' of stripping citizenship: PMO

"Are you able to provide assurances that he will not be stripped of his Canadian citizenship when he needs our country's support now more than ever?"

In an email to The Canadian Press, Harper's spokesman Jason MacDonald did just that.

"We have no intention of doing that whatsoever," MacDonald said.

"This is another conspiracy theory from the opposition. We have and will continue to advocate for Mr. Fahmy at senior levels."

Earlier in the day, Harper said he has expressed Canada's displeasure to the Egyptian government.

The comments were Harper's first on the issue since Fahmy and his fellow Al-Jazeera journalists, Australian Peter Greste and Egyptian Baher Mohamed, were convicted in a Cairo court Monday and sentenced to seven years in prison.

The three journalists were convicted of giving support to the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt labels a terrorist group. The journalists deny they are terrorists and say they were just doing their job.

Their continuing imprisonment has sparked harsh international condemnation of Egypt.

'Deep concerns' over verdict

And it has also opened the Harper government to widespread criticism for what some say is a tepid response, compared to the tough language coming from the United States, Britain and Australia.

"We have been very clear on our concerns — deep concerns — about not just the verdict but about this process from the beginning," Harper said.

"We have expressed those to the authorities." Harper also said Canada has been providing consular support and services to Fahmy from the outset.

Baird said the government is trying to have Fahmy freed on appeal, or through a possible presidential pardon.

Though Egypt's president has ruled out intervening in the case, legal experts are divided on whether the imprisoned trio has the possibility of being freed as part of the ongoing legal process.

"Obviously there are some difficult circumstances here," Harper said.

"But the Egyptian authorities are very aware of the position of the government of Canada, and we will continue to press that position going forward."

Baird 'paying lip service': NDP

In an interview, Mulcair said he saw in Baird's comments "no real intention to do anything, paying lip service to our international obligations."

Baird has that said Fahmy's case is complicated by the fact that he is a dual Egyptian and Canadian national and also by the nature of the relationship between Al-Jazeera, its Qatari ownership and Egypt's banned Muslim Brotherhood.

The government of Qatar provides financial support to the Muslim Brotherhood, but no one seriously believes that Fahmy was in "cahoots" with the organization, Baird added.

Egypt's former top soldier, Abdel-Fattah El-Sissi, was elected president last month, completing a transition to power that started last July when millions of Egyptians took to the streets to demonstrate against Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

The Muslim Brotherhood has since been rebranded a terrorist group.

The government accused Fahmy and his two colleagues of compromising Egypt's national security though its reporting on the Brotherhood.

The case raises serious questions about media freedom, and it has been widely denounced, including by the international rights' watchdogs Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

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Tsilhqot'in First Nation granted B.C. title claim in Supreme Court ruling

Breaking

CBC News Posted: Jun 26, 2014 9:59 AM ET Last Updated: Jun 26, 2014 9:59 AM ET

The Supreme Court of Canada has granted declaration of aboriginal title to more than 1,700 square kilometres of land in British Columbia to the Tsilhqot'in First Nation.

The unanimous ruling released Thursday resolves many important legal questions, such as how to determine aboriginal title and whether provincial laws apply to those lands.

More to come

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The House

• NDP Leader Tom Mulcair tackles mailouts, privacy & Northern Gateway Jun. 23, 2014 9:30 AM This week on The House, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair joins us to talk about some of the most controversial issues of the spring sitting of Parliament, including the allegations surrounding the NDP on mailouts and satellite offices. Then, Employment and Social Development Minister Jason Kenney joins us to discuss the long-anticipated changes to the controversial Temporary Foreign Worker program.

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Christine Elliott, widow of Jim Flaherty, to run for Ontario PC leadership

Christine Elliott, the deputy leader of the Ontario PCs and widow of federal finance minister Jim Flaherty, will announce she will run to replace Tim Hudak as leader of the provincial Progressive Conservatives.

Evan Solomon, host of CBC News Network's Power & Politics, says Elliott will make the announcement on Wednesday. A news release late Tuesday said Elliott will make an "important announcement" Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. ET at the University of Toronto.

Elliott will have the support of seven caucus members when she makes the announcement, Solomon reported.

Her message is expected to be that Ontario PCs have not been listening, were rejected by voters, and need to fix that.

Elliott has been the member of the legislature for Whitby-Oshawa, a riding east of Toronto, since she won a 2006 byelection. A lawyer who practised real estate, corporate and estate law, she graduated from London's University of Western Ontario.

Elliott ran against Hudak for the party leadership in 2009 and finished third. Her then-colleague Frank Klees came in second. 

Hudak led the Official Opposition PCs to an embarrassing loss on June 12, losing nine seats in an election where the party had expected to at least win a minority government.

Hudak announced soon after that his intention to step down as of July 2.

Last summer, the Ontario PCs lost four out of five byelections. Klees pushed for a leadership review, but Elliott had urged patience.

She said then that Hudak was making an effort to see what went wrong in the lost byelections.

"As for people bringing challenges forward, it happens all the time, there's always going to be some people that aren't going to be happy," she said. "But I think that we all need to just calm down a little bit."

Klees didn't seek re-election on June 12.

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Peter MacKay called 'out of touch' over Mother's, Father's Day messages

Justice Minister Peter MacKay has raised eyebrows once again over what some consider old-fashioned and patronizing attitudes toward women.

CBC News has obtained two emails MacKay sent to his staff, one marking Mother's Day and the other Father's Day.

The Mother's Day email congratulates "colleagues" who have "two full-time jobs: as hardworking department of justice employees during business hours, and as dedicated moms and caregivers around the clock."

Especially as he is now the father of an active toddler, MacKay wrote, he could understand, "By the time many of you have arrived at the office in the morning, you've already changed diapers, packed lunches, run after school buses, dropped kids off at daycare, taken care of an aging loved one and maybe even thought about dinner."

The Father's Day email had a different tone. In the message, MacKay praises male staff who are "dedicated fathers" and lauds them for "shaping the minds and futures of the next generation of leaders." The words "mould," "teach" and "guide" were employed to illustrate fathers' influence on their children.

The emails were sent to CBC News by two employees of the Justice Department.

Emails 'fairly ridiculous'

Erin Rizok, a lawyer with the Ontario provincial government who is currently on maternity leave with her second child, called the emails "fairly ridiculous" when she read copies of them.

To Rizok, the emails suggest that "only men are responsible for shaping the lives of our children and only women are responsible for the home."

"I just think that Peter MacKay is completely out of touch with what women want to do generally," she said.

In an interview in Toronto's Monarch Park, she said, "In my house, me and my husband have not two jobs, we have dozens of jobs. We share everything in our house fairly equally."

The emails surfaced in the wake of a Toronto Star story last week that quoted women who'd been at a meeting of the council of the Ontario Bar Association with MacKay. The article said that MacKay, when asked why there was a dearth of women and minority judges on federally appointed courts, said women just aren't applying to be judges.

MacKay is said to have suggested that women might be reluctant to go for the jobs, because they had young children at home and worried about the extensive travel new judges often have to undertake visiting different regional courts.

He was reported as saying that women have a special bond with their children.

MacKay responds on Facebook

On Monday, MacKay used his public Facebook page to hit back at the report, which he said contained "inaccurate and inflammatory rhetoric." He said quotes attributed to him were comments he did not make at the closed-door meeting.

MacKay finished with a list of notable female and minority judges appointed by his department, including the first appointment of an aboriginal woman to the Federal Court.

Kim Stanton, the legal director for LEAF,  the women's legal education and action fund, told CBC News it's not known if women are not applying in sufficient numbers for federally appointed judging jobs. "In fact, if the stats in Ontario are anything to go by, women certainly are applying and they're being appointed in Ontario."

As for the emails that praised dads for guiding the minds of a future generation, Stanton said, "That's a wonderful message. but that's also what moms are doing. And moms are also to be valued and respected in the workplace, in the same kind of way."

Mary Ann Dewey-Plante, a spokeswoman for MacKay's office, asked about the Mother's Day and Father's Day emails, sent this response to CBC: "The minister takes every opportunity to thank the staff for their contribution to the department and to advancing justice issues on behalf of all Canadians."

Dewey-Plante pointed out that federal judge appointments are made on the advice of 17 judicial advisory committees across the country, adding that process has led to the placing of "182 excellent women to the superior and appeal courts of this country."

She also urged the judicial advisory committees, as well as the legal community, to do "a better job recommending diverse candidates for the bench."

Mobile users, read the emails here

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