Ontario premier vows to bring in measures to tackle harassment

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne hopes that discussions surrounding the ongoing harassment allegations on Parliament Hill will ultimately lead to change.

Wynne told CBC Radio's The House that "the only good that can come out of this [is] that we actually move the bar higher."

She said she's currently working with the opposition parties at Queen's Park to "take our environment to the next level and make it as safe as possible."

Wynne hopes to make an announcement next week outlining measures to combat harassment.

"The mistake we might make as a society is to think that this is relegated just to one realm," Wynne told The House. "It's not."

'Surprised' by criticism

Wynne also said she was "a little surprised" to hear her Saskatchewan counterpart criticize her position on the $12-billion Energy East pipeline project. Earlier this week, Brad Wall expressed his concerns over plans in Ontario and Quebec to take greenhouse gas emissions into account when evaluating the project.

"I am concerned about barriers for the pipeline," Wall said. "I am also very concerned with an additional item they have added to their list of seven whatever they are — conditions or demands — that Ontario and Quebec are making includes a [greenhouse gas] measure of the pipeline."

TransCanada Corp. has filed an application with the National Energy Board to use a re-purposed natural gas pipeline to carry crude two-thirds of the way across the country and building a new pipeline extension that would lead to Saint John, N.B.

"This is about how do we get this done in the best way possible," Wynne told The House.

Wynne said she hasn't spoken to Wall since his comments on Energy East, but said she has spoken with Alberta Premier Jim Prentice. Wynne and Prentice are set to meet next week.

"It's about how do we get this done, so I'm not sure where Brad Wall is coming from on this," she said.

No word from Harper yet

Last week, Wynne made public her struggle to get a face-to-face meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Releasing her most recent letter to Harper has yet to pay off as no one from Harper's office has contacted her since.

"Not to date," Wynne told The House. 

Relations between Harper's Conservative government and the Ontario Liberals have been tense of late, including during the recent provincial election campaign.

"This isn't about me personally, this is about the Prime Minister and the people of Ontario being able to have a dialogue, and I am their representative," Wynne said.

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Could Michaëlle Jean become secretary-general of La Francophonie?

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the premiers of Quebec and New Brunswick will attend this weekend's summit of la Francophonie which could see ex governor general Michaëlle Jean become secretary-general of the organization.

Jean is one of five candidates seeking to replace the outgoing Abdou Diouf, who is stepping down after more than 10 years on the job.

Jean is getting support from the federal government, Quebec, New Brunswick and her native Haiti, but it remains to be seen how many other members of la Francophonie will endorse her.

The organization has 57 members or associate members, while another 20 jurisdictions have observer status.

The summit begins in the Senegalese capital of Dakar on Saturday, with the organization's new leader being announced Sunday.

Besides Harper, Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard and New Brunswick's Brian Gallant will be among those attending the various plenaries at the 15th summit of la Francophonie, where the major themes are women and youth.

'New look' for Francophonie

Jean, who served as governor general between 2005 and 2010, is getting a big push from the Quebec delegation in Senegal.

"We're talking about her, what she's done in her career and how she could give la Francophonie a new look," said Christine St-Pierre, Quebec's international relations minister.

St-Pierre described Jean as a woman of vision who would provide fresh impetus for la Francophonie.

"We know she's a woman who lives in the Northern Hemisphere but she's also from the south because she's from Haiti and she has a good understanding of the French-speaking world," St-Pierre said after meeting with representatives of women's groups.

According to the Quebec cabinet minister, electing Jean as the first woman to head the organization would send a "powerful" message for equality.

"We talk about women making up half the world," she said. "Well, they also make up half of la Francophonie and we need to tell them: 'Look, you have in the secretary-general the necessary person to make progress in establishing equality between men and women."

Department providing support

The prime minister's office confirmed Friday that the foreign affairs department has spent about $55,000 covering Jean's travel costs as part of her bid for the post.

In addition, Jacques Bilodeau, a diplomatic advisor for Jean, has been retained on a three-month contract. He worked with Jean when she was UNESCO's special envoy for Haiti.

Jean's candidacy ended up surfacing in the Commons on Thursday when NDP MP Pierre Dionne Labelle accused the Conservatives of giving French short shrift on the new (at)Canada twitter account the government is using to promote Canada.

The NDP said the site just contains translations from English into French — and poor ones to boot.

Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney responded by saying Quebec has a seat at la Francophonie and that New Brunswick will support Jean's candidacy.

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RCMP officers break rules on note-taking: internal audit

Mounties are breaking the rules governing the notebooks they use to scribble information at crime scenes or during undercover investigations, according to auditors.

A sample review of 217 RCMP notebooks from across the country found some with missing pages, improper handwritten corrections and no indication that supervising officers had routinely inspected them, as required.

And there's still no clear policy on whether RCMP officers can take their notebooks home with them when they leave the force or retire — a continuing problem that has negatively affected criminal cases in the past.

Garry Clement, a retired RCMP superintendent, says he kept 30 years of his notebooks when he left the force in 2003 - some of which helped solve a cold case years later. (CBC)

The findings are in an internal audit, completed in July, which followed up on reviews by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in 2005 and 2011 that repeatedly cited poor notebook maintenance by various police forces, including the Mounties.

"Notebooks did not always have all of the core components required by policy, and supervisory review of notebooks was not occurring as required," concludes the audit, which has several sections censored over security concerns.

The report recommends the RCMP toughen and enforce its rules for notebooks — similar to recommendations in other reviews over the last 10 years.

Missing notes hurt trials

The "most significant issue at this time is the storage and handling of notebooks by members post-employment," said auditors, referring largely to retired officers who keep a lifetime of notebooks in attics and basements.

Missing notebooks have damaged court trials. In 2010, for example, a retired RCMP officer in Manitoba burned all of his notebooks ­— covering 32 years' of police work — including notes that may have been relevant to a careless-driving case. The Crown prosecutor dropped the charges on learning about the destroyed material.

'Officers do not know how to articulate their evidence, including proper note-taking.'- Garry Clement, retired RCMP officer

Garry Clement, a retired Mountie who in 2009 started a consulting firm near Colborne, Ont., said members leaving the force routinely kept their notebooks, even though they are technically government property.

"As a retired member, I can state I retained my notebooks, which was the norm in recent memory," he said, referring to dozens of RCMP notebooks from 1973 to 2003.

"As a result of maintaining control, I was able to produce evidence for a 1978 cold case which likely would have not been available had I not maintained custody."

A 200-page notebook used by an RCMP officer for undercover operations related to a 2007 gangland slaying in Surrey, B.C., went missing for years after the officer left the force. It was eventually located at his ex-wife's home and returned last year.

Other cases have involved deliberately falsifying notes, such as a double-homicide investigation in 2007, in Saint Lazare, Man., in which a forensics constable kept two notebooks on the same incident, one of them smeared with red paint to imitate blood.

RCMP officers are generally required to create an electronic report within 24 hours after jotting handwritten notes in their notebooks. The auditors found instances where the electronic version was created 72 hours later, which can create evidence problems in courts.

No handwritten version

In other instances, no handwritten version existed, merely the electronic version, which some judges will not allow officers to use to refresh their memories for testimony.

An RCMP officer guards the entrance to Centre Block used by members of Parliament on Oct. 28, 2014. The Mounties say they will respond in January to the recommendations in an audit that found some officers are ignoring rules about note-taking. (Chris Rands/CBC)

Most of the 217 notebooks the auditors examined at 16 detachments showed no evidence that a supervisor had regularly inspected them, an RCMP requirement since 2011 that most supervisors who were interviewed acknowledged they did not follow.

"As a manager, I did require notebooks to be reviewed, but I know this did not occur throughout the organization," Clement said of his three decades with the Mounties.

"According to many [defence] lawyers, cases are won because officers do not know how to articulate their evidence, including proper note-taking."

RCMP Deputy Commissioner Janice Armstrong told the auditors the Mounties will clean up their policies and procedures by mid-January, though clear protocols on what to do about notebooks after retirement or post-employment will have to wait for wider consultation.

The audit did not examine notebooks that contained confidential police sources, though some court cases have raised the issue of retired members' notebooks containing such sensitive information.

Follow @DeanBeeby on Twitter

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Harper calls on la Francophonie to put an end to forced marriages

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has urged countries in la Francophonie to do all they can to put an end to child marriages as well as forced unions.

Harper told the opening ceremony of the summit of French-speaking nations in Senegal on Saturday that 100 million females were forced into marriage between 2004 and 2014 before reaching adulthood.

"When girls cannot achieve their full potential, everyone suffers: the girls, their children, their communities and their countries," he said.

'When girls cannot achieve their full potential, everyone suffers.'- Prime Minister Stephen Harper

Harper described family as the foundation of society, adding it cannot thrive if it is based on constraint and inequality.

The main theme at the 15th summit of French-speaking nations is women and youth.

Harper announced Friday that Canada would contribute $500 million to a program aimed at providing vaccines for impoverished children around the world.

He noted Saturday that delegates at the summit will vote on a Canadian resolution on the health of mothers, newborns and children.

"Every year, hundreds of thousands of women do not survive pregnancy or childbirth," said Harper, who is at the summit alongside two premiers — Quebec's Philippe Couillard and New Brunswick's Brian Gallant.

The focus of the 15th annual Francophonie summit is women and youth. (Sean Kilpatrick/ Canadian Press)

"In 2013, more than six million children died before their fifth birthday."

Harper said a Canadian-led initiative from the G-8 summit in 2010 has reduced maternal mortality and improved the health of mothers and children in the poorest countries in the world.

"Between 2010 and 2013 — in just three years — two million deaths were prevented because children had access to basic vaccines.

"I firmly believe that it is possible to put an end to preventable maternal and child deaths within a generation."

The summit ends Sunday, the day a new secretary general of la Francophonie will be elected to succeed the outgoing Abdou Diouf.

Former governor general Michaelle Jean is one of five candidates in the race.

While Jean has the support of the federal government, Quebec, New Brunswick and her native Haiti, it remains to be seen how many other members of la Francophonie will endorse her.

The organization has 57 members or associate members, while another 20 jurisdictions have observer status.

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Iran embassy report suggests little threat months before closure

A newly released report into security at Canada's former embassy in Iran suggests the threat to its officials wasn't as dire as the government suggested at the time.

The report, completed less than nine months before the Conservative government shut down the embassy and ordered Iranian diplomats out of Canada, said the biggest threat at the time was from a natural disaster.

"The high risk of catastrophic earthquake remains the most significant safety/security challenge for diplomatic missions in Tehran," says the report, which noted that high building density and poor local infrastructure in Iran's capital could lead a moderate earthquake to immediately kill 400,000 people.

The assessment was ordered after a 2011 attack on the British embassy compound, which raised concerns about the safety of Western officials and resulted in the U.K. closing its mission for nearly two years.

British officials complained the Iranians didn't do enough to stop protesters who stormed the compound, looting it and burning the British flag. The protest came the week after Britain, the U.S. and Canada hit Iran with new sanctions.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird cited concerns for the safety of Canadian diplomats in Tehran when he announced the closure in a news release more than two years ago, and later said he'd been considering it for months.

The Jan. 24, 2012, report was provided to CBC News under federal access-to-information laws. It was completed after meetings with top-level Iranian officials and consultation with experts and other embassies and written by an official posted in Tehran during a visit by an official from the security and intelligence bureau.

Large parts of it are blacked out for security reasons.

Long-held security concerns

At the time, Baird gave a number of reasons for the closing, including Canada's view that the Iranian regime was the most significant threat to global peace and security, and Iran's "blatant disregard" of the Vienna Convention that guarantees the protection of diplomatic personnel. 

Canadian officials had long been concerned about how close to the road the embassy sat, among other security risks like sharing a wall with a neighbouring building.

The report notes political tensions between Iran and the international community had escalated over the previous six months, which caused some diplomatic observers to revise their risk assessments. It says there were growing but imprecise fears that the current confrontation between Iran and the international community could escalate into conflict.

"However, since Canada has already instituted tough sanctions without significant blowback, we do not believe that our own mission is a member of the 'front line' group," the report says.

At the same time, the report says, "in an attack similar to the U.K. embassy incident, no combination of security features or protocols would provide more than a buffer, allowing time for organization of a police intervention and destruction measures inside the chancery."

'No tangible threat'

The Canadians concluded the meeting with Iranian officials, including an assistant deputy minister for foreign affairs, was respectful.

The Iranians "clearly were hoping to ... reassure us on a range of mission security and operations issues," the report says.

"The relatively warm reception confirms the importance Iran places on maintaining some level of diplomatic ties with Canada and in particular the Iranian diplomatic presence in Canada."

Police chase protesters as they enter the gate of the British embassy in Tehran on Nov. 29, 2011. Dozens of young Iranian men entered buildings inside the British embassy compound in Tehran, throwing rocks, petrol bombs and burning documents looted from offices, Iranian news agencies reported. (Reuters)

Dan Livermore, who was director general of security and intelligence at the Department of Foreign Affairs from 2002 to 2007, says that's a shrewd assessment of the Iranians. He says it's crucial to have a presence there and that even the Israelis haven't stopped talking to them.

"There was no tangible threat," said Livermore in an interview with CBC News.

"The Iranians, for the terrible relations we had with them, they never closed their door to us," he said.

Livermore, who's now a senior fellow at the University of Ottawa's graduate school of international and public affairs, says the Conservative government doesn't believe in having a diplomatic presence in difficult countries.

"I don't know where they get their information, but on Iran it tends to be more rhetoric than material anchored in reality," he said.

Pro-democracy activists called for closure

A spokesman for Baird didn't answer specific questions about what changed between the January security assessment and the September closure of the embassy. He again cited the regime's "blatant disregard" for the protection of diplomatic personnel.

"Canada has held a clear position on Iran's sponsorship of terrorism, its nuclear ambitions, and its abysmal record on human rights. Diplomatic relations between Canada and Iran were suspended due to Canada's position on the regime," Adam Hodge wrote in an email to CBC News.

"The government of Canada formally listed Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism under the State Immunity Act. It was under these circumstances that Canada could no longer maintain a safe or diplomatic presence in Iran."

At the time Canada shut down its mission in Iran, pro-democracy activists in Canada had been calling for the Iranian embassy in Ottawa to be closed. The calls were sparked by a July 2012 news report that said Iran's cultural counsellor in Ottawa, Hamid Mohammadi, suggested Iranian expatriates should be nurtured to be of service to Iran.

One of the most prominent voices calling for the closure was Nazanin Afshin-Jam, a human rights activist and the wife of then-defence minister Peter MacKay. 

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NDP MP Sylvain Chicoine accused of sexism in lawsuit

NDP deputy veterans affairs critic Sylvain Chicoine demonstrated a sexist and misogynist attitude toward former staffer Fabiola Ferro, failed to deal with harassment by another staffer, and fired her without cause, Ferro alleges in a lawsuit filed Friday in Ontario Superior Court.

The suit claims damages of $194,000 and alleges Chicoine reprimanded Ferro when she complained about the alleged harassing behaviour, tried to fire her when she took the issue to the union, and then denied her references.

The lawsuit claims Chicoine contributed to a poisoned, toxic and humiliating work environment, and alleges he acted like a tyrant.

Ferro says another Chicoine staffer, David Cimon, started harassing her, but Chicoine didn't deal with the harassment and showed favouritism toward Cimon, finally firing Ferro last month.

Ferro, 34, started working for Chicoine as a parliamentary assistant in September 2011, and Cimon started harassing her a few months later, the lawsuit alleges. 

Ferro says Cimon threatened her, unfairly criticized her work and gave her additional work without the authority to do so. She alleges Cimon increasingly isolated her and that he did all of this because she is a woman.

"We are alleging a number of things in our claim, but certainly the fact that we believe she was treated differentially on the basis of her sex, and that that is a violation of the Ontario Human Rights Code, is a large part of her claim," Ferro's lawyer, Andrew Lister, told CBC News.

None of the allegations have been tested in court.

In a statement, Chicoine said he was Ferro's employer and received a harassment complaint "by another employee."

"I took these allegations seriously because I believe that harassment has no place in a healthy work environment," he said in the statement.

"According to provisions of the collective agreement, Mrs. Ferro's allegations were immediately subject to a formal investigation, which found them to be baseless. I am confident that the courts will reach the same conclusion."

Sexist and misogynist

Ferro says in the lawsuit that Chicoine demonstrated a sexist and misogynist attitude toward her, favouring Cimon because he's a man. She alleges Cimon was allowed to arrive late and take long holidays while she was questioned over every absence and late arrival.

Ferro further alleges that Chicoine used insulting language with her.

Ferro alleges Chicoine didn't address her repeated complaints and says she finally filed a grievance with the NDP union in April 2013. Cimon filed a counter-grievance, alleging Ferro harassed him and falsely accused him.

The lawsuit alleges Chicoine fired Ferro, but not Cimon, that month. 

A union committee, which included a spokesman for Chicoine, looked into the matter and put Ferro on leave until it could make its decision.

The committee wrote a report in May 2014 that rejected both complaints, Ferro alleges in the lawsuit.

Fired last month

Chicoine sent her a letter in September calling her to a meeting to discuss her return to work, she says in the lawsuit. She alleges he suggested in the letter that he'd consider any refusal to be a resignation.

Ferro met in early October with the NDP's director of operations, who offered her a data entry job with a 60-day trial period on the condition she drop the harassment complaint and renounce her right to sue Chicoine and the party, she alleges.

Ferro alleges Chicoine fired her on Oct. 21 through a letter from his lawyer to hers. Ferro's lawsuit says Chicoine alleged she'd abandoned her post, a claim she denies in the lawsuit.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said the party's union has already dealt with the complaint, which he qualified as cross-allegations between two employees.

"Other recourses are being tried right now. I'll let the courts determine whether or not anything further is going to actually happen,​ but frankly as a lawyer I will tell you I have my doubts​," Mulcair said of the lawsuit.

"We'll let a judge determine whether or not the proper authority exists for the case to move forward through the civil litigation system," Lister said.
 

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F-35 purchase by Canada suggested in Pentagon briefing

A leaked Pentagon briefing says Canada has signalled to Washington that it wants to buy at least four F-35 stealth fighters, but a spokesman for Public Works Minister Diane Finley insisted Friday that no decision has been made.

The slide presentation, delivered to the secretary of the U.S. Air Force on Oct. 27, 2014, shows Canada has asked to swap places with the Americans and place the order in the current fiscal year, which means a possible delivery date of either 2016 or 2017.

The briefing indicates the Americans would make it up by taking four of the aircraft Canada had already planned to buy in 2019.

The U.S. said it would agree to the switch as long as the long-delayed development of the controversial fighters remains on track and that no other allies asked for a similar consideration.

"Canada needs to deliver Letter of Intent with updated beddown plan to F-35 (project engineering office) — (estimated completion date) mid-November," said the briefing, a copy of which was obtained by The Canadian Press.

The presentation by U.S. Lt.-Gen. Chris Bogdan — head of the F-35 program at the Pentagon — also said the U.S. project office has begun the process of notifying Congress.

The Conservative government put its plan on hold almost two years ago — they billed it as hitting the "reset button" — after the auditor general and the parliamentary budget officer criticized both the departments of National Defence as well as Public Works, saying the cost of the program had been understated and inadequately researched.

Then-defence minister Peter MacKay signalled the government's intention to buy the radar-evading jet in 2010, but a series of production delays and uncertainty over the price tag made the program a political lightning rod.

When it first proposed the program, the government intended to buy 65 jets. The briefing gives no hint at a timetable for potential follow-on purchases.

Marcel Poulin, a spokesman for Finley, insisted Friday that "no decision has been made on the replacement of Canada's CF-18 fleet."

He went on to note that the government has committed to extending the life of the current fighter fleet to keep them flying until through 2025.

Poulin, however, refused to address the specific issue of how to reconcile that long-standing position with the contents of the briefing.

After question period Friday, NDP defence critic Jack Harris called it "outrageous" that the government appeared to be going ahead with the F-35 in spite of all the controversy surrounding it.

"This is going on behind the backs of Canadians after the debacle that we've had with the F-35, keeping everybody in the dark about the price, sole sourcing it after they said they were going to have an open competition," he said.

"Canadians are ... just being deceived by this government taking action without the kind of transparency that's required, without the proper debate, without notifying Canadians, without notifying Parliament."

Since early summer, the federal cabinet has been studying a series of reports looking at alternatives to the F-35 and the expected industrial benefits. A decision had been expected earlier in the fall.

Alan Williams, a former official in charge of defence procurement, said it's hard to imagine the government only buying four aircraft and what the letter of intent will signal — if and when it is sent to the Pentagon— is de facto approval to proceed with the F-35.

"You can spin it any way you like," he said. "Once you've dipped your toe into the water, your foot will follow."

The government originally claimed the cost of buying and maintaining the fighters would be $16 billion over 20 years. Subsequent investigations by both the auditor and the PBO reached much higher totals.

An independent analysis commissioned by the Public Works secretariat overseeing the program said the cost would be around $44 billion once everything from fuel to pilot salaries and disposal was figured in.

In a statement, Liberal defence critic Joyce Murray expressed shock that word of the proposal was coming out of Washington, not Ottawa.

"Why is an American general informing us that Canada is set to order four F-35s in the next few weeks?" Murray asked.

"Pressing the 'reset' button on the CF-18 replacement clearly hasn't taught the Conservatives a single thing about conducting an open and transparent procurement process."

Canada signals it intends to buy at least four F-35s by 2017: Pentagon briefing by TheCanadianPress

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Liberal harassment allegations: NDP MPs angry with Trudeau's handling

What began with a non-partisan attempt to deal with serious allegations of personal misconduct against two Liberal MPs has descended into a nasty political dispute between the Liberals and the NDP.

CBC News has learned that the two NDP MPs who came forward with allegations against two Liberal MP are "angry" at the way Justin Trudeau publicly handled the situation.

"They are angry at Mr. Trudeau," NDP whip Nycole Turmel told CBC Radio's The House. "They are not angry that they spoke about it, but they are angry at Mr. Trudeau that they had to face that," she said.

Turmel added that she has spoken to both complainants and that they are both struggling to come to terms with the fact their stories are in the public domain, even if they haven't been named. 

On Wednesday, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau suspended MPs Scott Andrews and Massimo Pacetti from his caucus pending an investigation into what he called serious allegations of personal misconduct. Hours later, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said Trudeau did not warn the complainant he was going to go public with the situation — an action that said has "re-victimized" the two NDP MPs.

NDP Deputy Leader Megan Leslie told The House she believes the Liberal leader's approach will have even further damaging affects. She claimed his actions might discourage other women from speaking out about harassment.

"I don't think anyone's going to come forward anytime soon," Leslie told The House.

"I don't think it's safe to. I mean, it's not every workplace where you end up doing national media, because you came forward to say I want a safe workplace," she said.

"I think it's going to be cut off, that conversation is cut off, at least in the short term."

But Liberal Party whip Judy Foote maintains her leader had a responsibility to act once the allegations were brought to his attention.

"Certainly the MP that approached Mr. Trudeau had to know that, that he would have to act," Foote told The House. "You cannot sit on something like that."  

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Peter MacKay says he's seen no harassment in Parliament or his party

Justice Minister Peter MacKay says he's pleased to see a "mature discussion" on harassment, but that he's never seen anything like that in the Conservative Party or in Parliament.

Asked how the Conservative Party handles complaints similar to the one Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau says he received from two New Democrat MPs, MacKay suggested he wasn't aware of any.

Justice Minister Peter MacKay, seen with Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney, left, and Lianna McDonald, executive director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, says he's never seen harassment in the Conservative Party or in Parliament. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

"Well, to my knowledge, I haven't seen anything like this, quite frankly, within our party, let alone Parliament," MacKay responded Friday in Toronto.

"So it has been a tremendously eventful number of weeks to say the least, and it has kind of rocked Parliament off its moorings,

The justice minister noted there's no process on Parliament Hill for dealing with allegations of harassment levelled against MPs, but says there should be a "zero tolerance approach."

MacKay hasn't been immune from criticism on that front, however — in 2006, then Liberal MP Mark Holland alleged MacKay referred to MP Belinda Stronach as a dog. MacKay and Stronach had dated before she crossed the floor from the Conservatives to the Liberals.

MacKay denied he'd made the remark and said the Liberals were trying to distract "from their own inadequacies."

Being 'outed' doesn't help, Raitt says

Trudeau referred the complaints to House Speaker Andrew Scheer, who directed them to the Board of Internal Economy, a committee of MPs that meets in secret to discuss the administration of the House.

Scheer has offered the services of the House's chief human resources officer, and the House has promised confidentiality to the complainants, his spokeswoman said.

NDP whip Nycole Turmel met with Scheer on Thursday and was told the women needed to make formal complaints.

Transport Minister Lisa Raitt tweeted a link Friday morning to the federal government's harassment resolution policy. The policy doesn't apply to MP offices.

"It can be difficult to find your voice and talk about a personal injustice — being 'outed' when you do doesn't help," Raitt wrote on the social networking site.

'I haven't seen anything like this, quite frankly, within our party, let alone Parliament.'—Justice Minister Peter MacKay

The NDP has complained that the MPs who spoke to the Liberals about their concerns didn't know Trudeau would react in so public a manner, and didn't warn them in advance.

The issue is complicated by the fact that one MP approached Trudeau and outed the other, who hadn't wanted to go public.

CBC News reported Thursday that both New Democrat MPs reported the incidents to NDP staff, with one complaint going to Turmel. Both MPs refused to go public or formalize complaint.

Lack confidence to come forward

Health Minister Rona Ambrose also referred to a workplace policy against sexual harassment. Speaking to reporters Thursday afternoon, she said few people know the facts of the complaints.

"I think we'll have to wait for those to emerge, but I've been involved in this issue my whole life, and what I tell people is to educate yourself," she said.

"I think people need to know what [sexual harassment] is, what it looks like, and that creates a confidence in not only the person that might experience it so they know how to come forward. A lot of young people do not have the confidence to come forward. There's a lot of vulnerable young women and men that are in many workplaces across the country that need to gain that confidence."

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Canada, China sign currency hub deal to boost trade

Canada and China have signed a reciprocal currency deal that's expected to dramatically boost exports.

The hub will foster far easier trade between the Canadian dollar and the Chinese yuan, also known as the renminbi. It makes Canada the first country in the Americas to have a deal to trade in the renminbi.

The signing of the deal was announced in Beijing today by Premier Li Keqiang and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who is on his third official visit to China.

Authorized by China's central bank, it will allow direct business between the Canadian dollar and the Chinese yuan, cutting out the middle man — in most cases, the U.S. dollar.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, left, is shown the way by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang as they arrive for a welcome ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Saturday. (Ng Han Guan/Associated Press)

Canadian exporters forced to use the American currency to do business in China are faced with higher currency exchange costs and longer waits to close deals.

"It's something the prime minister has been talking about. He wants Canadian companies, particularly small- and medium-sized businesses, doing more and more work in China, selling goods and services there," said CBC's Catherine Cullen, reporting from Beijing.

Jason Henderson, head of global banking for HSBC Canada, calls the deal great news for Canada, given that China is the second largest economy in the world after the U.S.

If Canada is to maintain the standard of living that it enjoys today, he adds, it needs to tap into the Chinese market. The currency deal is the first step on that path.

Earlier today, Canada and China also signed more than 20 commercial deals valued at more than $1 billion.

The Prime Minister's Office said in a statement the deals "are a testament to the significant growth taking place in the bilateral commercial relationship."

"Several sectors stand to benefit from these agreements, including sustainable technologies, aerospace, transportation, construction, mining, energy, infrastructure, agri-food, and information and communications technologies sectors," the statement said.

It said trade between Canada and China supports more than 470,000 jobs in Canada a year, which was about 2.67 per cent of total Canadian jobs in 2013.

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Parliament 'back in another decade' when it comes to harassment

Parliament is in many ways living in another decade when it comes to how things work and how women are treated, NDP deputy leader Megan Leslie says.

Leslie spoke to CBC News about the culture around Parliament Hill, one day after Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau suspended two MPs for "personal misconduct." The candidacies of Newfoundland and Labrador MP Scott Andrews and Quebec MP Massimo Pacetti for the 2015 federal election are also suspended. The allegations of misconduct come from two female New Democrat MPs.

The culture on Parliament Hill is a combination of factors that make it a different workplace than Leslie had ever experienced, she told CBC News.

"I love a lot of the people here, so I'm being really careful with my comments because it's not a bad place all the time," Leslie said.

"It's a really special place. It's a glorious place sometimes. But sexual harassment and harassment in general is an issue. Is it worse here? I'll certainly say it's different here."

The power imbalance between elected officials and their staff is simply one of the factors that contribute to a different environment on Parliament Hill, Leslie said. Political staffers work directly for the MP who hires them, making each of the 308 MPs like a private employer with their own staff. Federal labour laws don't apply to them.

Leslie says MPs are told they're special when they're elected, they spend a lot of time away from their families, and much of the political social life involves alcohol.

The power imbalance extends to a tug-of-war between MPs and journalists, she added.

'Dusty and dried up'

The 2011 election brought a number of younger MPs to Parliament Hill, particularly in the NDP caucus. Many were in their 20s and 30s, with some as young as 22.

It was the first time a cadre of young, female MPs had hit the Hill at the same time. Usually those working on the Hill in their mid-20s are staffers.

Leslie describes seeing male MPs patting female MPs on the lower back or stroking their hair.

Parliament is in many ways living in another decade when it comes to how things work and how women are treated, NDP deputy leader Megan Leslie says. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

"Well, you're not doing that to the minister of defence," she said. "It's not the end of the world. That is not violent sexual aggression, but ... I have the right to go through my day without being touched."

"I do think that we are back in another decade here. It is a strange place. It is a place that I love and respect, but it is pretty dusty and dried up," she said.

At the same time, it seems Parliament isn't that different from the rest of Canada in that the complainant MPs didn't want to go public with their allegations.

Scott Simms, a Liberal MP from Newfoundland and Labrador, told reporters Thursday that he's known about one of the two misconduct allegations since 2013.

"Some time ago, I made a commitment to a dear friend that I would not talk about this in public. So I'm going to honour that commitment, I'm sorry," Simms said on his way into question period.

Questions about going public

The NDP's insistence that the women didn't want to go public led to questions to the Liberal leadership, including whip Judy Foote, who wrote to House Speaker Andrew Scheer to request the House investigate the allegations.

"I'm not going to get into the politics of this," Foote said outside the House of Commons.

"We had no choice here. The leader [Trudeau], once told by an MP of another party that there were serious allegations against a caucus member in his party, he had to act and we did."

Leslie says it's a good thing that MPs and Canadians are now discussing harassment issues.

"I actually think there's been a real shift in discourse over the past few weeks about rape, about consent, about sexual harassment, sexualized conduct," she said.

"I think that a special something has opened up here where we actually get to talk about this here in the House of Commons and not be dismissed ... that is hopeful to me."

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MP harassment allegations fall through cracks of Hill's murky rules

Amid the shocked speculation swirling around Wednesday's incendiary revelation by Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau that veteran MPs Scott Andrews and Massimo Pacetti had been suspended from caucus based on harassment complaints lodged by two unnamed New Democrat MPs, one question kept coming up: How is it possible that there is no established process in place on Parliament Hill for dealing with such a situation?

As Trudeau himself put it to reporters after delivering his announcement: "Look folks, it's 2014.  It's time that this workplace, like other workplaces across the country, had a process whereby these issues can be aired and dealt with."

But is it entirely accurate to say that there are no mechanisms in place to deal with disputes between MPs, including allegations of harassment?

First, a quick reminder: Not only is Parliament a self-governing jurisdiction, exempt from virtually all federal and provincial laws, including the labour code, but MPs are — as the title makes clear — members of the House of Commons, not its employees.

While there are some avenues of appeal for Hill staffers and employees dealing with conflicts within the workplace, only the House has the authority to intervene in disputes between its members.

That was what led Liberal whip Judy Foote to initially approach her New Democrat counterpart, Nycole Turmel, in order to set up meetings with the two MPs.

'Clear process' needed: Liberals

Shortly after those meetings had taken place, however, Foote filed a formal request that House of Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer take over the investigation.

"I do not believe it is possible, nor indeed appropriate, to attempt to properly deal with these complaints any further at the level of the whips," she wrote.

"I believe a process that continues to deal with these allegations in a serious manner will require the involvement of a neutral third party trusted by all concerned."

Foote also urged him to take steps to ensure a "clear process … for possible future cases where members are alleging misconduct of other members," and noted that the Senate already has such a policy in place that covers both senators and employees.

"It is time the House of Commons did the same," she wrote.  

In a sense, though, it already does.

As retired parliamentary law clerk Rob Walsh pointed out in an interview with CBC News Network's Power & Politics host Evan Solomon earlier this week, every MP has the right to bring such concerns to the attention of the Speaker — and the House as a whole — by rising on a point of privilege.

"That process that is available to all members, if they feel that the behaviour of a third party — including another member —  has impaired their ability to do their job," he noted.

Should the Speaker agree that a prima facie breach of privilege exists, the matter would be sent to the procedure and House affairs committee for further study — which could, in turn, result in a report recommending what, if any, sanctions should be considered.

"It stems from the fact that the House has the power to discipline its members," Walsh noted.

"if you actually want to take action, you have to go to the House — not the [Board of Internal Economy], by the way, and not the Speaker individually, but the House."

Confidentiality complications

Such an approach would, however, require the MPs making the allegations to do so in a very public way — which according to the New Democrats, was the exact opposite of how they wanted to deal with the situation.

Speaking to reporters the day after the story broke, New Democrat Leader Tom Mulcair said the party's "number one concern" was to support the two MPs, which included respecting their wishes.

"Their wish was not to be revictimized, and to make sure that what they were telling us was confidential," he said.  "We respected that."

(Indeed, the New Democrats have been highly critical of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's decision to go public with the fact that such allegations had been made, if not any specific details thereof.)

So, given the desire of the complainant MPs to handle the situation behind closed doors, were there any official channels available to resolve the dispute in a more discreet manner than the name-and-shame of a point of privilege?

According to the Speaker's office, they could have taken the matter directly to House of Commons chief human resources officer Pierre Parent.

"Any individual who wants to bring forward allegations of harassment may request a confidential meeting with the chief human resources officer (CHRO) of the House of Commons," the Speaker's office spokeswoman Heather Bradley told CBC News.

At that point, the CHRO "will meet with the individual to determine appropriate next steps," she added.

"All meetings remain strictly confidential."

What's not clear, however, is whether the CHRO has any power to take action in response to such complaints when the parties involved are also sitting MPs.   

Jurisdiction issues

In fact, it's not even certain that the all-party Board of Internal Economy to which the allegations are expected to be referred is authorized to investigate — and, if necessary, sanction — the conduct of individual MPs.

"I don't think the board has any jurisdiction in this matter, because the board doesn't have power to discipline its members other than for breaches of the board's bylaws," Walsh told CBC's Power & Politics.

"There isn't, to my knowledge, a bylaw … regarding harassment between members."

The members' by-laws govern the use of parliamentary resources, including office budgets and salaries, but are silent on issues of conduct and behaviour.

Meanwhile, the party caucuses themselves have a free hand to manage internal complaints among their own members, but no readily available tools or mechanisms to handle disputes that involve non-caucus members.

That is, unless the leaders of the parties involved decide to work together.

"Mulcair and Trudeau should get together, and make an agreement to engage an independent third party to investigate and report back, and that report made public," Walsh told CBC News.

"Then the two might try to sort out what the remedy would be."

If unsuccessful, he says, the NDP could always rise on a point of privilege — although that, once again, would likely mean identifying the MPs behind the complaints.

Either way, Walsh believes that it will set a precedent "that will put all members on their best behaviour" even if nothing changes as far as the letter of the law.

"I don't think you need new rules — everyone knows sexual harassment, if that's what it is, is not appropriate," he noted.

"This process may show what remedies are available, and how it could become public, to the great detriment of many members."

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Government spent $121K on Canada-EU summit reception

The federal government spent $121,454 on a Toronto reception for leaders of the European Union in September — a reception which, in turn, led Prime Minister Stephen Harper to offer his guests a $338,000 ride home on a government Airbus.

The reception was a late add-on to a Sept. 26 summit in Ottawa where the leaders celebrated the end of negotiations towards a free trade agreement with Europe, known as CETA [the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement]. 

Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council, and Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, were flown with their staff to Toronto for the reception, causing them to miss a scheduled commercial flight home from Ottawa.

The trip was treated as a "royal visit" by orders of the prime minister's office and the reception, at the Fairmont Royal York, brought in business leaders to meet the visiting delegation.

The event meant flying in 17 government staff and renting a motorcade of vehicles to ferry staff and dignitaries to and from Pearson airport.

It didn't come cheap. Some of the costs are broken down in a summary obtained by NDP MP Don Davies under the access to information law:

• $33,801 for the room and food.
• $13,049 for drinks.
• $8,101 for music (The Four Tenors and a military band).
• $14,489 for staging and audio/visual services.
• $19,323 for backdrops (saying "Canada-EU Summit").
• $13,211 for airfare and hotels for 17 government staff.
• $11,627 for vehicle rentals.

With the addition of flowers, linens, printing and photography, the total for the evening was $121,454.09.

After the reception, the European delegates were taken back to the airport and flown to Brussels on the A310 Airbus usually used by the prime minister. It costs $22,537 an hour to operate, according to 2012 figures. Assuming 15 hours' flight time to Brussels and back, the flight would have cost the government $338,055.

Added to the bill for the reception, that means the decision to add the Toronto event to the Ottawa summit cost a total of $459,509. 

"The Conservatives blew nearly half a million dollars on a party and a needless public relations exercise‎. This money would be much better spent helping Canadians, and Canadian businesses, benefit from trade opportunities," Davies said.

Other expenses, such as moving the delegation from Ottawa to Toronto, and the cost of hotels in Brussels for the flight crew, are not included.

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Prime Minister Stephen Harper stumps for Canadian exporters on China trip

Prime Minister Stephen Harper made the pitch for Canadian exporters on Friday while also extolling Canada as an excellent place to do business during his third visit to China.

Harper attended a China-Canada business conference where he said that a half-million Canadian jobs depend upon Canadian-Chinese trade.

He added to chuckles from the crowd that while the number might not seem significant to the most populous country on the planet, it is to Canada.

Harper also announced that Canada will open new trade offices in Hangzhou, Xi'an, Xiamen and Tianjin — some of China's fastest growing areas.

The Prime Minister's Office said the locations were selected because their needs match Canadian strengths, particularly in the areas of information technology, electronics, automotive, aerospace, medicine, energy and finance sectors.

Following his brief remarks, Harper took a morning stroll through the bustling downtown shopping district, making his way to a traditional medicine museum.

Curious onlookers gathered on the colourful sidelines, waving at Harper and his wife, Laureen, and snapping photos on their smartphones.

Inside the museum, the prime minister held up some Canadian ginseng, declaring: "Canadian ginseng ... The most expensive here, the best ... That is why we're here."

He also travelled to the stately lakeside Zheijian state guest house, where he was greeted by Chinese officials, including the party secretary of the Zheijiang province.

Later Friday, he met with Jack Ma, the executive chairman of Alibaba Group, the world's largest mobile commerce company, to discuss how Canadian businesses can leverage e-commerce platforms like Alibaba to grow their businesses internationally.

Harper lauded Canada's low corporate tax rate and debt levels during a question-and-answer session at Alibaba, portraying Canada as an exceedingly attractive place to do business for Chinese investors.

"We have a pretty important relationship here and pretty important opportunities," Harper said.

Alibaba sells Canadian goods on its site, ranging from Atlantic lobsters to Roots apparel and Niagara ice wines. Chairman Jack Ma says 100 million people are online shopping on Alibaba at any given moment, adding that his company wants to help Canadian small- and medium-sized companies get established.

He added Alibaba might set up a Canadian operation.

Harper travels to Beijing on Saturday, where he'll meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has called for a more open form of government since taking office in 2012.

Harper has been urged by human rights activists to bring up China's human rights record while in the country. The PMO says human rights will indeed be on Harper's agenda.

The prime minister's latest visit to China was almost scrubbed entirely due to tense relations between the two countries in recent months.

Harper accused China of cyber espionage over the summer, while China accused a Canadian couple living in China of being spies.

Some Conservative cabinet ministers, including Jason Kenney, are uneasy about forging closer ties to China, in part due to human rights concerns.

But with China's middle class exploding, business groups have urged the government to strengthen the relationship.

Harper is leading a delegation of Canadian business representatives during his China trip. Industry Minister James Moore and International Trade Minister Ed Fast are also along for the visit.

"When we look to China, which will soon be the biggest economy in the world, we look at the most populous country in the world, and I have to ask Canadian businesses: Why not China? Why aren't we doing business in China?" Fast said.

Perrin Beatty, head of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, moderated the session at Alibaba.

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Canada adds 43,000 jobs in October, jobless rate down to 6.5%

The Canadian economy added 43,000 jobs in October, pushing the jobless rate down to its lowest level since November 2008.

Statistics Canada said Friday that Canada has now produced 182,000 jobs in the past year. But two-thirds of those jobs have come in the past two months.

The strong monthly figure is much better than what most economists had been expecting — a slight pullback after a strong September figure. Instead, it was the first time there have been back-to-back monthly gains since the end of 2012.

"Throughout this year, we've been trapped in an oscillating pattern of gains one month only to be followed by losses the very next month," Scotiabank said in a research note ahead of the release of the data.

Provincially, employment rose in Ontario, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, while it declined in New Brunswick. Everywhere else, it was basically flat.

Private-sector workers and the ranks of the self-employed swelled, while there was a slight decline in the number of public-sector workers, the data agency said.

There were job gains in manufacturing, where 33,200 more people found work during the month. The survey said the natural resources sector shed 22,200 jobs in October.

"Given the volatility that we've seen in recent releases, we caution against drawing too many conclusions at this point," Scotiabank said after the numbers came out.

While the overall unemployment rate dropped to an almost six-year low, young workers are still disproportionately unemployed. The jobless rate for those aged 15-24 declined to 12.6 per cent because more young workers stopped looking. But the figure is still almost twice as high as overall jobless rate.

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Former Parliament Hill staffer alleges 2 MPs sexually harassed him

Ian Capstick, a political commentator on CBC News Network's Power & Politics, alleges he was sexually harassed by two former members of Parliament, both men, when he worked as a political staffer several years ago.

"Inappropriate touching hurts, and it stays with you for a long time," Capstick told host Evan Solomon.

Capstick claims he was sexually harassed on a regular basis by one MP and in another circumstance, says he was sexually touched by another MP. He says he told the second individual at the time that it was inappropriate.

Capstick says he didn't report either man's behaviour.

"Why did I do that at the time? Because I felt powerless," Capstick said.

Ian Capstick is a political commentator on CBC News Network's Power & Politics and managing partner at MediaStyle. (MediaStyle)

"You feel absolutely without power to be able to report somebody who is 30 or 40 years, in some instances, your senior and is perhaps at a status where you just simply as a 21-year-old can't challenge that person."

Capstick worked on the Hill between 2002 and 2008, first for the Liberal party and then as a press secretary for the NDP. He's now managing partner at MediaStyle, an Ottawa-based communications strategy company.

'Jian Ghomeshi affair has allowed people to come forward'

Capstick's comments came during a Power & Politics panel conversation about two Liberal MPs who were suspended from caucus on Monday because of harassment allegations.

Capstick says the suspensions as well as the allegations against former CBC host Jian Ghomeshi for sexually aggressive and abusive behaviour compelled him to publicly share his experience.

"The Jian Ghomeshi affair has allowed people to come forward, creating a very different style of conversation," Capstick said.

Capstick wasn't planning to talk about his experience on live television, but once the panel discussion started, he says he decided to open up about his personal story.

Identities of two former MPs

Solomon asked Capstick if he'll name the two former MPs he says sexually harassed him.

Capstick responded that he's going to have a conversation with his family to figure out how to proceed.

He added that sexual harassment on Parliament Hill is too common an occurrence.

"People have been harassed both physically and sexually on Parliament Hill for a very long time," he said.

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Dean Del Mastro, guilty of breaking election laws, resigns

Dean Del Mastro, the MP for Ontario's Peterborough riding, has quit less than a week after being found guilty of spending too much on his 2008 campaign and trying to cover it up.

Del Mastro spoke to MPs in the House of Commons just after question period today. The resignation takes effect immediately.

"I will not be a distraction in Peterborough," he said.

"I wish it wasn't a distraction. I wish it wasn't something that I had to fight."

MP Dean Del Mastro, who was elected as a Conservative but stepped down from caucus after he was charged with spending too much on his 2008 campaign and covering it up, speaks to reporters after being found guilty on Oct. 31, 2014. (Laura Payton/CBC)

Del Mastro denies having done anything wrong, despite the Ontario Court of Justice finding him guilty. He told the House he would continue to fight. He said Monday that he would appeal to re-open his defence ahead of his sentencing on Nov. 21.

MPs were to vote tonight on whether to suspend him from Parliament. One of the penalties for breaking certain laws in the Canada Elections Act, including the offences for which he was found guilty, is a five-year ban on holding a seat in Parliament or running for a seat. The ban takes effect once a conviction is entered into the record, which happens upon sentencing.

The Conservatives had suggested having the procedure and House affairs committee look at a number of questions regarding Del Mastro, including whether he should be suspended or expelled and what would happen to his staff and travel budget. But Government House Leader Peter Van Loan said yesterday that they would vote in favour of an NDP motion to suspend Del Mastro immediately.

Legal fees paid in part through riding fundraiser

The news came shortly after the head of the Peterborough Conservative riding association told CBC News that Del Mastro's legal fees were paid in part through a Brian Mulroney-headlined fundraiser it held in 2013.

​Alan Wilson, the president of the Peterborough Conservative Electoral District Association (EDA), says the $39,310 fundraiser held at Toronto's swanky Albany Club went directly to Del Mastro's defence. A smaller amount went to Del Mastro's 2008 official agent, Richard McCarthy, who was charged along with Del Mastro and found guilty.

"The EDA has paid for a portion of Mr. McCarthy's [legal fees], as much as we were able," Wilson said.

Former prime minister Brian Mulroney headlined a $39,000 fundraiser for Peterborough MP Dean Del Mastro on May 2, 2013. In the background, Conservative MPs Rick Dykstra and Del Mastro laugh. (Facebook)

Wilson said the riding association itself didn't pay for Del Mastro's fees, arguing the money from the fundraiser wasn't "EDA funds."

"These were funds that were raised separately and essentially moved through the EDA. They were put into the EDA and moved straight back out again. So we did not provide any of our funds for Mr. Del Mastro's defence," Wilson said.

Hangs onto pension

In resigning his seat, Del Mastro hangs onto his MP pension, for which he's eligible when he turns 55. Del Mastro, who is 44, was first elected in January 2006. MPs have to serve for at least six years to be eligible to collect a pension.

One of the matters that would have been debated at committee, had the Conservative motion gone ahead, was Del Mastro's pension and what would happen to it.

Del Mastro signalled in the House Wednesday that he'll continue to fight the verdict.

"I've got a big heart but nobody should ever confuse that with any willingness on my part to ever back down. I did not donate too much money to myself. I did not and I stand by my filings in 2008," Del Mastro said.

Del Mastro addressed some of his comments to Conservative Party MPs, the party of which he was a part before he was charged in 2013. 

"I told you that I would not put you in a position where you had to vote against me," he said.

"Stay united. I will not divide you. I will not be the one that divides you. I believe too much in what you do."

The party has been eager to distance itself from him since the guilty verdict, though individual Conservative MPs continue to support Del Mastro. The Conservative caucus stood and applauded Del Mastro following his speech.

A senior party source, however, told CBC News Wednesday that Del Mastro would not be allowed to run for them.

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Harassment allegations against 2 Liberal MPs rest with secretive committee

The issue of harassment on Parliament Hill landed in the spotlight when Liberal leader Justin Trudeau suspended MPs Scott Andrews and Massimo Pacetti from his caucus pending an investigation into allegations of "personal misconduct." ​

The allegations of harassment now rest with the House of Commons board of internal economy where seven members of Parliament will venture into uncharted territory when they meet behind closed doors.

While the House of Commons has a process in place to deal with complaints of harassment between MPs and their staff, there is no policy for dealing with allegations of harassment between Members of Parliament.

'I'm delighted that the speaker of the House is moving so quickly because it means that harassment is simply unacceptable.'- Kellie Leitch, minister of status for women

House of Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer is one of four Conservative MPs who sit on the board and will have a say in how the matter unfolds. Two NDP MPs and one Liberal MP are also members of the secretive board.

Kellie Leitch, the minister of status for women who also serves as labour minister, told CBC host Evan Solomon she was pleased that Scheer acted swiftly when the matter was brought to his attention.

"I'm delighted that the speaker of the House is moving so quickly because it means that harassment is simply unacceptable," Leitch said in an interview with CBC News Network's Power & Politics on Wednesday.

Scheer is said to be "seized with the issue," and taking the matter "very seriously."

A statement from his office said, "he has directed the House administration to make available all internal resources to the individuals involved," and has asked the board to meet "at the earliest available opportunity."

The board meets behind closed doors approximately every second week when the House is sitting.

But Parliament is not sitting next week which means if an emergency meeting is not called in short order, the matter may have to wait until the week of Nov. 17 when MPs are back in Ottawa from their ridings.

Liberals and New Democrats have said there should be an arm's length investigation. 

Both Andrews and Pacetti have said they're confident they will be cleared of any wrongdoing. 

CBC News has learned the accusations of misconduct came from two female NDP MPs, but who they are or the precise nature of the allegations is unclear. How far back the alleged misconduct goes is also unknown. 

Complicating matters is the NDP's claim that the two female NDP MPs did not know the allegations of harassment would be made public as they were on Wednesday.

New Democrat party whip Nycole Turmel told host Solomon the NDP MPs were victimized again when their allegations came to light.

"The persons involved, the alleged victims of this harassment or misconduct, didn't know that this would be coming," Turmel said in an interview on CBC News Network's Power & Politics.

"So imagine, they are victims and they are victimized a second time."

'It's a serious matter but they've got to avoid it disintegrating into a partisan battle.'- Rob Walsh, retired House of Commons law clerk

Liberal party whip Judy Foote made it clear it was one of the two victims who approached Trudeau directly with the allegations on Oct.28.

Foote said she alerted Turmel to the allegations in a meeting with her on Oct. 29.

"This is about doing the right thing for people who are victimized. It's about doing the right thing for women and men who feel that they are being done wrongly by."

"No one should be threatened by another member of parliament, no one working on the Hill should feel threatened … and there isn't a process, other than standing up in the House and drawing attention to what has happened to you, is blatantly unfair and needs to be addressed."

Rob Walsh, the former law clerk of the House of Commons, said raising a point of privilege is one of the options available to MPs who claim they have been harassed.

But if the victims don't want to go public, Walsh said Mulcair and Trudeau should decide on who would lead the independent investigation and make the report public.

"It's a serious matter but they've got to avoid it disintegrating into a partisan battle."

Walsh said that to his knowledge the board of internal economy does not have "any jurisdiction" in this matter.

At best, he said, the board could "mediate" the matter and find a solution as soon as possible.

The allegations of harassment against two Liberal MPs appear to have opened the lid on workplace culture on Parliament Hill.

Ian Capstick, a former Liberal and NDP staffer, alleged for the first time on Wednesday that he was sexually harassed by two former members of Parliament several years ago.

Capstick, who is a regular political commentator on CBC News Network's Power & Politics, told Solomon he never reported the abuse because he felt "powerless."

He said he would have a conversation with his family to figure out how to move forward now that his allegations are in the open.

Capstick added that sexual harassment on Parliament Hill is too common an occurrence.

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Brad Wall hosts western premiers for transportation summit

The three western premiers are meeting with the transportation industry Thursday to discuss the best way to move the region's products. 

Premiers Brad Wall, Jim Prentice and Christy Clark will be discussing the long-term transportation needs for the west, including how to move things more efficiently and more reliably.

Also included in the New West Partnership Transportation Infrastructure Summit will be delegates from the export industry, port authorities, rail and trucking companies. 

The premiers will also discuss improving the trade agreement between the provinces. 

The New West Partnership was created in 2010.

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Harper made spy watchdog appointments over NDP objections

The Conservative government appointed two members to Canada's spy watchdog despite objections raised by NDP Leader Tom Mulcair during formal consultations on the nominees, documents reveal.

Correspondence with Prime Minister Stephen Harper shows Mulcair opposed appointing former MP Deborah Grey due to her lack of experience with intelligence issues.

He also feared the possibility of conflict of interest in the case of Gene McLean, a former security consultant.

In a third case, Mulcair found lawyer Yves Fortier's inexperience with security intelligence "cause for some concern," but he ultimately did not object to the appointment given Fortier's reputation as one of Canada's foremost commercial law experts.

The NDP released copies of the three letters to The Canadian Press.

The party has chastised the government for leaving two other chairs on the watchdog committee empty at a time when the government is looking to bolster the powers of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

The Conservative government has repeatedly expressed confidence in the committee's ability to fulfil its role.

The committee was left as the only watchdog keeping an eye on CSIS when the government abolished the inspector general's office.

Two successive committee chairmen — Dr. Arthur Porter and Chuck Strahl — resigned amid questions about their private business dealings.

Grey became interim chairwoman earlier this year following Strahl's departure.

Porter, jailed in Panama, is fighting extradition to Canada, where he is wanted for his alleged role in a multimillion-dollar contracting conspiracy.

The law governing CSIS says appointments to the review committee, known as SIRC, are to be made after consultation by the prime minister with leaders of the official Opposition and any party with at least twelve seats.

However, it does not include explicit veto powers.

In an April 2013 letter to Harper, Mulcair praised Grey as an accomplished Canadian who had given back to her community generously.

"However, I believe SIRC necessitates a nominee that is abreast of today's security intelligence environment and, preferably, steeped in Canadian and International Law. Mrs. Grey's wealth of experience and training unfortunately fail to meet these requirements," Mulcair wrote.

"If the experience of Dr. Porter has taught us nothing else, it's that any further appointments to SIRC must have unqualified credentials to support SIRC's mandate and to reaffirm Canadians faith in this institution."

In a March 2014 letter about McLean, the NDP leader said he didn't "believe it is appropriate to nominate him without measures being taken to deal with any possible conflict of interest."

"If you have further assurances regarding this possible conflict of interest, I would be pleased to hear them in order to be able to positively respond to this nomination."

An NDP spokesman said he was unaware of any responses from the government concerning the three nominees.

A civil liberties group recently objected to Fortier heading up a review committee investigation of alleged spying on environmental activists, citing a conflict due to his former petroleum industry ties.

The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association asked that Fortier recuse himself since he once sat on the board of TransCanada Pipelines — the company behind the Keystone XL project.

In a recent interview, Grey said the matter was "working its way through the proper channels to see if he will continue to hear that case."

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Federal NDP to get Ring of Fire advice from former provincial leader

In a bid to try and push ahead the ill-fated development of the Ring of Fire mining project in northern Ontario, the federal NDP is bringing a well-known Ontario face on board to help. 

CBC News has learned federal New Democrat Leader Tom Mulcair will announce former Ontario NDP leader Howard Hampton as a special adviser for the party. Mulcair will make the announcement before the party's weekly caucus meeting tomorrow.

Sources says Hampton will start working for the federal party immediately as a liaison on the complicated development file.

Hampton, who spent 24 years as a member of provincial Parliament, or MPP, for the northern Ontario provincial riding of Kenora-Rainy River, has experience at Queen's Park, but has also worked extensively with First Nations communities in the region, as well as with mining companies.

As an adviser for the Official Opposition, Hampton will only be able to lay the groundwork for how and what the NDP would do if the party were to form the government after the next election.

The appointment speaks to the party's interest in the project. But it's also about politics.

The NDP hold five out of 10 northern Ontario ridings (it had six until Bruce Hyer left and joined the Green Party). Keeping those ridings and potentially picking up others will be critical to the NDP's electoral success in 2015.

The development of the Ring of Fire remains very much in question as the new chief executive of the major company behind the project, Cliffs Natural Resources, recently told the Financial Post he has "zero hope" the mining project will go ahead.

Other mining companies are said to be interested, but may not have the financial backing needed to get it off the ground.

When most recently asked by the NDP about when the federal government will make the project happen, Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford said the government was still optimistic.

"We will continue to work collaboratively to ensure that we maximize the enormous economic potential for the Ring of Fire and the infrastructure that is required to support those projects," Rickford told the House of Commons on Oct. 30.

The potential for economic development in the area, some 500 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, has been much touted, but access to the remote site is an issue, as is the recent downturn in commodity prices.

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Ottawa temporarily restores most refugee health-care coverage

The federal government will temporarily restore health-care coverage to refugee claimants beginning Wednesday pending the outcome of an appeal at the Federal Court, but some still won't have coverage for drugs.

"We are doing this because the court has ordered us to do it. We respect that decision while not agreeing with it," Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said following question period on Tuesday.

The government had until the end of today to review a 2012 policy the Federal Court deemed unconstitutional, "cruel and unusual" last July.

The government had asked for a stay until an appeal is heard, but that request was rejected on Friday. A date for the appeal has not been set.

"Under the temporary measures, most beneficiaries are eligible to receive coverage for hospital, medical and laboratory services, including pre- and post-natal care as well as laboratory and diagnostic services," the government said in a notice posted on the website of the Department of Citizenship and Immigration over an hour after the minister spoke.

Children under 19 years of age will receive full coverage, while pregnant women will be covered for all but supplemental health benefits.

Supplemental benefits include "limited dental and vision care, prosthetics and devices to assist mobility, home care and long-term care, psychological counselling provided by a registered clinical psychologist, and post-arrival health assessments."

However, refugee claimants in seven of the 12 categories included in the government's chart will not be covered for drugs or supplemental health coverage.

Those who won't be covered for drugs or supplemental health benefits are:

• Privately sponsored refugees who are not receiving support through the resettlement assistance program.
• Protected persons.
• Designated country of origin refugee claimants.
• Non-designated country of origin refugee claimants.
• Rejected refugee claimants without a deferral of removal for generalized risk.
• Individuals who receive a positive decision on their pre-removal risk assessment.
• Individuals with ineligible refugee claims but eligible to make a pre-removal risk assessment application.

The Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, one of the groups that took the government to court over the changes the Conservatives brought in back in 2012, says the temporary plan does not comply with the Federal Court ruling.

"The government is still being punitive, they're being selective and the court told them to reinstate all benefits," said Peter Showler, co-chair of the refugee lawyers' group and a former chair of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. He is also an expert in refugee law at the University of Ottawa.

Showler was critical of the government's decision to deprive certain refugee claimants of coverage for prescription medications. 

"They are not in compliance with the decision based on the information that the government put out on its website today."

Showler said he will discuss today's announcement with two other groups who challenged the government in court – the Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care and Justice for Children and Youth – but said it's likely their lawyers will go back to court and file a contempt motion asking the court to order full compliance.

NDP multiculturalism critic Andrew Cash was critical of the government's approach, saying it can't simply "pick and choose which refugees they're going to cover."

"It's certainly not the spirit of the court ruling," Cash said.

Liberal immigration critic John McCallum said the court ruling made no mention of restoring partial benefits to some and full benefits to others.

"The court ruling was a blanket order to restore the interim federal health-care program or something equivalent to it. There was no statement they could put some in, take some out, there was an order to restore the whole thing."

McCallum said the minister could risk being found in contempt of court if he tried to "weasel out" of compliance.

Alexander said the government would "comply" with the court ruling until such a time as an appeal is heard. He added that the temporary measures would cost the government $4 million to implement.

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Marijuana grow facility heads to court over rejected application

Health Canada's troubled medical-marijuana program is again under fire, with the launch of the first court challenge by a company denied a government licence to grow the product commercially.

Lawyers for New Age Medical Solutions Inc., which has a grow facility in rural British Columbia, filed a motion in Federal Court last week against Health Minister Rona Ambrose, asking that a judge review the decision not to grant a licence.

The company, founded and run by marijuana activist Sam Mellace, applied almost a year ago to become a licensed producer, under new Health Canada rules that are creating a billion-dollar commercial industry.

Health Canada rejected the application Aug. 10, saying the firm had not hired an acceptable quality-assurance specialist.

Mellace retained the Toronto firm Chaitons LLP, which is seeking the court's permission to extend a deadline for legal action. Papers were filed last week. Mellace could not be contacted and his lawyer declined comment.

An Ottawa lawyer who specializes in assisting companies with their grow applications to Health Canada said the case may trigger other legal challenges from companies denied licences.

"I know, speaking to many applicants, that nobody really wanted to be the first one," said Trina Fraser. "The barn door is open now.… There's a feeling there's strength in numbers."

Health Canada swamped

As of last month, 226 applications had been refused, said Health Canada spokesman Sean Upton, who confirmed the department has been advised of the legal challenge.

Health Canada has been swamped with more than 1,100 applications from firms wanting to cash in on an industry the government says could be worth $1.3 billion in a decade.

Only 22 licences to produce have been issued, none in the last few months, while some 291 are still in process. (About half of all applications have been returned as incomplete.)

Fraser said the approval process has slowed to a crawl, prompting other complaints to Health Canada as investors get nervous about whether there will be any payback.

'They're burning through money like crazy,'—Trina Fraser, Ottawa lawyer for firms seeking medical-marijuana production licences

"Everybody's going bananas, out of their minds, frustrated with the process," she said.

"A lot of these applicants have already started or finished construction, they've got investors to answer to, and they're burning through money like crazy."

Canada's commercial medical marijuana industry kicked into high gear in April this year. The department has dramatically changed the rules of supply, from a cottage industry in which approved patients grow their own or buy from small producers, to a free-enterprise system with no limits on the number the large-scale growers charging what the market will bear.

The changeover has come with problems, including a so-far successful court challenge that allows some patients to continue to get their supply under the old rules, three product recalls and complaints about the initially high cost of medical marijuana in a free market.

Company may shut down

Mellace has a 6,000-square-foot facility near Mission, B.C., now empty and not in production. He said he has invested some $1 million in the project, half of it for research and development, and that he planned to employ between 60 and 150 people.

Health Minister Rona Ambrose speaks to the Canadian Medical Association in Ottawa in August. The minister is being taken to Federal Court after a company was refused a medical marijuana production licence. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

"The failure of the minister to issue the company a licence is highly prejudicial and will cause the company to have to shut its operations," says the court filing in Toronto.

Many of the 291 firms with pending applications for a lucrative production licence have their own grievances, as an opaque approval process leaves them guessing about when, if ever, they'll get a licence.

"They're changing the rules as they go," said Fraser, who has acted for or spoken to dozens of applicants. "There was certainly a first-mover advantage because the bar is much higher now."

Health Canada, she said, has cranked up security requirements since the first wave, leaving firms now in a "never-never land, security-clearance abyss."

Many businesses still in the queue are hurting financially, their lawyers say. Simply assembling the paperwork for a credible application is about a $50,000 investment, followed by leasing costs for facilities and payroll, which can drive costs over a million dollars.

Fraser cites documents she obtained under the Access to Information Act as showing that what had been a two- to three-month application process in 2013 has become an 18- to 24-month ordeal, partly because new security requirements appear to have created a backlog at the RCMP, which does inspections under the new program.

Vancouver lawyer Kirk Tousaw, who has worked with many applicants, agrees that Health Canada's processing has ground to a halt.

"The application process has essentially come to a standstill and there are dozens, if not hundreds, of people that want to be growing and selling medical marijuana to sick Canadians that have had their applications disappear into the void."

Follow @DeanBeeby on Twitter

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Commons poised to suspend MP Dean Del Mastro in Wednesday vote

Embattled former Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro is about to lose the right to take his seat in the House of Commons for the foreseeable future.

On Wednesday afternoon, Del Mastro's soon-to-be-former House colleagues are expected to vote in favour of a New Democrat proposal to suspend Del Mastro without pay, effective immediately. 

Last week, Del Mastro was found guilty on three counts of violating Canada's election spending limits.

Both the Conservative and New Democrats are expected to vote in favour of the suspension motion, which will also send the matter to the procedure and House affairs committee for further study.  

The committee could recommend that the House declare Del Mastro's seat vacant, triggering a byelection.

It is also expected to consider other logistical issues that could arise from his continued suspension, including his office budget, travel benefits and staff.

The Liberals, meanwhile, don't think the motion goes far enough.

Over the course of a three-hour debate that carried on until the House adjourned for the night, several Liberal MPs recommended that Del Mastro be expelled, not simply suspended, as they believe the law makes it clear that anyone convicted of an illegal practice under the Election Act is no longer eligible to sit in the House. 

Although Del Mastro has been found guilty, he isn't convicted until the judgment is officially entered into the record at sentencing, which is scheduled to take place later this month.

At that point, Del Mastro will not only be rendered ineligible to sit in the House of Commons, but would also be barred from running for a federal seat for five years. 

Although he wasn't present in the House for Tuesday's debate, Del Mastro will likely be invited to address the committee in his own defence, at which point he could attempt to persuade his former colleagues to reverse the suspension, which could be done through a second vote of the House.

Del Mastro could also lobby for reinstatement following a successful appeal. Earlier this week, he announced that his lawyers have filed a motion to reopen the case based on new evidence.

In a brief ruling delivered just after question period had wrapped up, House of Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer advised MPs that it was up to the House to decide how to proceed after last week's verdict.

He then invited New Democrat House leader Peter Julian, who was the first to rise on a question of privilege related to the case, to make the case for his motion to suspend Del Mastro from the chamber without pay immediately, and send the matter to the procedure and House affairs committee for further study.

Julian's proposal went a step further than the proposal initially put forward by government House leader Peter Van Loan, who had initially argued that the question should be referred to committee before taking any direct action against Del Mastro.

Even before the ruling came down, however, Van Loan had made it clear that the government would almost certainly support a motion to suspend Del Mastro if that's what the committee recommended.

In a surprise move, he responded to the NDP motion by announcing that the government would vote in favour of their proposal, rather than wait for the opportunity to put forward his own proposal.

Late Tuesday, Van Loan served notice that he intends to move closure on the debate, which means the vote will likely be held late Wednesday afternoon.

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Stephen Harper heads to China to 'reanimate' trade relations

Prime Minister Stephen Harper leaves on a five-day trip China Wednesday to "reanimate" Canada's trade relations, experts say.

The trip comes after a tumultuous few months between the two countries.

First came the accusation of a Chinese cyberattack on the National Research Council in July.

Then a Canadian couple, Kevin and Julia Garratt were detained a few weeks later, when the Chinese accused them of spying.

Things took a more constructive tone recently, when Harper sat down with the Chinese ambassador to Canada to formally announce his third trip to China.

Originally, Harper planned to attend the APEC leaders' meeting in Beijing on Nov. 10-11. After the shooting of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and the attack on Parliament Hill last month, the prime minister's office signalled that he'd change his travel plans. 

Harper formally thanked the Chinese for understanding why he has to cut his trip short.

"I should just acknowledge that I'm very pleased that the Chinese have been very flexible in terms of scheduling this in order to accommodate my attendance at Remembrance Day at the National War Memorial. That's something that's truly appreciated," Harper told reporters.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper joined Chinese Ambassador Luo Zhaohui for a photo call last Friday to announce plans for this week's visit. The five-day itinerary is shorter than first planned, allowing Harper to return to Ottawa for Remembrance Day. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

Despite the fact that the trip is short, the prime minister is still going, according to ex-ambassador David Mulroney, because he recognizes the importance of China, which many believe will have the world's largest economy in a few years.

China is now Canada's second largest trading partner, he points out.

"In a world where China is ever-increasingly more important, it will play an increasing role in our prosperity," said Mulroney, now with the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto. "So if Canadians want to grow their standard of living in the years ahead, we need a smart relationship with China."

Cabinet dissent on China

Not everyone around the cabinet table, or in the Conservative caucus, is on side.

Employment Minister Jason Kenney is not among the ministers on the trip. He's been vocal in his criticism of China, tweeting recently about his meeting with the Dalai Lama, where the two spoke about religious freedom and human rights.

Industry Minister James Moore is going, as are others who are proponents of a strong trade relationship: International Trade Minister Ed Fast, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz.

"This is a very critical relationship for Canada's economic future. So the prime minister's been there before. We're going back with a number of ministers and we look forward to having a very, very fruitful visit," Moore told CBC News.

Government officials say they expect many large commercial agreements to be signed on the trip, which includes a stop in Hangzhou and Beijing.

The delegation wants to help not just large companies, but also small and medium-sized businesses, benefit from the Chinese economy.

And there's speculation Canada will get a Chinese currency hub, so Canadian companies don't have to convert to U.S. dollars first, then to the yuan renminbi.

Advocates say this could inject billions into the Canadian economy.

Chinese 'respond directly' to delicate issues

The prime minister is still expected to raise thorny issues such as cybersecurity and the consular case of Kevin and Julia Garratt.

Former Conservative cabinet minister Stockwell Day says he's been in meetings where the prime minister has raised delicate issues in a direct way with Chinese political leaders.

David Mulroney, Canada's former ambassador to China, says Canada's future economic prosperity is tied to its trade relations with China's growing economy. (Pawel Dwulit/Canadian Press)

​

 "When it's done that way, across the meeting table, eyeball to eyeball, we find the Chinese officials engage directly. They respond directly," says Day, who's now with the Asia Pacific Foundation and does a lot of business in China.

"It always serves as enabling to have both sides get their concerns on the table, whether its trade or democratic-related issues."

In another signal Canada wants to reestablish its trade relationship, the prime minister has decided to attend the start of the APEC forum in Beijing instead of skipping it entirely.

Mulroney says it is important to the new Chinese leaders to host this event and it will be noticed that the prime minister is attending the opening day.

"At a time when we're really trying to make our case in the Asia-Pacific region as a key member of that region and we're getting a little bit of skepticism from some countries that think we haven't been as active, being at APEC is just something you have to do if you want to make that case," Mulroney said.

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Refugee health care: This is deadline day for Ottawa's new policy

The federal government has until the end of day today to introduce more inclusive health-care coverage for refugees, after a Federal Court gave the Conservatives four months to draft new policy after overturning changes they made in 2012.

Immigration Minister Chris Alexander told the Commons on Monday that he would have some "details" to announce in short order but that providing health care to "failed" refugee claimants was not part of the Conservative government's repertoire of "basic Canadian values."

A decision by the Federal Court last July found that changes made by the federal government to refugee health-care funding in 2012 were unconstitutional. The effect of the cuts were deemed "cruel and unusual" and the court gave the government until Nov. 4 to review its policy.

The government asked for a stay until an appeal is heard. But that request was rejected on Friday.

The debate over how much health care should be provided, which has often been acrimonious, came up during question period on Monday as Opposition New Democrats and Liberals pressed Alexander for details about today's deadline.

NDP MP Andrew Cash said "the minister ignored the protests of doctors, refugee advocates, provinces and parliamentarians, and took health care away from children and pregnant women."

"Will the minister finally give up his lengthy assault on basic Canadian values?," Cash said.

Alexander replied "On our side of the House it is not among basic Canadian values to offer health care – often health care that went beyond that provided to Canadians – to those whose immigration and refugee claims have failed, or to those who were deliberately fraudulent in their representations to the Immigration and Refugee Board.

"And we will continue to stand up for the interests of taxpayers in that respect," Alexander said.

Canadian doctors have taken issue with the government's distinction between "bogus" and "genuine" refugees, arguing that the changes brought in 2012 also applied to those claimants whose applications are being processed and who are in the queue waiting for a hearing.

The debate became increasingly partisan when Liberal immigration critic John McCallum poked Alexander over the government's losing streak before the courts.

"When I heard the courts had rejected the government's request to delay restoration of a fair refugee health policy, my reaction was: thank goodness for the judges and the Charter of Rights. They are one of the few constraints on the mean-spirited actions of this majority government," McCallum said.

"Will the minister respect the law and reinstate a decent refugee health plan... which is what the court has demanded or will he stand in contempt of the court?"

Alexander said, "All I can say in response to that is, thank God for this Conservative government. We are the only ones in this House that can be relied upon to protect both refugees and the interest of Canadian taxpayers.

"We remain disappointed in this decision. We are appealing it. We will have more details to offer on our response to the latest decision very shortly," Alexander said. 

The latest decision came from the Federal Court of Appeal last Friday when it rejected the government's bid for more time before implementing a new policy.

Lorne Waldman, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, says that, in theory, the only way the government could try to get around the Federal Court's rejection of a stay would be to seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court. 

"On an issue like this, the chances of getting the court to intervene on the dismissal of a stay is very slight," he wrote in an email. "If there is no appeal to the Supreme Court on the order denying the stay, the government must comply."

If the government doesn't comply it could be found in contempt of court.

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