Former Quebec MP, cabinet minister Marcel Masse dead at 78

Marcel Masse, a former Conservative cabinet minister and MP from Quebec, has died.

Masse died on Monday afternoon, surrounded by his family. 

He was 78 years old.

Masse left his mark on Quebec and Canadian politics, playing an active role from the 1960s to the '90s.

He launched his career in provincial politics in 1966, when he was elected as a member of the Quebec National Assembly (MNA) for the riding of Montcalm under the Union Nationale. 

Masse served as an MNA for several years, taking on various ministerial roles.

In the 1970s and '80s, he entered the private sector, sitting as the vice-president of Éconsult, and then vice-president of marketing and development for Lavalin Inc. 

In the 1984 federal election, Masse was elected under the Progressive Conservative Party banner for Frontenac. 

In 1995, he was named an officer of the Order of Quebec. 

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Leonardo DiCaprio nominates Stephen Harper to do ice bucket challenge

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio has nominated Prime Minister Stephen Harper to do the ice bucket challenge.

DiCaprio was in northern Alberta last week visiting the oilsands to do research for an environmental documentary.

The Oscar-nominated star of "The Wolf of Wall Street" posted a video on his Facebook page of him doing the ice bucket challenge with two First Nations chiefs.

"Hello from Lake Athabasca, we're here learning about the Canadian tar sands," the actor wrote.

"We took a moment to join the #IceBucketChallenge movement in support of the ALS Association. My friends Chief Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation challenges Dave Collyer president of Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, Chief Courtoreille of the Mikisew Cree First Nation challenges Mark Little of Suncor Canada and The Sierra Club President Michael Brune challenges Shell CEO Ben van Beurden."

Afterward, DiCaprio called out Harper to do the same.

Harper's press secretary says the prime minister had been already challenged by others last week to either dump a bucket of ice water over his head or make a donation, and he's made a donation to the ALS Association.

The association raises money for Lou Gehrig's disease research and assistance.

PM has already made donation

"The Prime Minister was challenged by others last week and posted the following message on Twitter: @pmharper: Thanks everyone for the #IceBucketChallenge nominations. Laureen & I will be making a donation to support the @ALSassociation," Carl Vallee said in an email to The Canadian Press.

"Obviously, the donation has been made since (to ALS Canada)."

DiCaprio has a long history of involvement with the environment.

He sits on the boards of several international conservation organizations and started an environmental charity foundation in 1998.

"Hello from Lake Athabasca, we're here learning about the Canadian tar sands. We took a moment to join the #IceBucketChallenge movement in support of the ALS Association.

My friends Chief Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation challenges Dave Collyer, president of Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, Chief Courtoreille of the Mikisew Cree First Nation challenges Mark Little of Suncor Canada and The Sierra Club President Michael Brune challenges Shell CEO Ben van Beurden," says the post on DiCaprio's site.

"And me? In addition to a donation from my foundation, I challenge Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper."

Campaign has raised over $53 million for ALS research

The controversial oilsands development near Fort McMurray has seen a string of high-profile visitors in recent years.

They include human rights leader Archbishop Desmond Tutu, musician Neil Young and Oscar-winning film director James Cameron.

Since the ALS Association began tracking the campaign's progress on July 29, it has raised more than $53.3 million from 1.1 million new donors in what is one of the most viral philanthropic social media campaigns in history.

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Hill staffers targeted by anonymous email on MP budget freeze

Conservative MP office workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your status as the lowest-paid political staffers in the precinct! 

That's the gist of an anonymous mass email that hit Tory inboxes last week, courtesy of the same mysterious Gmail account that blew the whistle on an aborted attempt by the all-party Board of Internal Economy to impose a sweeping gag order on political staffers last December. 

"Dear Conservative Staff," the latest missive from "Nanker Phelge" begins.

"Are you being paid fairly for the work you do for your member of Parliament? Here are some things to think about to help you figure that out."

The email points out that MPs have seen their salaries go up by over $5,000 in the past two years, with the basic take-home pay for a backbench MP currently sitting at $163,700.

"Interestingly for those MPs who don't like unions, this increase was based upon the average wage increase that over 500 Unions and bargaining units negotiated," Phelge observes.

"At the same time, members' office budgets [MOB]" — which, the email notes, cover staff salaries —  "have remained frozen."

That, Phelge warns, will result in "the squeeze being put on your wallet, as "failure to increase the MOB means your wages do not keep pace with the costs of living."

"Don't let the Board of Internal Economy make these decisions in secret any longer!" 

NDP staffers paid more than Tories?

According to Phelge, staffers working for other parties likely pull in higher salaries than those toiling in the trenches on behalf of the government backbench — particularly those employed by the NDP, the only caucus with a unionized workforce, which pays a minimum annual full-time salary of $48,929.

As evidence, the email cites Sun parliamentary bureau chief David Akin, who crunched the numbers last year and concluded that "the average NDP MP" spends $222,000 a year on office salaries.

The Liberals, according to Akin's calculations, came in second, with MPs spending an average of $220,000 on staff expenses, and the Conservatives, at $210,000, came in third.  

"$48,929 really isn't a huge sum of money when you look at our costs of living, and when you compare the work we do across the spectrum of similar areas of employment," Phelge asserts.

The email closes by urging Tory Hill staffers to stand up for their "collective rights."  

"Ask your bosses why you can't at least make as much as other government employees," it suggests.

"Or at least ask why they aren't paying into the Public Service Pension Plan like you are, and why they have a separate gold-plated pension that no other Canadians could ever dream of."

Phelge has also issued an open invitation to anyone who has "issues with [their] MP" to share their stories.   

"We all know the MPs make decisions about our livelihoods in secret, and we have little to no recourse," the email  notes.

"Please speak out. I will keep your information totally confidential, and am looking to compile an anonymous list of tales of woe from MP staffers."

Email went out to all staffers, says NDP

It's not clear just who is behind the virtual rabble-rousing.

Phelge — whose pseudonym was originally used by the Rolling Stones as a credit for group compositions — states that he or she is "not working to take down any one political party," but for "fairness for all parliamentary staff."

The reference to the NDP base salary, plus the slam at the all-party Board of Internal Economy for operating in secret seems to hint that the email may have come from the Official Opposition side of the House.

A spokesman for New Democrat whip Nycole Turmel told CBC News that similar emails went out to all Hill staffers, although he confirmed that the budget freeze would not affect scheduled NDP staff salary increases.

"We have a collective agreement in place that sets out raises for most staff over a period of several years, irrespective of whether MPs or their [office budgets] received increases from the House of Commons," said Anthony Salloum, who also serves as president of the NDP staff union.

"It also eliminates the huge discrepancies found in Liberal and Conservative offices by closing the gap between the highest paid and lowest paid staff."

A spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office, meanwhile, seemed distinctly unmoved at the notion of rebellion within the Tory ranks.

"Conservative staff is hard at work advancing taxpayers interests, unlike the NDP who are beholden to big union bosses," Stephen Lecce told CBC News.

In any case, as unlikely as a staff-wide mutiny may seem, Conservative MPs would be wise to keep an eye out for any sign of labour unrest on the office front. 

It was, after all, an email from the very same Nanker Phelge that sparked the all-party furor that ultimately forced the Board to back down on that Hill-wide confidentiality clause.

Will his or her attempt to rally Conservative staffers to the House office budget barricades succeed?

Stay tuned!

The full text of the email (all emphasis and punctuation in the original):

Dear Conservative Staff,

Are you being paid fairly for the work you do for your Member of Parliament? Here are some things to think about to help you figure that out

MP's Receive Big Union Based Salary Increase

In 2013, your MP had his/her salary increased to $160 200 (+ $2469), and in 2014 their salary was increased again $163 700 (+ $3500) or $5769 over two years!

Interestingly for those MP's who don't like Unions this increase was based upon the average wage increase that over 500 Unions and bargaining Units negotiated

(see: http://www.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/lists/Salaries.aspx?Menu=HOC-Politic&Section=03d93c58-f843-49b3-9653-84275c23f3fb). 

Frozen MOB (Members office Budget) Means Frozen Salary for you

We are told that it is too politically sensitive to talk about increasing the MOB, and in fact your MP's tried to reduce the MOB. The majority of MOB spending is comprised of our salaries. Reductions to the MOB only mean the squeeze is being put on your wallet!  Failure to increase the MOB means your wages do not keep pace with the costs of living. Don't let the Board of Internal Economy make these decisions in secret any longer!

Costs of Living

The average rent for a 1-Br Apartment per month (source:CMHC) is:

Ottawa $917

Toronto $1010

Calgary $1040

The reality is that our expenses are increasing, yet many of our colleagues remain at relatively low wages. Once we factor in transportation and donations to the party we work for, and other regular expenses, we are living to work. These costs are increasing, yet parliament has not reflected this by increasing your pay or the MOB

Other Parties Pay MP Staff More Money

In most cases, this is likely true.  Conservative columnist David Akin crunched the numbers and tweeted: "The average NDP MP spends $222K a year on staff salaries for his/her offices. #LPC: $220K. #CPC $210K. #BQ: $187K"

This difference is not that significant when divided up among 4 Full-time staff members. 

Did you know that the NDP staff have a minimum salary for a full time worker of $48 929? What is the minimum salary in your office?

$48 929 really isn't a huge sum of money when you look at our costs of living, and when you compare the work we do across the spectrum of similar areas of employment.

What may be more likely in your office is that one person is being paid $70 000, while the rest of the staff are making under $40 000 a year -- with no guarantee of holidays, sick days, or any other time off. Is this fair? Is your labour worth that little?

On a daily basis we help to manage the affairs and business of the government and Members of Parliament.  We deal with Budgets, Immigration, Taxes, Pensions, Policies, Bureaucrats, Businesses, and so much more -- yet we are paid so much less when compared to other people who work for the government of Canada and when compared to our bosses we don't even come close -- yet we do all of the work.

Many of us are university educated,with Masters, PhD's, and with many years of experience, yet we are not compensated fairly.

Why do we work for less?  

Because we share a love of politics, and a belief that the work we are do is making a change and making a difference. We are willing to suffer to climb the ladder, and to make it to the top.  The reality is that very few of us will make it to the top, only a select few will.  So why accept long hours and little pay?

Minister Jason Kenny sent out a tweet saying he is glad that his staff isn't unionized after he had meetings with them that lasted late into the night. Imagine what a union would have meant for these staff!  Maybe a little overtime pay? Or maybe some extra time off?  We'll never know, and there is no standard. Your MP can work you 75 Hours a week and you will be no further ahead. 

Many of us are young, and eager and see opportunity.  The reality is that governments change. Members lose their seats and staff lose their jobs.  There is no security.  No long term career. This is precarious work.

Stand up for your collective rights now.  Ask your bosses why you can't at least make as much as other Government employees. Or at least ask why they aren't paying into the Public Service Pension Plan like you are, and why they have a separate gold plated pension that no other Canadians could ever dream of.

Are we in a race to the bottom?  Do we want to see everyone paid poorly and working longer hours?  I surely hope not.  

Talk to your MP tell them that you want to see change now.  You want to be paid fairly! It is time the Board of Internal Economy open their doors and stop making secretive decisions that effect your livelihood.  The MP's could not do without you. You are the talent. You deserve better. 

Nanker Phelge

P.S., If you have issues with your MP I would love to hear your story.  I am not working to take down any one political party, but to gain fairness for all parliamentary staff.  We all know who holds the power. We all know the MPs make decisions about our livelihoods in secret, and we have little to no recourse. Please speak out. I will keep your information totally confidential, and am looking to compile an anonymous list of tales of woe from MP staffers.

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Premiers to talk trade at annual summer meeting in Charlottetown

As premiers and territorial leaders gather in Prince Edward Island for their annual summer meeting this week, talk will turn again to barriers to trade that exist between provinces even as the country negotiates more free-trade deals abroad.

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is leading the push for fewer internal trade barriers.

Wall lists trade irritants, such as the fact that companies outside Ontario face a 10 per cent premium if they want to bid on procurement in that province.

"What comes from these small protectionist measures is there's going to be a reaction. And we're going to have less trade and less free procurement. That just never works economically. It's been proven," he told CBC News this week.

Saskatchewan is also engaged in a trade battle with Quebec. Saskatchewan argues Quebec is blocking the import of dairy products blended with canola.

Saskatchewan won at the dispute resolution tribunal, but Quebec is appealing.

And Wall is frustrated.

"It just highlights that the current agreement on internal trade — it's not sufficient. We could do something much bolder. We can have a Canada free-trade zone. I think this makes common sense for Canadians everywhere."

This internal discussion comes just as the federal government released the details of its trade agreement with Europe.

It includes opening up local construction projects to European companies and allows the provinces to trade with Europe more easily.

Prince Edward Island Premier Robert Ghiz, who is chairing the meeting, says there's a lesson there for the provinces.

"Let's look at the trade agreements that we have with other countries. And if those trade agreements make it easier to trade with a different country, compared to another province, then we've got a problem," Ghiz said.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne says she's open to the idea of a balance between lowering trade barriers while still protecting the interests of local industries.

She points to the difficult negotiations over Canada's dairy industry during the free-trade talks with Europe.

"It will be the same discussion between B.C. and Ontario, for example, on wine. How do we advance the overall cause so that the B.C. wine industry can thrive and Ontario's industry can thrive," said Wynne.

"I'm open to removing those barriers. But I also want to make sure that whatever we do is going to be in the interests of Ontario's wine industry."

Meanwhile, the premiers will be joined, informally, by the U.S. and Chinese ambassadors to Canada, as well as Canada's ambassadors to those two countries.

Wall thinks that's a great idea.

"I really do think it will shine a light on the importance of trade with our largest partner in the United States, and our fast-growing trade partner in China."

Wynne, too, is pleased, especially now that the provinces are holding another trade mission to China in October.

But, she adds, there is one person missing from the table: Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

"The fact that the federal government has refused, that Stephen Harper has refused to come and meet with the premiers, I think is a very big problem.

"It's a big problem in terms of international trade. It's a big problem in terms of internal trade. It's a problem in terms of national interest, like a Canadian energy strategy, or like infrastructure investment. It would be better if the federal government were at the table with us," Wynne said.

The federal industry minister did release a discussion paper last week that lists two options on internal trade.

One is to scrap the 20-year-old national trade agreement and negotiate a new one. The second is to amend the current deal.

Either way, James Moore wants the provinces to do more. "My preference is for us to all be more ambitious than we've been thus far," Moore told CBC Radio's The House.

But some provinces don't like Moore's suggestion they should do more, arguing Ottawa hasn't done much to improve internal trade, either.

"They need to lead by example. The provinces will have a lively discussion about it, and will come up with practical solutions," Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger told CBC News.

Besides trade, the premiers have a number of other issues on their agenda for the three-day Council of the Federation meeting, including a Canadian energy strategy, infrastructure investment and fiscal transfers from Ottawa.

They will begin with a meeting with aboriginal leaders on Wednesday, during which they are expected to renew their call for a national inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women.

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Police update expected on break-in at home of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau

Ottawa police have an update on their investigation into the break-in at Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's home earlier this month, CBC News has learned.

Ottawa police released a video Friday of a person of interest believed to be connected to the break-in at Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's home. (Ottawa police)

​Officers with the unit looking into break-ins are scheduled to brief Trudeau and his wife about the developments before details released to the public.

In the past month, five break-ins have been reported in the Rockcliffe Park neighbourhood where Trudeau lives. 

His family's case was the only one in which nothing was stolen and a note was left behind.

Last Friday, Ottawa police released surveillance video footage of a person of interest believed to be connected to the break-in, which occurred sometime overnight from Aug. 15-16 while Trudeau's family slept. Trudeau was out of town at the time.

The surveillance video shows a man with a beard who appears to be talking on a phone at night.

Police did not publicly link the individual in the video with whoever broke into the Trudeau home, but police sources told CBC that the person of interest was believed to be connected to the case.

When officers went to the back door of the home, they found a letter purportedly left by the vandals, a police source said. The letter was set on five or six knives owned by the family that had been laid out on the floor, the source said.

The letter stated items could have been stolen but weren't, and that the family should lock the home's doors in the future.

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VIP scheduling conflicts force Tories to keep four Challengers airborne

The Harper government's plan to decommission four of its six C-144 Challengers was sidelined and revisited last year because the executive jets were getting more VIP and military use than thought.

Former defence minister Peter MacKay, in early 2013, ordered that the majority of the aircraft, long cast as a symbol of Liberal excess by the Conservatives, be retired within the year as they reached the end of their service life.

But newly released memos, written last fall, show the plan was scaled back to the deactivation of just two planes —  something the government waited until after Parliament recessed in late June to announce.

The Challengers are tasked with shuttling around the prime minister, the governor general and cabinet ministers, as well as being an air ambulance for members of the military.

What the air force found after MacKay issued the order was that it couldn't deliver both with just two planes because there were "multiple scheduling conflicts for Challenger support amongst Code One (Very, Very Important Persons)," according to a four-page analysis, dated Oct. 31, 2013.

Military asked to study options 

Military planners were quietly asked to study options and based their analysis on the "requirement to maintain the current level of service and availability provided to Code One VVIPs," said the document, obtained by The Canadian Press under access to information legislation.

Among the three options debated was the idea of perhaps buying slightly used Challengers from the "depressed business aviation market" to create a "homogenous fleet."

The reason the four aircraft — the CL600 and CL601 variants — were to be retired was because they were almost 30 years old and their 1980s electronics — relying on analogue rather than digital technology — restricted where they could fly.

A briefing note prepared for Rob Nicholson, the current defence minister, recommended buying new up-to-date Challengers much like the CL604 variant, of which Canada has two.

A single fleet "is the most cost effective and therefore recommended option," said the documents, because it is "the only method that can ensure a 99 per cent availability rate for two concurrent (lines of operation) in support of (air ambulance) and Code One VVIPs."

The report concluded that it would be cheaper in both maintenance and personnel "when compared against the mixed fleet option," which the Tories appear to have accepted.

If supported, the air force said it would work through the department's defence capabilities and program management boards to find a "source of funding."

No upgrades planned

A further memo — dated Nov. 18, 2013 -- from the country's top military commander, Gen. Tom Lawson, to Nicholson left the decision entirely in the minister's hands.

The jets have a storied history of being used as political footballs.

The Conservatives claim they've cut the use of the Challengers by 75 per cent compared with the Liberals, but it's tough to verify those numbers.

National Defence was asked on Friday if it planned to decommission any more Challenger jets, and if not were upgrades planned for the two oldest jets to make them conform to new international standards.

In both cases the answer was, No.

"For the foreseeable future the intent is to maintain four Challenger jets," said Maj. James Simiana, an air force spokesman.

There is also "no active project to purchase additional Challengers."

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James Moore 'impatient' with provincial trade barriers

The provinces have been slow to clear barriers to trade that slow the economy, federal Industry Minister James Moore says, leaving him "impatient" with their level of ambition.

On Wednesday, Moore released a report proposing reforms to the current Agreement on Internal Trade.

He says there hasn't been nearly enough done over the past 20 years to smooth over differences in rules and regulations that limit trade among Canadian provinces.

"We shouldn't have barriers that discriminate and deny us economic growth and prevent us from growing, and prevent us from having labour mobility and investment mobility and goods movement within the country," Moore told Chris Hall, the guest host of CBC Radio's The House.

Moore released the report the week before the Council of the Federation, the gathering of Canadian premiers, and says that whether they completely rewrite the agreement or focus on specific sectors, it would be an improvement.

While regions of the country have their own agreement, such as the New West Trade Partnership agreed to by British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, Moore says he's "a little bit" impatient.

"I would hope that there would be more ambition coming out of Council of the Federation," Moore said. 

"We have British Columbia wine that can't be sold into the province of Saskatchewan or Alberta — even within the trade framework of those three provinces that is the most ambitious."

The most recent annual meeting of ministers responsible for internal trade was limited to a one-hour teleconference in 2013, Moore said, adding "only one third of the ministers bothered to show up."

"That's how dormant this file has been, and I don't think that's good enough. I think we need to have more ambition," Moore said.

"To suggest that it's been a success story would fly in the face of the evidence presented by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, all of whom have come forward and said that what's been praised as progress thus far should only be seen as laughable."

Despite that, Moore said he doesn't think any of the provinces are actively blocking the file.

"I'm actually quite optimistic," he said, "and that's why I put a great deal of energy into the file."

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Trudeau calls Harper 'out of touch' for murdered aboriginal women comments

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is "on the wrong side of history" in his refusal to launch a public inquiry to study the high number of missing and murdered aboriginal women, federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said Saturday.

Trudeau was in Moncton, N.B., where he said the recent case of Tina Fontaine, a 15-year-old aboriginal girl found dead in Winnipeg, highlights the need to begin an inquiry.

"My heart goes out to the families of not just Tina Fontaine but of all the missing and murdered over the years," Trudeau said.

"The prime minister has shown himself not to be simply ... just out of touch with Canadians on this issue, but also on the wrong side of history."

Harper said earlier this week that Fontaine's death was a crime and should not be viewed as a "sociological phenomenon."

"We should view it as crime. It is crime against innocent people, and it needs to be addressed as such," Harper said.

The federal Conservatives have said they prefer to address the issue in other ways such as through aboriginal justice programs and a national DNA missing person's index.

'It's part of a pattern that has gone on for years and Canada absolutely needs to get to the bottom of (it) with a national inquiry,' federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said of the high number of missing and murdered aboriginal women. (Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)

In May, the RCMP released a breakdown of 1,181 cases of aboriginal women who disappeared or were homicide victims. It said while aboriginal women make up 4.3 per cent of Canada's population, they account for 16 per cent of female homicides and 11.3 per cent of missing women.

"There's no question that there's a criminal issue here, a horrible crime was committed," said Trudeau, who was campaigning with the provincial Liberals for the New Brunswick election.

"But it's part of a pattern that has gone on for years and Canada absolutely needs to get to the bottom of (it) with a national inquiry."

On Friday, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said Harper is wrong in saying that police investigations, not a national inquiry, are the best way to deal with those crimes.

"For Stephen Harper to say that there's not a systemic aspect to this, I think is just — I think it's outrageous quite frankly," she said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

Wynne's not the only premier to take issue with Harper's comments. Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger said Harper is missing the point when it comes to murdered and missing aboriginal women.

'We should not view this as sociological phenomenon,' Prime Minister Stephen Harper said. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

"As Canadians, I believe we want to look after each other, and I think we want to protect the most vulnerable, especially missing and murdered aboriginal women from being victimized," said Selinger. "It's an issue that affects communities all across Canada."

All the provinces and territories endorsed calls for a public inquiry when they gathered last year in Ontario for the annual Council of the Federation premiers' conference. They'll meet up again next week in Charlottetown, P.E.I., where they'll talk with aboriginal leaders.

The death of Fontaine, whose body was found Sunday wrapped in a bag and dumped in the Red River, has prompted renewed calls for an inquiry. She had been in Winnipeg less than a month when she ran away from foster care. Police are treating it as a homicide.

Fontaine's family and friends gathered near a Manitoba First Nation on Saturday afternoon for a service to remember her life.

The service began at the St. Alexander Roman Catholic Church at around 2 p.m. CT and ended two hours later. It was followed by a traditional feast.

Federal Conservatives have firmly rejected an inquiry, saying they prefer to address the issue in other ways, such as through aboriginal justice programs and a national DNA missing person's index.

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Parliament has not properly debated assisted suicide: Tory MP

Conservative MP Steven Fletcher says the issue of assisted suicide, again in the spotlight following the death of a B.C. woman with dementia, has never been properly debated in Parliament, despite what the justice minister claims.

And it's an issue that the Manitoba MP, who has introduced two private member's bills on doctor assisted suicide, says continues to gain support, including among his political allies and party colleagues.

"It's more than people would surmise, including members of cabinet," Fletcher said, adding that he believes his proposed bills would have an excellent chance of passing second reading and move to the justice committee. 

The issue made headlines recently after Gillian Bennett, who was diagnosed with dementia three years ago, killed herself by ingesting drugs. Before her death, she had posted on her blog explaining why she was ending her life, saying she feared she would become a burden on her family and did not want to spend "an indefinite number of years of being a vegetable in a hospital setting." Bennett also hoped to reopen the debate about assisted suicide in Canada.

In a statement, Justice Minister Peter MacKay offered his condolences to the family of Bennett, adding that "assisted suicide is an emotional and divisive issue for many Canadians."

"It is our government's position that the Criminal Code provisions prohibiting assisted suicide and euthanasia are in place to protect all persons, including those who are most vulnerable in our society," he said.  "Furthermore, in April 2010, a large majority of parliamentarians voted not to change these laws, which is an expression of democratic will on this topic."

MacKay was referring to a private member's bill supporting assisted suicide for those seriously ill that had been introduced in 2009 by former Bloc Québécois MP Francine Lalonde, who died of bone cancer earlier this year. 

But Fletcher believes that bill was easily defeated because it was poorly worded (even Fletcher abstained), and didn't get into the complexities of the issue. It was also at a disadvantage since federalist parties are often not keen to support a bill coming from the Bloc, he said.

"I would say that Parliament has actually not had a debate on this issue," he said.

One of Fletcher's two bills would, if passed, allow doctors to help people end their lives under certain restricted circumstances. According to the proposed bill, the individual would have to have been diagnosed by a doctor as having "an illness, a disease or disability (including disability arising from traumatic injury) that causes physical or psychological suffering that is intolerable to that person and that cannot be alleviated by any medical treatment acceptable to that person."

Or, "the person must be in a state of weakening capacities with no chance of improvement."

The person must also be of "sound mind," meaning someone like Bennett may not be able to get assistance.

"The challenge with that particular case deals around the mental competency of the individual," Fletcher said. "So was she of competent mind when she took her action? I don't know those details but my legislation isn't going to address every issue."

Fletcher's second bill, if passed would set up a commission to monitor the system. 

Fletcher's bills, introduced in March, come as a number of high-profile cases continue to push the issue into the spotlight.

Earlier this week, the Canadian Medical Association appeared to soften its stance on physician assisted suicide, voting overwhelmingly in favour of an advisory resolution that supports "the right of all physicians, within the bonds of existing legislation, to follow their conscience when deciding whether to provide so-called medical aid in dying."

Meanwhile, in June, Quebec's National Assembly passed Bill 52, also known as an act respecting end-of-life care, which would allow a doctor who has been given the consent of the patient to administer medication to cause death.

And, perhaps most significantly, in January, the Supreme Court of Canada agreed to hear an appeal by the B.C. Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) who are seeking to allow seriously and incurably ill but mentally competent adults the right to receive medical assistance to hasten death under specific safeguards.  

This means the case could be taken out of the hands of politicians, a situation Fletcher would find regrettable.

"Wouldn't it be great if the elected representatives in Canada proactively acted on something that was in front of the Supreme Court, rather than the Supreme Court of unelected judges tell Parliament what to do?"

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Harassment, bullying continues in national police force: Liberal MP

Harassment and bullying hasn't been stamped out inside the RCMP workplace despite high-level assurances that action would be taken, says a Liberal MP who has met with dozens of Mounties.

MP Judy Sgro wants a judicial inquiry into "horrible and graphic" conduct within the country's national police force after hearing a slew of allegations during a series of private forums across the country.

"Every one of those sessions was emotionally draining and very sad," Sgro told those who attended a Liberal party-hosted breakfast in Vancouver on Friday.

"It continued to diminish the image we all have, and that we want to have, of the RCMP being there front and centre to protect people."

Sgro and Senator Grant Mitchell heard from participants in Ontario, Vancouver, Newfoundland and Alberta between April and October 2013.

Some 18 to 80 people assembled for each session, including both civilian and operational members, current and former.

Incidents dismissed as 'just blowing off steam': Liberal MP

Participants alleged recurring incidents that happened with the direct knowledge of superiors, claiming they were dismissed as hazing, character building or "just the guys blowing off steam," Sgro said.

They also spoke about work environments where abuse escalated to the point where some members' careers were destroyed, and others suffered from physical and mental ailments or family breakdowns.

Sgro alleged that widespread and systemic issues prevail, even though RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson told her and a House of Commons standing committee that the force is "making progress" in bringing about positive change.

In February 2013, Paulson released an action plan entitled "Gender and Respect" that included 37 items to help the force respond to harassment complaints.

"We've taken a big step forward," he told the committee on the status of women, outlining reforms to combat what he described as "misuse of authority."

He said there was not "systemic" sexual harassment.

On Friday, Sgro said Paulson attempted to convince the committee "changes were really going to happen."

"Well, what ended up happening was they ended up revictimizing many of these very people," she said.

In particular, Sgro cited Bill C-42, which amended the RCMP Act she said threatens dismissal for members of the force who speak out in a disparaging way.

"The reason you have not heard anything more on this issue for the last six months is because it's shut down everyone," she said.

RCMP 'committed to providing a safe and respectful work environment'

An RCMP spokesman in Ottawa responded to a request for comment by emailing a lengthy statement previously posted online.

"The RCMP is committed to providing a safe and respectful work environment, free of discrimination, offensive behaviour and harassment," the statement said.

It said the force amended its internal policy last year and that employees are currently completing an online course called Respectful Workplace.

Several high-profile lawsuits have been filed by former Mounties since Cpl. Catherine Galliford went public with allegations of harassment within the British Columbia division in 2011.

Nearly half of complaints filed by men

Last year, an RCMP watchdog investigation found 90 per cent of 718 complaints filed by employees between 2005 and 2011 alleged bullying, while four per cent concerned sexual harassment.

Almost half the complaints were filed by men.

In Vancouver, a support group of about 50 male RCMP members meet quietly each month as they await the protracted grievance process to wind through, said Sgro, noting she hasn't heard of this happening anywhere else.

"Because of the culture of the RCMP, you can't show weakness ... the minute that happens, you become a liability," said a former B.C. RCMP senior constable attending Sgro's talk.

Richard Jaques, who retired in 2008 after 13 years of service, said he regularly observed female officers excluded from promotion and said he believes the behaviour was driven by jealousy.

"When a lot of the young female officers would come into the RCMP, I would sit down with them and tell them 'this is a male dominated organization,"' Jaques, who is seeking nomination to run as a Liberal candidate, in an interview.

"I would be up front and I would tell them that. And that they would have to work twice as hard, twice as long and twice as fast to get any respect."

A report outlining the findings of the cross-country meetings will be presented after Parliament resumes in September.

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