Five stories in the news today, Aug. 15

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INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING STILL NOT FLOWING IN MUCH OF CANADA

Infrastructure spending was the signature feature of the Trudeau Liberal’s election campaign. But five provinces and two territories have still yet to sign any infrastructure agreements with Ottawa. The deals must be reached in order for federal cash to begin flowing. The problem is the provinces haven’t finalized a list of projects eligible for that funding. The prime minister is expected to talk infrastructure when he visits the Maritimes this week.

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PRAIRIE POSTASH FEELING ALBERTA OIL’S PAIN

The oil price crash has been getting most of the attention, but the potash industry that forms the bedrock of the Prairie mining industry is going through its own bust, and there’s no quick recovery in sight. Potash is a multi-billion dollar business — second only to gold in terms of produced mineral value in Canada. However, like oil, a wave of overbuilding and production increases in recent years have left the market flooded with supply.

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ELECTORAL REFORM — WHO REALLY BENEFITS?

If Justin Trudeau gets his way on electoral reform, will the Liberals “steal” every federal election in perpetuity? As hearings on a new voting regime resume today, the Conservatives contend that’s exactly what will happen if Canada adopts a system of ranked ballots, which the prime minister has touted as his preference for replacing the current first-past-the-post voting system. However, academic experts in the field say that’s Hogwash.

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WOMAN HOSPITALIZED AGAINST HER WILL WANTS LEGAL AID

Lawyers for a B.C. woman hospitalized against her will says the province should foot the bill for a lawyer to make a fair case for her release. The 39-year-old woman is arguing in a lawsuit against the B.C. government that she has a constitutional right to legal representation at an upcoming review of her detention. Mark Underhill, a lawyer who’s taken on the woman’s case for free, says the government’s duty to provide legal help to society’s most vulnerable is a “no-brainer.”

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The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Five stories in the news today, Aug. 15

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