In the news today, Nov. 14

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SENATE BILLS NEED OUTSIDE LOOK: TOP SENATOR

The government’s representative in the Senate is urging senators to stop dragging their feet and create an independent body to oversee their expenses. Sen. Peter Harder is applying pressure six years after the Senate was engulfed by scandal over alleged improper expense claims and more than three years after the federal auditor general recommended an independent oversight body to help head off future problems. Harder says senators should not be judging the legitimacy of their fellow senators’ expense claims, as has been the practice.

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NO TOUGHER STANCE ON SAUDI ARMS DEAL: FREELAND

The federal government is showing no apparent signs of toughening its stance on arms sales to Saudi Arabia, even after Canada’s spy chief heard a recording of the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Speaking to reporters Tuesday in Windsor, Ont., Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland reiterated Canada’s position that no new arms-export permits will be signed for Saudi Arabia as the Khashoggi case is being reviewed. Khashoggi’s killing last month at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul further strained Riyadh’s already difficult relationship with Canada and renewed public outrage over Ottawa’s controversial $15-billion deal to sell light-armoured vehicles to the kingdom.

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NASA BOSS FUELS SPACE-STATION SPECULATION

The head of the U.S. space agency lauded Canada’s expertise in artificial intelligence in Ottawa on Tuesday, fuelling speculation that Canada will join its next bold venture to unlock the secrets of the moon. Jim Bridenstine, the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, said he wants Canada’s decades-long space partnership with the U.S. to continue as it embarks on the creation of its new “Lunar Gateway” — the next-generation outpost the United States is planning to send into orbit around the moon.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS:

— The Bank of Canada will launch its new financial system hub. It will also publish highlights of its autumn financial system survey as well as new analysis examining Canada’s resilience to house-price corrections.

— Federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna and B.C. Environment Minister George Heyman make an announcement about habitat conservation in the Canadian Rockies.

— United Conservative Leader Jason Kenney is scheduled to speak to the Edmonton chamber of commerce today.

— Federal Tourism Minister Melanie Joly participates in roundtable discussions to help identify tourism potential in the North.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

In the news today, Nov. 14

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