Both the Senate and the House of Commons will resume sitting on Monday, Sept. 19.
Tuesday, Aug. 7:
- Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a proposed Employment Insurance special benefit for parents taking time off work to care for critically ill or injured children. The benefit is expected to come into effect next June and help approximately 6,000 workers annually.
- The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission approved BCE’s proposal to establish a broadcasting accessibility fund, which is designed to support initiatives to increase the accessibility of the Canadian broadcasting system for persons with disabilities.
- The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced it is seeking feedback on modernizing Canada's Feeds Regulations as part of its multi-year review of the regulatory framework for food safety, plant health and animal health.
- Statistics Canada released June, 2012 figures for building permits. Total value of building permits decreased by 2.5 per cent to $6.8 billion after a 7.1 per cent increase in May, mostly as a result of declines in the non-residential and residential sectors in Alberta and BC.
Wednesday, Aug. 8:
- Minister of State (Science and Technology) Gary Goodyear announced a renewal of funding and mandate for Canada's Advanced Research and Innovation Network with $62 million. CANARIE is a not-for-profit corporation which operates a cutting-edge network linking researchers around Canada and the world.
- Minister of State (Transport) Steven Fletcher met with the Victoria Chamber of Commerce to provide them with an update on the development of a new long-term infrastructure plan for Canada.
- International Trade Minister Ed Fast concluded a four-day trade and investment visit to London, UK where he promoted investment opportunities in Canada.
- Statistics Canada released the Wholesale Services and Retail Services Price indices for first quarter 2012. The Wholesale Services Price Index rose 0.9 per cent during first quarter 2012 when compared with fourth quarter 2011 results. Year over year, the WSPI increased 1.8 per cent compared to first quarter 2011. The Retail Services Price Index inched up 0.1 per cent with the largest gains being posted by general merchandise stores.
Thursday, Aug. 9:
- Minister of State (Transport) Steven Fletcher met with the Surrey Chamber of Commerce to provide them with an update on the development of a new long-term infrastructure plan for Canada.
- Statistics Canada released a number of economic figures for June, 2012. Canadian merchandise imports increased 2.3 per cent, with exports inching up 0.2 per cent during the month. This resulted in a near doubling of the trade deficit from $954 million in May to $1.8 billion in June. The New Housing Price Index rose 0.2 per cent in June after a 0.3 per cent rise in May.
Friday, Aug. 10:
- Minister of State (Finance) Ted Menzies announced that the government has pre-published regulatory proposals to address provisions of the Pooled Registered Pension Plans Act (Bill C-25), and is seeking public comment on the legislation within the next 30 days.
- Statistics Canada released July, 2012 results of the Labour Force Survey. Employment declined by 30,000 in the month, mostly as a result of losses in the part-time sector. The unemployment rate edged up 0.1 per cent to 7.3 per cent. Year over year, employment was up 0.8 per cent, or 139,000 positions compared to July, 2011.
Eye on the Hill is prepared by Ottawa-based government relations and communications firm Flagship Solutions.
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