News

PUBLICATION: The Chronicle-Herald
PAGE: B2
BYLINE: Stephen Maher Ottawa Bureau; Glen Mcgregor

OTTAWA - As the Harper government prepares to trumpet the progress of its economic action plan and release new numbers on stimulus spending, it has left a parliamentary committee with out-of-date figures that offer little help to MPs trying to track the progress of infrastructure projects.

Today in Winnipeg, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is expected to announce that 8,000 of a planned 12,000 stimulus projects are "underway."

PUBLICATION: The Ottawa Citizen
SECTION: News
EDITION: Final
BYLINE: Kathryn May

Canada's new procurement watchdog says the federal government should close loopholes that allowed more than $1.7 billion to be handed out over three years to preferred suppliers without competition.

Procurement ombudsman Shahid Minto told MPs Tuesday the government should rethink its advanced contract award notice (ACAN) policy, which departments are using to get access to large spending limits that are normally only allowed for goods and services awarded competitively.

PUBLICATION: The Winnipeg Sun
EDITION: Final
SECTION: News
PAGE: 2

In today's Sun, Tom Brodbeck makes the case for the abolition of Sunday shopping laws. We couldn't agree more -- restricting commercial activity on "the Lord's day" is an archaic holdover from a time when Manitoba was a far less diverse place.

But Sunday shopping laws aren't the only nonsensical practice society still clings to. If we had our way, there would be at least 10 other things that would join it on the trash heap of history. GET RID OF ... ORIGINS ... ARGUMENT AGAINST ... NEXT UP ...

Neckties

SOURCE: Ottawa Sun

The visit of Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, cost Canadian taxpayers an estimated $2.57 million.

That's according to documents obtained through the Access to Information Act by Ottawa researcher Ken Rubin.

The same documents estimate a proposed visit to Canada in mid-2010 by the Queen, would cost another $3.64 million.

The estimated cost of hotel rooms for Charles, Camilla and their entourage was almost $138,000 for the 10-night, 11-day stay.

EDITION: Final
SECTION: News
BYLINE: Kathryn May
SOURCE: The Ottawa Citizen

Senior bureaucrats overseeing economic stimulus spending told MPs Tuesday they aren't tracking how many jobs are being created by projects that are supposed to kick-start Canada's economy.

John Forster, associate deputy minister at Infrastructure Canada, told the government operations committee the department had "anecdotal evidence" at best on how many jobs are being created or where those jobs may be.

PUBLICATION: WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
PAGE: B3
BYLINE: Carol Sanders

The West End Senior Centre is up for sale but members are fighting to keep the facility that they say is their lifeline to the community.

"You can't put a dollar sign on something like that," said Nora Stark.

"Having this resource right in the community is a key thing," said the West End senior.

PUBLICATION: WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Editorial Winnipeg MP Pat Martin says Metis leader Louis Riel was wrongfully convicted for treason 124 years ago in Regina, where he was hanged by the neck until dead. Mr. Martin (NDP) is thus demanding that Riel's case be treated like all wrongful convictions. He wants his record cleared and his good name restored.

SOURCE: ctv.ca

Louis Riel's conviction for treason should be overturned, says a Manitoba MP, who adds that the hero of Metis across the Prairies should be recognized as a Father of Confederation more than 100 years after his death.

NDP MP Pat Martin has introduced a private members' bill in the House of Commons, calling for Riel's 1885 conviction to be reversed and to recognize him both as the founder of Manitoba and for his work in defence of Canada's Metis population.

PUBLICATION: WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
PAGE: A2
WORD COUNT: 256
BYLINE: Mia Rabson

Canada should exonerate Louis Riel, Winnipeg NDP MP Pat Martin said Monday.

On the 124th anniversary of Riel's death, Martin said the Manitoba Mtis leader's conviction for treason should be overturned and a statue of him erected on Parliament Hill.

PUBLICATION: WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
PAGE: A7
WORD COUNT: 349
BYLINE: Mia Rabson

The Canadian Wheat Board is among 90 federal agencies that can no longer hire consultants to lobby the federal government.

Crown corporations have long been forbidden from hiring lobbyists to communicate with the federal government but Treasury Board President Vic Toews added shared governance agencies to the list, including the wheat board.

During question period Monday, Toews said these agencies need to ensure taxpayers get value for money.