The Trudeau government’s consumer relief package has been split in two. The GST break, to begin December 14th, has been introduced as a stand alone bill and is expected to pass today. The NDP threatened not to support it, if the tax break was linked to the $250 rebate to be delivered next spring. They want eligibility for the rebate expanded. The GST holiday is estimated to cost $1.6 billion.
———-
Talks have broken down between Canada Post and its 55,000 striking employees. The federally appointed ‘special mediator’ temporarily suspended negotiations on Wednesday saying the two sides remain too far apart on critical issues. The strike began on November 15th.
———-
Because of the on-going postal strike, Manitoba Hydro will now send out automated texts and phone calls to let customers know a new bill has been issued. For security reasons, Hydro will not share account balances in automated messages to those who do not have an online account. Still, they warn to look out for scammers.
———-
Brandon police are looking for your help in identifying two suspects responsible for a random attack and robbery near Brandon University last Saturday. A woman was seriously injured. BU, meantime, has doubled the number of security personnel on campus.
———-
The provincial government’s ankle bracelet monitoring program is to begin in Brandon as early as next month. Right now, they’re only being used in Winnipeg to monitor repeat parole violators. The government has budgeted
$2.9 million over 2 years to expand the program.
———-
For a second straight year, pickup trucks are the most stolen vehicles in Manitoba. Manitoba Public Insurance says they occupy the top 4 spots on the 10-most stolen list. The Ford F-150 was the most-frequently stolen vehicle this year followed by the Dodge Ram, Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra. The most popular vehicles in the province are pick-ups and Honda Civics.
———-
The City of Brandon is out with a reminder for homeowners to keep sidewalks clear of snow and ice this winter. If it doesn’t get done, you can face a $200 ticket. If you’re unable to do the job, the city has created the Snow Angels program to help out. Contact Snow Angels
———-
A ceremony will be held at CFB Shilo Friday morning as nearly 500 soldiers begin their overseas deployment to Latvia. They’ll serve in the next rotation of Operation Reassurance to support NATO defence measures.
———-
It’s a world first – Australia’s parliament has passed a law banning social media for children under 16. Under the law, tech companies must take ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent under-age users from accessing social media services or face fines in the tens of millions of dollars. The ban is expected to apply to Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and X – but that list could expand.
