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Monday’s CPI Could Decide Your Next Mortgage Payment

  Canada lost 68,000 jobs in September. Inflation is sitting at 3%. The Bank of Canada has to decide on October 28 which of those facts matters more, and on Monday morning one more number lands to help it choose. If you carry a variable-rate mortgage, a HELOC or a renewal this winter, that number has a price tag. Two reports pulling in opposite directions The jobs data came first. Statistics Canada reported on October 9 that employment fell by 68,000 in September, pushing the unemployment rate to 6.5% from 6.4%. It followed a drop of about 42,000 in August, which means more than half of the 181,000 jobs gained between April and July have now been wiped out. Ontario shed 20,000 positions on its own. Markets reacted within hours: the odds of a quarter-point Bank of Canada hike on October 28 dropped to roughly 25% from about 40%, according to LSEG data reported by Reuters. Inflation is telling the opposite story. The consumer price index rose 3.0% year over year in August, matching Ju...

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Federal Officials Ignored Auditor’s Call to Report Suspicious $160-Million Contract to RCMP


Federal officials have reportedly ignored calls from an auditor to refer a suspicious $160-million contract to the RCMP for investigation. The auditor, who was involved in a federal program prioritizing Indigenous companies, produced a report alleging that a large nurse staffing agency exploited its Indigenous partner and submitted fraudulent documents. Despite the auditor's substantial evidence and recommendation to involve the RCMP, federal officials chose not to act, citing concerns about potential troubles.

The contract in question was an eight-year agreement to deliver nursing services in remote Indigenous communities. The auditor's findings led to the removal of the joint venture from the Indigenous Business Directory managed by Indigenous Services Canada.

This case highlights ongoing issues within federal procurement practices and raises questions about accountability and transparency in handling allegations of fraud.



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