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Struggling to help Haiti; stressed out at hospitals; and a cabinet shuffle: Listen to my two-minute audio roundup of what's on the front pages of the country's newspapers plus highlights from Tuesday's Parliamentary daybook by clicking on the link below.

You can also get these audio summaries automatically every day via podcast from iTunes or via an RSS feed by subscribing to my AudioBoo stream. Both the iTunes link and the RSS link are at my profile at AudioBoo.fm. Look under my picture on the left hand side of the page.

Canada will send 1,000 more troops to Haiti; issues about standardized testing in B.C.; and the need for pharmacists in St. John's: Listen to my two-minute audio roundup of what's on the front pages of the country's newspapers plus highlights from Monday's Parliamentary daybook by clicking on the link below.

You can also get these audio summaries automatically every day via podcast from iTunes or via an RSS feed by subscribing to my AudioBoo stream. Both the iTunes link and the RSS link are at my profile at AudioBoo.fm. Look under my picture on the left hand side of the page.

Tags: national post, globe and mail, toronto star, haiti

I know there's many more important things in the world but I wonder if any of you might have some insight into this particular problem:

In November, I travelled to the Heritage Canada building in Gatineau, Quebec and parked my car at a meter on the street outside the building. After parking, I discovered that electronic meter was flashing. It was out of order, a sign most motorists believe means — parking is free today.

I headed in for my appointment but upon returning, I had received a ticket for parking at an expired meter. Who knows when the meter returned to service but it was working upon my return and was apparently working when the meter maid came by.

On the ticket, I checked off the"Not Guilty" box and asked for a trial.

Recently, I got the trial notice in the mai and, to my surprise, the ticket that I could have paid "early" had I pled guilty in September for about $20 now comes with substantial risk. If I want to change my plea now, I will have to pay $57 to get off the hook. If continue, go to trial, and lose, I'll be hit with a $117 charge. Sure would have been nice to know how the fine was going to escalate when I first pled guilty but now it seems, in for a penny, in for a pound …

So here's the question for legal beagles or anyone out there with any experience on this:

Is it a sufficient defence to tell the judge that I was present and prepared to deposit a fee in the meter for time in the parking spot but the meter was defective and would not accept my payment?

Tags: parking tickets, quebec

Parliament's ethics commissioner has dropped an investigation into allegations by a Liberal MP that the federal government used taxpayer dollars for advertising programs that were thinly disguised attempts to promote the Conservative party.

Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson concluded in a "discontinuance report" [PDF]  released Wednesday that federal conflict-of-interest legislation did not apply in the context of a complaint made by Liberal MP Martha Hall Findlay.

"This decision flies in the face of the very purpose of the Conflict of Interest Act," Hall Findlay responded Wednesday.

"We are concerned that the ethics commissioner is constrained by the current atmosphere of intimidation by the Prime Minister's Office. The commissioner declined to pursue this matter based entirely on a technicality. She has not addressed any of the substance of the allegation."

Hall Findlay had complained to Dawson that a $60-million advertising campaign ostensibly designed by the federal government to tell Canadians about its economic action plan bore a too-similar design in terms of its presentation to advertising campaigns mounted over the past few years by the Conservative Party of Canada.

"The original ethics complaint will go down on the long list of Liberal stunts that generate media hysteria, but amount to nothing in the end," Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre said in an e-mailed statement.

"Prime Minister (Stephen) Harper's government has acted with the highest standards of ethics and today's report shows that these Liberal smears were false."

But non-partisan advocacy group Democracy Watch slammed Dawson's ruling.

"Very unfortunately, the ethics commissioner has used every possible technical loophole she can find to let the ruling party and cabinet ministers off the hook for what are fairly clear violations of federal ethics rules," said executive director Duff Conacher. "It's a fairly ridiculous ruling." [Read the rest of the story]

Tags: parliament, ethics, democracy watch

The world responds to Haiti and Alberta's premier shuffles the cabinet. Listen to my two-minute audio roundup of what's on the front pages of the country's newspapers plus highlights from Thursday's Parliamentary daybook by clicking on the link below.

You can also get these audio summaries automatically every day via podcast from iTunes or via an RSS feed by subscribing to my AudioBoo stream. Both the iTunes link and the RSS link are at my profile at AudioBoo.fm. Look under my picture on the left hand side of the page.

Tags: national post, globe and mail, toronto star, haiti, ed stelmach

A powerful earthquake decimates Haiti, a judge calls conditions in an Edmonton jail "cruel and unusual" punishment, and the Scotties Tournament of Hearts boosts the economy.Listen to my three-minute audio roundup of what's on the front pages of the country's newspapers plus highlights from Wednesday's Parliamentary daybook by clicking on the link below.

You can also get these audio summarie automatically every day via podcast from iTunes or via an RSS feed by subscribing to my AudioBoo stream. Both the iTunes link and the RSS link are at my profile at AudioBoo.fm. Look under my picture on the left hand side of the page.

Tags: national post, globe and mail, toronto star, haiti, earthquake

Rumours about a federal cabinet shuffle, concerns about Canada's jobless recovery, and a hate crime suspect spends more time in jail: Listen to my four-minute audio roundup of what's on the front pages of the country's newspapers plus highlights from Monday's Parliamentary daybook by clicking on the link below.

You can also get these audio summaries automatically every day via podcast from iTunes or via an RSS feed by subscribing to my AudioBoo stream. Both the iTunes link and the RSS link are at my profile at AudioBoo.fm. Look under my picture on the left hand side of the page.

Tags: national post, cabinet, globe and mail, economy, toronto star, jim flaherty

Yemen's securityproblems, a political standoff in Afghanistan and the Olympic torch makes its way through Saskatchewanl: Listen to my four-minute audio roundup of what's on the front pages of the country's newspapers plus highlights from Monday's Parliamentary daybook by clicking on the link below.

You can also get these audio summarie automatically every day via podcast from iTunes or via an RSS feed by subscribing to my AudioBoo stream. Both the iTunes link and the RSS link are at my profile at AudioBoo.fm. Look under my picture on the left hand side of the page.

Tags: national post, yemen, globe and mail, afghanistan, toronto star, dalton mcguinty

John Gushue and I have been online acquaintances since they measured bandwidth in baud and he hopes readers of this blog can help him win the coveted Newfoundland and Labrador Bloggers' Choice Award. There's no cash prize if he does win; no trip to Florida; not even a bloody shot of rum. Just a nice button he can hang on his page. And, of course, for you, there's his undying gratitude.

So clickthrough on this link and put an X beside his name — he's number six on the ballot (down there on the right hand side) and, as you'll find out when you vote, one of the leaders of this crazy race! And you'll probably want to bookmark his blog while you're at it!

Good luck to all!

Tags: newfoundland, blogs, competitions