'Many discussions' to come about who will pay for Sussexes' security in Canada

Rachel AielloOttawa News Bureau Online Producer
@rachaiello  Contact
Published Monday, January 13, 2020 2:54PM ESTLast Updated Tuesday, January 14, 2020 8:27AM EST

Click her to watch: https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/many-discussions-to-come-about-who-will-pay-for-sussexes-security-in-canada-1.4765257

OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office says that "there are still many discussions to be had" about who will be covering the costs of security for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their time spent in Canada.

On Monday the Queen issued a statement confirming that Prince Harry and Meghan will spend time in both Canada and the U.K. during a “period of transition” towards them taking a step back from the Royal Family.

This raises the question of who will pick up the tab for keeping the couple safe. Currently, the security costs for the Royal Family are covered by British taxpayers. The RCMP has in the past provided security for royal tours through Canada.

In a statement to CTV News, PMO spokesperson Ann-Clara Vaillancourt said that "there remain a number of decisions to be taken by the Royal Family and the Sussexes themselves. We are of course supportive of their reflections but have responsibilities in this as well. There are still many discussions to be had."

When initially asked on Monday, the Prime Minister’s Office told CTV News that it “has no comment on this.” During a press conference on another matter, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said that the government hasn’t spent “any time thinking about this issue.”

“We obviously are always looking to make sure that as a member of the Commonwealth, that we play a role. We have not had any discussions on that subject at this time,” Morneau said.

In an interview on CTV Power Play, former Conservative heritage minister James Moore said that the security for these royal visits can cost millions of dollars, depending on the nature of the agenda, protocols, and security required.

He said in his experience the negotiations around security happen mainly between the RCMP and Buckingham Palace, but the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Governor General’s office are also in the loop on certain aspects.

“There are a lot of unanswered questions here, and I think for the Government of Canada, the representatives of taxpayers, I think the default instinct for most people right now would be if you're stepping away from your royal duties, then we're stepping away from our obligations of taxpayers to subsidize the Royal Family,” Moore said.

“So while it would be nice to have this couple here in Canada, and we want to maintain of course our ties to the Palace… I think we need to have a clear understanding of where they're actually going to be, what the security nature would look like, and what the threats look like,” he said, noting that different parts of the country would have different requirements and local police capabilities depending on where the Sussexes settle down.

Moore said that there are a lot of factors that could change the cost and scope of security needed, and who would be responsible for picking up the tab, but if Canadians are being asked to foot a sizeable bill, it should be discussed publicly.

• WATCH: What does financial independence look like for Harry and Meghan?

The Sussexes spent their Christmas holiday in Canada before breaking the news that they wanted to become financially independent and divide their time between Britain and North America.

At the time Trudeau wished the family a “quiet and blessed stay in Canada,” and said they were “always welcome here.”

The royal couple’s decision to call Canada home in part, will likely have consequences beyond security for the federal government, as CTV’s royal commentator Richard Berthelsen has noted.

“What their role would be here in this country, how they would interact with the Queen’s representatives, whether they would take engagements here… There’s all sorts of issues like this on the line,” he said in an interview on CTV News Channel on Monday.

CTV News has reached out to the RCMP for comment.

With files from CTV News' Jonathan Forani

'Fake lawyers' with bogus degrees a problem across Canada

Christy SomosCTVNews.ca Writer @C_Somos Contact

Published Friday, November 29, 2019 9:13AM ESTLast Updated Friday, November 29, 2019 9:20AM EST

TORONTO -- There is a disturbing epidemic of “fake lawyers” scamming vulnerable Canadians out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, with eight caught in B.C. earlier this month alone.

Lawyer Tanya Walker says that the practice of obtaining fake degrees, law or otherwise, is “quite common” online and worth a billion dollars worldwide.

“The most vulnerable segment of the population [to fake lawyers] are baby boomers, aging people because they may not be in tune as much with technology as the younger generation,” Walker said on CTV’s Your Morning Friday.

Walker said that new immigrants or those wishing to move to Canada are also vulnerable, as there may be a language barrier and may not know how to verify a lawyer’s credentials.

Fake lawyers can do “a lot” of damage, Walker said, as “the judgment is not automatically overturned because you are represented by a fake lawyer, you have to demonstrate that there was a miscarriage of justice.”

If the victim of a fake lawyer is unable to prove a miscarriage of justice, the original judgment can still stand, she said.

Walker said that with real, regulated and licensed lawyers, clients with an issue can report them to the law society and pursue compensation up to $500,000 – or sue the lawyer and pursue a payout from their insurer. None of those options are available with a fake lawyer.

“All a judge does for you when you win is write that you have won [against a fake lawyer], it’s up to you to collect, so if the person does not have any assets… you are out of luck,” Walker said.

Walker said that if you are in need of a lawyer, always verify the lawyer’s credentials, try to visit their office, call the law society and double check their registration number and “be suspicious if they do not have any pictures on their website or it’s too good to be true.”

Lawyers are generally only allowed to accept “around $7,500 in cash” per file, Walker said, so anyone asking for exorbitant amounts like $50,000 should “send up a red flag.”

Facial recognition in public spaces can be 'so damaging,' privacy expert says

Graham Slaughter, CTVNews.ca Writer

@grahamslaughter

Published Monday, November 25, 2019 10:14AM EST
Last Updated Monday, November 25, 2019 10:19AM EST

TORONTO -- Technology capable of scanning a person’s face and linking them to a database of thousands of other people has been introduced in Canadian airports and shopping malls, a fact that a leading Canadian privacy expert considers alarming.

Former Ontario information and privacy commissioner Ann Cavoukian says Canadians may not realize just how prevalent the technology is and how that personal information can be used once collected.

“It’s very concerning to me, because your facial image is the most sensitive biometric and can be used to accurately – or, worse – inaccurately connect you with certain events,” Cavoukian, now executive director of the Global Privacy & Security by Design Centre, told CTV’s Your Morning on Monday.

Earlier this month, the Vancouver International Airport announced that it would become the first airport in Canada to introduce facial recognition technology for Nexus cardholders who return to Canada from abroad. Facial-recognition kiosks will identify passengers enrolled in the Nexus program, replacing the airport’s existing iris scanners.

Two malls in Calgary came under fire last year after it was revealed that directory kiosks were taking photos of shoppers’ faces. The technology was suspended after the Federal Privacy Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta opened up investigations.

Cavoukian said more consideration needs to be given to just how damaging the technology can be.

She pointed to a recent report from the U.K. that found that facial recognition technology used by police flagged innocent people as suspects four out of five times. 

“Imagine trying to clear your name when police said, ‘No, you’re the one who did this.’ It can just be so damaging,” she said.

So far, no Canadian police force has announced plans to use the technology. Such a move could open up the possibility for innocent people to find themselves wrapped up in police investigations, Cavoukian said.

“If the police are using this, they can get a warrant. If they have probable cause that a crime has been committed, you go to a judge, you get a warrant. It’s not hard to do. Then they’re authorized to investigate.”

Then there’s the issue of stolen identity. With little oversight in Canada, facial recognition could be highly damaging if someone obtained an individual’s facial recognition information.

“When I was commissioner, a number of victims of identity theft came to me saying that their identities had been stolen. Try to clear your name – it’s a nightmare,” Cavoukian said.

Similar concerns were raised last month among concert-goers and musicians in the U.S. after live-entertainment companies AEG Presents and Live Nation revealed plans to scan festivalgoers with facial recognition technology. Both companies stepped away from those plans following widespread criticism.