May 2005 in Canada - May 19, 2005

May 19, 2005

• The House of Commons votes on two crucial budget bills. Bill C-43 carries with a vote of 250 yea, 54 nay. Bill C-48 is tied with a vote of 152 yea, 152 nay, with the Speaker voting in favour, breaking the tie and carrying the bill. The Canadian government survives the vote of confidence. (CBC)
• The Federal Court of Appeal upholds a lower court ruling that denied the Canadian Recording Industry Association's request of revealing the personal information of users of 29 IP addresses which it believes are heavy downloaders of copy-righted music. The ruling sights the need for increased privacy protection since "the potential for unwarranted intrusion into personal lives is now unparalleled." (P2PNews)
• After receiving approval of the Canadian Senate on Wednesday, Bill C-15 receives royal assent today to become law. The bill amends the Migratory Birds Act and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act to increase the penalties for ships that pollute Canadian waters and allow charges to be filed against individual ship employees. (CP)