Published: March. 21, 2012 at 4:43 PM

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, March 21 (UPI) -- Canada's Cabinet is expected to approve opening a project office to buy new fixed-wing search-and-rescue planes for the Canadian air force.

The $3.1 billion replacement plan, designed to replace air force C-115 Buffalos and older model C-130-H fixed-wing transport aircraft, has been delayed by controversy and bureaucratic infighting for nearly a decade.

Potential bidders were recently informed that a formal tender isn't expected until 2013, CBC News Nova Scotia reported.

Adding to the program's delays have been accusations that the air force had tilted the specifics of the acquisition program in favor of the C-27-J Spartan, built by the Italian company Alenia.

Should the Canadian air force want to procure C-27-J Spartans, a possible second-hand source could appear close by, as the U.S. Air Force recently announced that it intended to sell its Spartan transports, both existing and those scheduled for delivery.

The sale would be part of the recently announced U.S. Department of Defense budget cuts, but the C-27-J Spartan sale would need congressional approval.

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Canada seeks new search-and-rescue planes

Prime Minister John Key has ruled out an independent inquiry into the privacy breach at ACC that's seen the resignation of Nick Smith from Cabinet.

He also won't rule out Dr Smith returning to the Cabinet in the future.

This follows a push from the opposition for a full inquiry.

Dr Smith's resigned his portfolios after admitting a second error of judgement in his handling of claims made on ACC by his friend, and former National Party official Bronwyn Pullar

Labour leader David Shearer says Dr Smith's resignation doesn't end the matter.

"We should have a full inquiry into this. I think the Government would hope that it was going to go away. I don't believe that it should. I think the public, and we all, deserve an explanation."

Mr Shearer wants to know why the Prime Minister didn't act earlier.

Should Dr Smith decide to quit politics altogether, Mr Shearer believes his party could win Nelson.

"Yes we definitely could have a good chance of winning that seat, we've held that seat in the past although that was some time ago. We would certainly have a decent crack at it," he says.

MPs have said Mr Key should have asked for Dr Smith's scalp much sooner than yesterday.

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Key rules out independent inquiry into ACC

OTTAWA - The federal cabinet is expected give approval this week to open a project office to buy new fixed-wing search and rescue planes, according to senior federal officials.

It is the first step is getting the stalled, nearly decade-old program to replace C-115 Buffalos and older model C-130-H transport aircraft.

The $3.1 billion replacement plan has been mired in controversy and bureaucratic in-fighting almost since it was announced by the Martin government obstacles that Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government has yet to overcome.

Potential bidders were informed a couple of weeks ago that a formal tender call is not expected until next year and there will be more industry consultation.

Part of the delay has involved accusations that the air force had rigged initial specifications to favour one aircraft the C-27-J Spartan, built by the Italian company Alenia.

The U.S. Air Force recently announced it intended to sell its fleet of Spartan transports, both existing and soon-to-be-delivered.

It's part of a cost-cutting move, but it has yet to receive Congressional approval.

Senior defence officials say they intend to ask Washington how much it wants for the planes, but took pains to emphasize that there will be an open competition.

One official, who asked for anonynmity, said the query would be part of the necessary due diligence that auditor general would expect of both National Defence and Public Works.

Other aircraft-makers are champing at the bit, including Lockheed Martin, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company and Bombardier Inc., among others.

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Feds expected to start moving ahead on purchase of search and rescue planes

New Delhi, Mar 20 (ANI): Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mukul Roy was sworn-in as the Railway Minister of the country on Tuesday.

President Pratibha Devisingh Patil administered the oath of office and secrecy to Roy in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and other cabinet ministers.

Most of Trinamool Congress MPS were also present at the Rashtrapati Bhavan to witness the ceremony.

Roy, who was the Minister of State for Shipping, is a close aide of TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and is said to have been her first choice last year for the important Railway berth that she had vacated when she took over as West Bengal Chief Minister last May.

Roy's predecessor Dinesh Trivedi has been lauded by the Prime Minister, Cabinet colleagues and industry for his bold Budget, in which he announced an increase in train passenger fares, the first in nine years.

It was that move that also cost him his job. So upset was his party chief, that she first demanded his removal from the Cabinet and then forced him to resign.

Last week, Banerjee announced Roy's name as Trivedi's replacement, much before the latter had put in his papers.

However, the row over Trivedi exposed emerging differences and perceived erosion of ties between the Congress and its ally TMC.

For the past few months, the TMC has kept the Congress on tenterhooks on various issues of national and state concern, such as the price rise, allowing foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail, the issue of establishing the NCTC, and Mamata Banerjee's decision to skip the Prime Minister's visit to Bangladesh last year. (ANI)

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Mukul Roy takes oath as Railway Minister

The first Indigenous woman to hold a cabinet ministry in an Australian government is retiring from the Northern Territory Parliament.

Marion Scrymgour was elected in 2001 and has been the Labor Government's deputy chief minister and held several portfolios including education minister.

She says she had been planning to run in the August election.

"I felt however the time had come for me to come back home," she said from the Tiwi Islands yesterday.

"Which is what I'm planning to do beyond August, is to come back here to this community.

"And to back who I am and work on the ground with my people which is something I've been wanting to do for some time."

She regards her work on fighting petrol and glue sniffing during her early years with the Labor government as the most important.

"I was the chair of the select committee that went around a lot of those communities when we came to government in 2001," she said.

"To see 14-year-old girls prostituting themselves in some of these communities for petrol.

"To see what was happening in some of these communities was an absolute disgrace."

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Scrymgour to pull the plug on politics

The Prime Minister is being urged by senior ministers and advisers to hand over the Department of Health to the Lib Dems in what would be a bold political move.

In return, senior Tories are pressing for the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) - currently run by Vince Cable - to be led by a Conservative. This would, they argue, prevent the coalition effectively running two differing economic strategies.

Mr Cable, however, would be highly unlikely to relinquish his business brief without a fight. A major government shake-up is fraught with difficulty for the Prime Minister as Nick Clegg, his Lib Dem deputy, would have to agree to any changes affecting ministers from his own party.

Some Lib Dems would be likely to urge Mr Clegg not to accept what might look like a prize in the shape of the health department - because Mr Lansleys successor would have such a tricky task bedding in the reforms to the NHS in England, which include a bigger role for private sector companies.

The Lib Dems might also try to save Mr Clarke, who unlike most of his party takes a pro-Brussels stance and has also been accused of attempting to scupper the Prime Ministers reform agenda over replacing the Human Rights Act with a new British Bill of Rights.

Mr Clarke has been dubbed, tongue in cheek, the sixth Lib Dem in the cabinet - after Mr Clegg, Mr Cable, Danny Alexander, the Treasury Chief Secretary, Ed Davey, the Energy Secretary, and Michael Moore, the Scottish Secretary.

Up until now, the only Cabinet-level changes have solely affected one party. In May 2010, Mr Laws was replaced at the Treasury by Mr Alexander after facing censure over his taxpayer-funded expenses, while last month Chris Huhne quit as energy secretary to fight a charge of perverting the course of justice over a speeding offence. He was replaced by Mr Davey.

When Liam Fox quit as defence secretary last year in the wake of a row over his controversial links with his former adviser, Adam Werritty, his replacement was another Tory, Philip Hammond, in a move which saw Justine Greening enter the cabinet as Transport Secretary.

Many MPs on the Tory Right would like to see Mr Cameron use the opportunity to promote Chris Grayling into the cabinet. Mr Grayling, who is thought to be doing an effective job as employment minister, was shadow home secretary before the last general election.

Some Conservatives are privately encouraging the Prime Minister to replace Sayeeda Warsi as Tory chairman - possibly with Grant Shapps, currently the Housing Minister. However, they acknowledge that

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Health warning for Andrew Lansley as David Cameron plans early reshuffle

FORT WAYNE, IN--(Marketwire -03/16/12)- WaterFurnace International, Inc., a leading manufacturer of residential and commercial geothermal and water source heat pumps, introduces the 5 Series 502W12 high temperature hydronic heat pump.

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To learn more, visit the WaterFurnace website at http://www.waterfurnace.com.

WaterFurnace International, Inc.WaterFurnace International, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of residential, commercial, industrial and institutional geothermal and water source heat pumps. Products from WaterFurnace include energy-efficient and environmentally friendly geothermal comfort systems, indoor air quality products and pool heaters. WaterFurnace (TSX: WFI.TO - News) was founded in 1983, and the company is headquartered in Fort Wayne, Ind. For the latest news and updates from WaterFurnace, connect with us on your favorite social media sites -- follow us on Twitter (@WaterFurnace), like us on Facebook or view the WaterFurnace YouTube Channel.

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WaterFurnace Introduces 5 Series High Temperature Hydronic Heat Pump

The Government is currently formulating a strategy for the replacement of the current bus fleet with more environmentally-friendly vehicles.

This study is currently in its early stages and the Government will announce its program when it is in a position to do so, said minister Neil Costa to question from S.M. Figueras.

Further to questions from D.J. Bossino, minister Costa added:

I can confirm that free bus travel will be exclusively available to residents of Gibraltar and those holding Gibraltar ID card holders other than non-resident workers on all bus routes operated by the Gibraltar Bus Company Limited with the exception of Route 5.

The Government took the decision to make free bus travel exclusively available to residents of Gibraltar and those holding Gibraltar ID card holders and non-resident workers on all bus routes operated by the Gibraltar Bus Company Limited with the exception of Route 5 at the meeting of cabinet held on 13 February 2012. The Gibraltar Bus Company Limited will only issue the bus card to those applicants that the Department of Social Security confirms to the company are completely up to date with their Social Insurance Contributions. The Cabinet agreed not to make the announcement as to the position of non-resident workers until the Chief Minister had met the Mayor of La Linea, who he was scheduled to meet some 10 days later.

Consequently, at the meeting held on 24th February 2012 between the Chief Minister and the Mayor of La Linea, the Chief Minister informed the Mayor that in keeping with the positive relations between Gibraltar and La Linea that the Government is keen to promote, the Government had decided to extend this service to cross-frontier workers on production of proof that they have a valid contract of employment registered with the ETB and that their payments in respect of Social Security are up to date. This will also serve to ensure that cross frontier workers should further appreciate the advantages of registering their employment in Gibraltar.

16-03-12

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Changes to bus service

"Yes, I have written to the prime minister seeking his replacement with Mukul Roy, another union minister," Banerjee told PTI.

In fact, Mukul Roy would be replying to the railway budgetary demands for grants before this month-end, highly placed TMC sources said.

Mamata's decision created an unprecedented situation in the country's parliamentary history when a minister is sought to be removed even before the budget presented by him has been discussed in Parliament. In addition, it puts Singh in a piquant situation, which is also unprecedented.

The government was thus faced with a war within which could have serious consequences on its stability.

Should Singh not follow Mamata's dictat, TMC, which is the second largest constituent with 19 MPs in Lok Sabha, may very likely pull out of the government which will increase its dependence on outside supporters like Samajwadi Party and BSP.

Mamata's brinkmanship also presents the prime minister with another acute embarrassment since he had praised Trivedi's budget earlier as "forward-looking".

There are deep concerns within the UPA about Mamata's behaviour which comes two days before the General Budget is to be presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday.

It is very likely that she may find fault with some of the proposals in the General Budget and create further trouble for the government.

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Mamata tells PM to sack Trivedi, Cong agrees to demand

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After being officially sworn into the Senate, former premier Bob Carr unleashed on the Opposition.

Remember the old days when cabinets were chosen from Parliament?

A big difference between government in Australia and America is the way a cabinet is chosen. The US president can choose from an unlimited pool: a Wall Street executive to become treasurer; a retired general to be secretary of state. Academics are often chosen to take senior cabinet positions. In Australia, the pool is more limited because cabinet is chosen from Parliament.

Well, that used to be the case until Julia Gillard reached outside the Commonwealth Parliament to appoint retired NSW premier Bob Carr as her foreign minister. Carr will have to enter Parliament to hold the office, but Labor has made ingenious use of the constitutional provisions that allow a political party to fill a casual vacancy in the Senate. From now on, the Prime Minister can choose any minister from outside Parliament so long as her political party can manufacture a Senate vacancy to accommodate the new entrant. The only limit is the number of senators willing to retire at the disposal of the party machine.

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There is nothing to prevent a treasurer being chosen from outside Parliament. True, treasurers have always been members of the House of Representatives, but there is nothing in the constitution that specifies this must be the case.

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Carr crash a new level of manipulation