Good morning!
Here are 5 things you need to know this Monday: Conservative MP Lisa Raitt says the Liberal government's new child benefit could clog courts; the former director of CSIS says he supports greater oversight of intelligence agencies; 300 firefighters from South Africa have arrived to help fight the Fort McMurray fire; a U.S. zoo is defending its decision to kill a gorilla; we’ve got the story behind a powerful photo and the compassionate cop who insists he's just doing his job.
And for "Money Monday," a look at what to expect if you want to help your kids with a down payment for a home.
1. Child benefit: The Liberal government's new child benefit could clog courts with divorced couples fighting over how much one spouse must pay in child support when the payments start landing after July 1, says Opposition finance critic Lisa Raitt.
2. Greater oversight: The former director of the Canadian Intelligence Security Intelligence Service says he supports greater oversight of the country's security and intelligence agencies.
3. Bolstering firefighting efforts: Three hundred firefighters from South Africa arrived in Edmonton late last night to help battle the wildfires raging in the northern part of the province. Almost 2,300 firefighters are battling the Fort McMurray wildfire.
4. Gorilla shooting: A Cincinnati zoo is defending its decision to shoot and kill a gorilla after a three-year-old boy fell into its pen. The zoo says tranquilizers wouldn’t have worked quickly enough and they were worried about the boy’s safety.
5. #HaliCop: A Halifax police officer photographed sitting on the sidewalk beside a busker last week says he’s been "overwhelmed" by positive reactions after the touching image went viral online. The picture was retweeted hundreds of times and even spawned its own hashtag, #HaliCop. But Const. Shawn Currie says it was just a glimpse into his typical day on the job.
And one more thing for "Money Monday": It's tempting to give your children a helping hand for a down payment on their first home, but financial advisers say, before cutting a cheque, make sure you know how it'll affect your own financial future.
