House admin watching spending after topping $500-million mark

The 2019-20 main spending estimates for the House clock in at $503-million, including funds for administration staff raises and a new constituency office computer project.

SNC-Lavalin affair capturing Canadians’ attention, but no sign of shifting votes, pollsters suggest

MPs and pollsters say the issue could contribute to greater voter cynicism, which could lead to lower turnout at the polls in October.

Feds funnel another half-billion dollars into fixing public service pay in 2019 budget

Here are six takeaways for public servants, politicos, media, and policy wonks from the Liberals’ final, pre-election fiscal plan.

Liberals propose national school meal program as Canada remains back of pack on children’s nutrition

In yesterday’s federal budget, the government announced its 'intention to work with provinces and territories' toward the creation of the program, though no money was earmarked for it.

Ottawa allows Maduro loyalists to run Venezuelan Embassy despite calling his government ‘illegitimate’

Canada has also recognized a representative of interim president Juan Guaidó, who says the ‘complicated’ situation shouldn’t be ‘rushed.’

Tory MPs push for loosening rules to allow more partisan mail-outs

‘If it is slanderous or defamatory, then we will be held accountable for that, and we will be held accountable by our electorate, in whether they vote for us again,’ says Conservative House Leader Candice Bergen.

PSAC, Treasury Board inch closer in contract talks as election looms

Meanwhile, the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers filed for binding arbitration March 11 in hopes of striking its own pre-election deal.

NDP ‘under the gun’ to name candidates, say politicos, as they trail Grits, Tories on campaign slate

Nearly a third of the NDP caucus elected in 2015 have opted not to return to Parliament, part of the reason the party has only named 12 per cent of the candidates expected to run in 2019.

Liberals speed up deficit reduction track with help of buoyant tax revenues

Big-ticket items in the last federal budget of this majority Liberal government include more than $6.2-billion to expand federal financing of rental construction, $1-billion for increasing access to drugs for rare diseas

Trudeau Liberals’ final budget features measures for skills training, rural broadband, border security

Whereas last year’s budget was largely pitched at women, this year, Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s final budget is focused on skills training to help older workers and youth adapt to a rapidly changing workforce.