Federal public service cut by nearly 10,000 jobs, new data shows
The 2.7 per cent dip as of March 2025 represents the first time the public service hasn’t grown since 2015, which experts say isn’t surprising given the Liberal government’s 2024 budget forecast the population to shrink by attrition.
Cancelling the F-35 deal would be ‘cutting our nose off to spite our face,’ says former senior military official
A former chief of the defence staff says ‘the ramifications of cancelling the F-35 purchase threatens to hurt Canada more than it would hurt the U.S.’
U.S. pressure ‘lighting a fire’ under Ottawa to get major defence procurement projects moving, says expert, as trade war escalates
Amid the tariff tiff with the U.S., ‘there’s a sudden realization that…Canada may actually be on its own,’ which may be speeding things up, says Adam Lajeunesse.
U.S. companies earned over $3.5-billion in Canadian government contracts since 2023: data
As U.S. tariffs take hold, it is worth the effort looking for domestic suppliers rather than the big American companies, says Bloc MP Julie Vignola.
Liberal candidates’ procurement pitches fail to address the long-standing issues, say observers
Some of the proposals ‘sound more like slogans’ that don’t point to ‘some sort of specific program,’ says procurement expert Richard Shimooka.
Hearts and minds: premiers’ mission won’t change Trump’s tack, but can still help Canada, say politicos
Economic measures like procurement bans and retaliatory tariffs can be used against the U.S., but a non-threatening approach would better resonate with Americans, says former Ontario deputy premier Dwight Duncan.
‘Big Four’ consultants raked in over $220-million in federal contracts last year, despite plans to cut spending
Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux says 2024 spending on consultants seems ‘a bit high’ given the feds’ commitment to curbing its reliance on external contractors.
Feds eye March decision on replacing problem-plagued Phoenix payroll system
The government could replace the Phoenix payroll system in 2026-27, with officials deciding by March whether to greenlight the new Dayforce system depending on the outcome of testing.
Hiring IT contractors cost feds 22 per cent more than using public servants, PBO finds
Federal departments spent $2.66-billion on informatics services, including IT-related services, with more than half of the spending coming from five departments in 2022-23.
Procurement watchdog calls PSPC’s handling of interpreters’ contracts ‘unreasonable’
Ombud’s review of complaints says proposed changes would cut freelance interpreters’ number of billable hours, leading to less compensation for the same amount of work.
