The future of work in a warming world
Extreme weather may be the topic on everyone’s lips, especially in the aftermath of Ottawa’s recent tornados, but the silence about the future of work in a warming world is deafening. The consequences of global warming will shake up the nature of work and the availability of employment for people in every country. In an […]
Work-life balance tough in 24-hour news cycle, but there’s help for Parliamentarians to cope
PARLIAMENT HILL—As Speaker of Canada’s Upper Chamber, I am expected to preside over matters impartially. However, there are some issues that transcend partisanship and party lines. One is the mental health of Parliamentarians and employees. More and more, Parliamentarians are speaking openly and candidly about their personal struggles with mental illness. In sharing such intimate […]
Too many are still suffering in silence on the Hill. This has to change
PARLIAMENT HILL—They come to Parliament Hill, the best and brightest people, eager to watch from a front‑row seat as history is being made. They are the thousands of political staffers who work here—dedicated and driven, with an unwavering desire to serve. They may not know it, but when these people begin their parliamentary careers in […]
PSAC president wants four largest contract negotiations finished by the new year
The leader of the largest public service union wants to wrap up contract negotiations by the end of 2018 for four of its largest groups. Public Service Alliance of Canada national president Chris Aylward, representing about 140,000 federal public servants, said he’s cautiously optimistic about the negotiations, but admitted the two sides are still far […]
Let’s hard-wire inclusion into Canada’s innovation economy
Ministers are on the road this fall, talking to Canadians about what the next federal budget should include. One of the key questions being asked is how to put Canada on a path to “inclusive growth.” By many economic indicators, Canada is excelling. Unemployment is low and Canada led the G7 in real GDP growth […]
‘The conditions are ripe’: industry says it’s time for feds to consider a national bioeconomy strategy
With Canada’s biotechnology sector showing signs of new growth, industry advocates say it’s time the federal government consider a national biotech strategy, more than a decade after one created in 1998 was nixed by the Conservative government. In January 2018, the Public Policy Forum released a report recommending the creation of a national life sciences […]
Too much tax hurts tech sector
Canada is on the cusp of the Fourth Industrial Revolution with the emergence of the biotechnology industry. This revolution, where digital processes and artificial intelligence (AI) are changing the way products are made, is also coming at a time when Canada is experiencing a brain drain in our tech sector. A study published earlier this […]
Senators, opposition MPs await Liberal response to ‘common sense’ changes to anti-harassment bill
Opposition parties say they’re ready to accept changes the Senate made to a bill aimed at preventing and handling workplace violence and sexual harassment, calling them “common sense,” however the government is mum on its next steps. The Senate passed Bill C-65 on June 18 with seven amendments stemming from its Human Rights Committee, with […]
From staffer to minister: the rise of Mary Ng
Despite claims of favouritism levelled by opponents, Mary Ng says it’s her 20 years of government and political experience that propelled her to the Liberals’ front bench in the 16 months between her election to the House of Commons and her cabinet appointment. “What you get is you get a grounding—you get a grounding in […]
Pay-related grievances at labour relations board triple post-Phoenix
The number of pay-related complaints at the federal bureaucrats’ labour relations board has dropped from its 2016-17 peak, but the number of grievances for the past two fiscal years is at least three times higher than before the Phoenix pay system was launched. In the 2017-18 fiscal year, which ran from April 1, 2017, to […]
