Think-tank urges Canada’s oil and gas majors to invest in renewables—or risk playing catch-up in decades ahead
As concerns grow about the long-term economic viability of drilling in the Alberta oil sands, a Vancouver-based think tank focused on creating a greener economy says big Canadian oil and gas companies need to invest in more in renewable energy projects in order to stay competitive against global firms already throwing billions towards wind and solar. […]
Acting on climate change will create ‘new economic opportunities and good jobs,’ says environment minister
It has been one of the most pressing priorities for the Liberal government since assuming power in November 2015. Reducing Canada’s carbon footprint as part of global efforts to combat climate change and transitioning the country to a new, lower carbon economy. It has also been one of the most frequent targets for the opposition Conservatives, […]
Why we need a green economy today, and for tomorrow
In a seminal 1987 report, Our Common Future, the Brundtland Commission advanced the understanding of global interdependence and the relationship between economics and the environment. The report wove together social, economic, cultural and environmental issues towards global solutions. It found, for the first time that “the environment does not exist as a sphere separate from […]
Unions cautiously optimistic about Treasury Board leading post-Phoenix fix, but worry about more delays
The two largest public service unions are applauding the decision in the 2018 federal budget to have the Treasury Board lead the search for a Phoenix pay system alternative, but caution the government can’t cut corners this time. Both the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Professional Institute of the Public Service (PIPSC) […]
Mandatory anti-harassment training coming for MPs’ staffers on and off the Hill
This fall, anyone working in an MP’s office can expect to follow in their boss’s footsteps and be required to take in-person anti-harassment training, following a House of Commons Board of Internal Economy decision earlier this month. The group of seven MPs who oversee House finances and administration, chaired by House Speaker Geoff Regan (Halifax […]
Feds move to do full PS staff survey yearly, not every three years
A comprehensive examination of how public servants feel about their workplaces will now be done yearly, instead of every three years, a move welcomed by union representatives, who say there needs to be meaningful action with the yearly results. According to a November memo prepared for Treasury Board secretary Yaprak Baltacioglu and obtained under the […]
Senator gets okay to hire lawyer advising on harassment policy, providing free legal advice to victims
The Senate’s Internal Economy Committee last week narrowly approved a request by Independent Senator Marilou McPhedran to hire a lawyer to advise her on research into the government’s sexual-harassment prevention legislation and the Senate’s harassment policies, with some Senators arguing her public comments about the contract didn’t align with its stated purpose. At the end of […]
Liberal MP Khalid won’t back down after racists crash her town hall
A town hall meeting centred on how to remove systemic racism in Canada was derailed by a group of people yelling racist slurs, primarily directed at the host, Liberal MP Iqra Khalid who represents Mississauga-Erin Mills, Ont. The Toronto Sun reported on Feb. 23 that one man yelled “you’re a fraud,” another yelled “is this […]
Budget 2018 not an election-year spending plan, but Liberals ‘pre-staging’ some issues: stakeholders
The Trudeau government’s third federal budget is not an election-year spending plan crafted with an eye towards the campaign trail, though certain elements could hint at what issues the Liberals will run on in the 2019 vote, say stakeholders. Nearly 200 representatives from the private and non-profit sectors gathered in the Reading Room in Centre […]
Anti-harassment bill won’t make it easier to complain, say critics
Committee witnesses and others are raising concerns about whether a government bill aimed at preventing and responding to sexual harassment and workplace violence, including against parliamentary employees, will actually make it any easier for people to come forward with complaints. During a Feb. 26 House Human Resources Committee meeting, when asked by Liberal MP Pam Damoff […]
