Expect more deputy minister retirements as the pre-2019 transition machine rumbles to life, say insiders
With a little more than a year until the next election, civil service insiders say there will likely be an increase in deputy minister retirements in the coming months before the bureaucracy starts its process of preparing for a potential change in government in 2019. No one wanted to guess who was leaving or how […]
Canada needs to better champion its innovative industries
Canada is home to a highly innovative and reputable aerospace industry. This is an industry that developed the Canadarm, develops aircraft used around the world, and designs innovative technologies that are used worldwide. There are more than 400 aerospace firms in Canada, which employ more than 70,000 people. While our aerospace industry is admired by industry groups worldwide […]
Tory strategist, Global anchor tie the knot, as politicians and pundits look on
Conservative strategist Rick Anderson wed Global National anchor Dawna Friesen in Vancouver on July 28. Mr. Anderson was the chief adviser to Reform leader Preston Manning and is a principal at Earnscliffe Strategy Group. Ms. Friesen has been the Global National anchor and executive editor since 2010. Previously, she was an NBC News foreign correspondent where she […]
Number of top-level public servants rising under Trudeau
The number of top-level federal public servants has gone up by more than 15 per cent in the last decade, with the sharpest increase in the last couple years under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, according to the Privy Council Office. In July 2008, there were 72 positions classified at the level of deputy minister or associate […]
Ministers’ staffers start to shuffle after cabinet shakeup
The first wave of political staffers are moving to new posts, some following their bosses after the July 18 cabinet shuffle, or holding down the fort as a new minister comes in expecting quick briefings on complex subjects. After the initial firehose of briefings, setting key staffing posts is the next order of business—which should […]
Trade, agriculture, innovation bureaucrats are most lobbied
The country’s most-lobbied federal bureaucrats so far this year have their hands on trade, agriculture, and innovation files, according to statistics from the federal lobbyists’ registry, with top officials at Trade, Environment Canada, and Innovation, Science, and Economic Development the most in demand. With NAFTA negotiations underway, lobbyists say it’s no surprise that Frédéric Seppey, the […]
Two candidates look to unseat Natan Obed in ITK election this month
Two candidates, including a former Member of Parliament, are vying to unseat Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami incumbent president Natan Obed in the national Inuit group’s Aug. 16 election. Peter Williamson is a rookie candidate, but he’s worked on Inuit issues for more than 20 years, including five years with ITK and 15 years at Indigenous and […]
Individual Senators’ votes aren’t recorded on nearly two-thirds of government bills
Senators’ individual votes in the Upper Chamber on nearly two-thirds of government bills to date are not part of the public record, but Independent Senator Marilou McPhedran is promising to push for more standing votes in response to what she calls a “lack of transparency.” The Manitoba lawyer said she plans to change her approach and demand […]
No new departments will be created in wake of cabinet shuffle: PCO
The government will not be creating any new departments in the wake of last week’s cabinet shuffle, Privy Council Office spokesperson Paul Duchesne has confirmed. “Arrangements have already been put in place to ensure nimble and cost-effective support for ministers,” he said in an emailed statement. The cabinet shuffle last week increased Prime Minister Justin […]
Confident and well respected, Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr’s business roots will help in new role, say insiders
Political insiders say Jim Carr’s confidence and great communication skills make him a smart fit and his new title as the international trade diversification minister is a signal to the U.S. that Canada will double down on new trade deals as a way to mitigate the uncertainty of NAFTA. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) […]
