Black businesses say they’re left out of procurement opportunities, COVID relief despite obvious gaps
Black-owned businesses say they have been devastated by COVID-19 and the government needs to “step in,” both through funding directly to the community and by revamping a federal procurement system that they say is leaving them out. It’s heartbreaking to see so many businesses closing and at risk, said Andria Barrett, president of the Canadian […]
Now is the time to protect public services
Every year for one week, the federal government celebrates its more than 300,000 public service employees. It usually comes and goes without too much fanfare, but this year should be different. All Canadians should be encouraged to recognize the public sector workers helping our country weather the brutal impacts of COVID-19. PSAC members who live […]
While some MPs urge adoption, Conservatives still skeptical about remote voting
As the House Affairs Committee studies whether and how to introduce remote voting to the Lower Chamber, some MPs are urging it to recommend such voting be temporarily introduced as physical-distancing restrictions prompted by COVID-19 have kept Canada’s top legislature from dealing with almost all regular business since mid-March. “I don’t think people thought that […]
Fitz-Morris takes over as communications director to Public Services and Procurement Minister Anand
Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand recently scooped up James Fitz-Morris to serve as her new director of communications, after her former one, Emily Harris, exited to join the public service. Before joining Ms. Anand’s office, Mr. Fitz-Morris had been working as a senior adviser to Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett. A former reporter, […]
‘Non-advertising’ hiring up due to feds’ new appointments policy, data shows
The new appointments policy allowing for greater flexibility in the hiring of federal public servants came into effect in April 2016, resulting in a greater number of “non-advertised” hiring compared to formal publicly advertised hiring processes and competitions. The Public Service Commission has reported on an overall increase in non-advertised appointments to 34 per cent […]
MPs claimed $230,000 in free travel from organizations, foreign governments in 2019
MPs accepted $230,000 worth of travel sponsored by outside groups and foreign governments in 2019, halving the value of free trips MPs have accepted in recent years. With a breakneck end to the session in June, MPs stopped taking sponsored travel and continued in that vein over the course of the summer as they switched […]
The scramble for PPE: ‘This country has never seen procurement like it is occurring now’
From face masks, to medical gowns, testing kits, ventilators, and beyond, the federal government has been working to secure millions of pieces of medical and personal protective equipment needed in the fight against COVID-19 in a massive, cross-ministry and -jurisdictional collaborative effort that’s been described as “unprecedented” and “24/7” for those involved. “Since the Second […]
Finance Minister Morneau names press secretary
Finance Minister Bill Morneau and team have been busy of late, with the 2020 federal budget delayed as the federal government works to see through economic relief and other measures announced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and now helping the minister communicate with the public and media alike is new press secretary Maéva Proteau. […]
Some cabinet stars emerge in pandemic
CHELSEA, QUE.—It has been decades since the era of strong cabinet ministers—men (always men) with a profile as prominent as the prime minister’s and their own following within the party. In the modern era, the most memorable example is Paul Martin, Jean Chrétien’s finance minister, who, somewhat impatiently, built his own brand and his own […]
MPs considering joint House-Senate group to oversee Centre Block renovations
Members of Parliament are considering creating a joint group with Senators to oversee plans for Centre Block’s renovation, but not all MPs are convinced. The House of Commons’ Board of Internal Economy (BOIE) is holding a special meeting on March 12 to finalize plans for a new governance body to supervise the massive project to […]
