Name caucus reps to get MP input on Centre Block rehab, says Board of Internal Economy
MPs weren’t consulted enough in the planning process for the renovation of the West Block, say House of Commons administrative staff, who welcomed the idea of a working group of Parliamentarians tasked with giving feedback to avoid pitfalls in the upcoming revamp of Centre Block. Michel Patrice, the House deputy clerk of administration, told the […]
The time is ripe to grapple with Canada’s big institutional questions
Canadians have just had a crash course in the workings of their national political institutions. What have they learned? Partisan politics rules. Canadians ought not be surprised to learn that political assistants in the Prime Minister’s Office said to one another and to a cabinet minister in a private meeting that “we can have the […]
Horseshoe shape proven lucky for reduced partisanship in parallel U.K. Chamber, House Affairs Committee hears
The shape of a secondary House of Commons Chamber should be considered if Canada is to build one, former United Kingdom House clerk David Natzler told the Procedure and House Affairs Committee, saying the design of the British space seems to bring a more informal and less partisan tone. Established 20 years ago, the U.K.’s […]
PSPC set to award contracts to speed up Phoenix pay processing, says Linklater, as unions protest third anniversary
Later this month, the department overseeing the fix of the government’s Phoenix pay system will award two contracts to companies in the hopes of speeding up the processing of public servants’ problem pay. Public Services and Procurement Canada associate deputy minister Les Linklater, who is in charge of fixing the pay system, told the House […]
NDP MP’s ‘Create Your Canada’ contest catching on as way to engage, educate Canadians
Ten years since its inception, NDP MP Nathan Cullen’s contest to turn a policy pitch from one lucky constituent into a private members’ bill has been catching on among his caucus colleagues as an innovative way to engage, educate, and excite everyday Canadians about the federal legislative process. “We’re watching SNC-Lavalin, how they were trying […]
Rewrite Senate anti-harassment policy, says Upper Chamber subcommittee
The Senate needs to start from scratch when it comes to its anti-harassment policy, instead of merely updating its existing decade-old document, says a group of Senators tasked with studying the Upper Chamber’s anti-harassment rules. “When the subcommittee was charged with reviewing the current policy, members knew that they were undertaking a considerably broad task […]
Senators worry access bill gives new powers to Speaker, erodes Chamber authority
Two words in a new bill could erode the power of the Upper Chamber and hand it to the Senate Speaker, according to some Senators studying a bill that creates mandatory proactive disclosure of expenses. Bill C-58 amends the Access to Information Act and brings in new quarterly financial disclosure requirements for parliamentary and government […]
Federal Court of Appeal sides with BOIE against NDP in satellite-office battle
The NDP’s court challenge of the House of Commons Board of Internal Economy’s 2014 decisions ordering NDP MPs to repay roughly $4-million has hit a wall, after the Federal Court of Appeal ruled today to strike down the party’s application for judicial review. On Feb. 20, the Federal Court of Appeal ruled that the court […]
Nearly two-thirds of public servants have unresolved pay issues three years after Phoenix launched, survey shows
More than half of the public servants who experience harassment at work and choose to do nothing about it say they don’t file a formal complaint because they feel it wouldn’t matter, according to the results of the latest government-commissioned survey of federal employees. Meanwhile, 65 per cent of survey respondents say they have not yet […]
Controversial $7-billion fund hasn’t sped up budget implementation: PBO
The Liberal government’s $7-billion fund meant to speed up 2018 budget-implementation measures hasn’t worked, says Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux. In fact, it’s slower than the year before. Outlined in a Feb. 7 report on the second set of spending estimates for the current fiscal year, known as Supplementary Estimates ‘B,’ which were tabled by […]
