Thursday, July 10, 2025

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Thursday, July 10, 2025 | Latest Paper

Where’s Wernick? Unions say PCO clerk should be more involved in Phoenix fix

The two largest federal public service unions are frustrated about what they say is Privy Council clerk Michael Wernick’s lack of involvement in fixing the Phoenix pay system, adding that his absence is particularly apparent in light of his recent comments about loosening the rules to fire public servants. But one expert says the top bureaucrat’s role […]

PS unions target Phoenix as next round of bargaining heats up

The Phoenix pay system is at the forefront of the minds of Public Service Alliance of Canada representatives as they ramp up the latest round of contract negotiations with the government, tabling four main demands so far related to the two-year-old payroll disaster. PSAC, which represents about 140,000 federal workers and is the largest public […]

Improve, then use, name-blind recruitment to boost Senate staff diversity: committee

A name-blind recruitment project could help improve Senate staff diversity, but only if done properly, according to the head of a Senate group studying employment equity in the Upper Chamber’s administration. In a report tabled June 21 with the Senate’s Internal Economy, Budgets, and Administration Committee—a powerful group of Senators that handles the Chamber’s legal […]

Unions swamped by Phoenix; hiring staff to keep afloat

Several public sector unions say they’re struggling to deal with the fallout of the Phoenix pay system, needing to bring on more staff to help manage the workload brought on by their members having pay issues for more than two years. Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) national president Chris Aylward said in an emailed […]

Speaker says precedent-setting $7-billion budget vote can go ahead

NDP MP Daniel Blaikie says he’s exhausted almost every procedure in the book to stop a controversial $7-billion budget vote, but after a Monday night House Speaker’s ruling, he’s not sure what else to do. “We are getting to the point where we have done all that we can do. I really have tried to […]

Limitation period to report, new definition among changes proposed to MP code of conduct

The Procedure and House Affairs Committee recently completed its review of the code of conduct for Members of Parliament and has proposed a number of changes to the existing code, including creating new protocols for how investigators should proceed. “Right now, when the resources officer hires an outside investigator, there was not much instruction as […]

Elections bill poses privacy, foreign funding problems, says Elections Canada head

Canada’s prospective chief electoral officer is recommending seven changes to the Liberals’ elections modernization bill, including rules on how political parties can collect data and closing what opposition MPs have called a loophole in the legislation that still makes it possible for foreign interference. Stéphane Perrault said Elections Canada is “generally in agreement” with Bill […]

‘Bad, bad, bad’: Public service culture could lead to another Phoenix, say experts

A culture in the public service that encourages meeting budgets by any means necessary is being blamed as the true root cause of the Phoenix pay system failure, and experts say those cultural elements that have cost the government $1.2-billion and counting are still there. Former bureaucrat turned Queen’s University professor Andrew Graham, who has […]