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 […]
I covered the Liberals’ Laurier Club appreciation night, and didn’t even get to keep the lanyard
So there I was—a new(ish) Hill reporter, standing around with five or six other photographers and cameramen on June 18 at the War Museum at the Liberal Party’s Laurier Club Summer Reception and Garden Party. The massive orange media sign—which I’m told is standard procedure, although it was about half the size of a sheet […]
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 […]
Use of Indigenous languages on House floor will help reconciliation efforts, say Liberal MP and others
Speaking Indigenous languages in the House of Commons will improve the chances of their preservation, says Liberal MP Robert-Falcon Ouellette. Mr. Ouellette (Winnipeg Centre, Man.) said the use Indigenous languages in the House is “a more important step” than many others taken to save the languages. “Who knows if these languages will survive, but at […]
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 […]
