Feds shelled out $1.1M to headhunters to search for government appointees in 2017
Eight departments shelled out more than $1.1-million in 2017 on headhunting services to make some long-awaited appointments as part of the Liberals’ new approach to filling executive posts, documents show. Those fees helped fill at least 48 positions, with the priciest searches through the Privy Council Office (PCO), which spent a total of $419,189, Infrastructure […]
Senators complain of ‘shameful’ second-class translation services
The Senate is tired of being the federal Translation Bureau’s second-place client, and wants services comparable to what the House of Commons receives, a group of Senators says. “The first issue that needs to be addressed is the different standard of services from the bureau between the House of Commons and the Senate. First and […]
Feds shell out $250K to bureaucrats for Phoenix-related financial losses
The government has doled out nearly $250,000 since September 2016 to cover financial losses public servants have incurred because of the Phoenix pay system, according to the Treasury Board, which unions say indicates the program is working well despite seemingly low engagement. From September 2016 to January 31, 2018, 1,452 claims have been processed government-wide, […]
NDP MP Romeo Saganash says speaking Indigenous languages in Parliament is a ‘right’
NDP MP Romeo Saganash addressed the House Procedure and Affairs Committee in his native Cree language on Tuesday to call for the right to speak Indigenous languages in Parliament and have the words properly translated in French and English, calling it a “constitutional and human right.” Opening in Cree and then answering questions in English, Mr. Saganash (Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik-Eeyou, […]
Unions cautiously optimistic about Treasury Board leading post-Phoenix fix, but worry about more delays
The two largest public service unions are applauding the decision in the 2018 federal budget to have the Treasury Board lead the search for a Phoenix pay system alternative, but caution the government can’t cut corners this time. Both the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Professional Institute of the Public Service (PIPSC) […]
Feds move to do full PS staff survey yearly, not every three years
A comprehensive examination of how public servants feel about their workplaces will now be done yearly, instead of every three years, a move welcomed by union representatives, who say there needs to be meaningful action with the yearly results. According to a November memo prepared for Treasury Board secretary Yaprak Baltacioglu and obtained under the […]
Senators took a pass on votes nearly 200 times since election—a sign of ‘unconvincing’ speakers, says Sen. Cools
Yea, nay, or I won’t say: when it comes to voting in the Upper Chamber, Senators have collectively chosen to abstain from votes 190 times since the last election, about two-and-a-half times per vote. The Senate posted complete voting records online last month, covering each vote and each Senator since the last election. The Senate’s […]
Efforts to make House Standing Orders more user-friendly underway, House clerk Robert says
The House Standing Orders, or the rules of the game, are being revamped to be more user-friendly, but MPs will be consulted throughout the process and will have final approval over any updates, House clerk Charles Robert told members of the Procedure and House Affairs Committee last week. NDP MP David Christopherson (Hamilton Centre, Ont.) […]
Budget contains new ‘reconciled’ expenses for first time, good step for fiscal accountability, says Page
The 2018 federal budget broke new ground in fiscal reporting by including a projection of what departments would spend in the upcoming fiscal year, a move former parliamentary spending watchdog Kevin Page calls a “positive first step” towards improving the estimates process. The nine-column chart, tucked into the back pages of the expansive spending blueprint, attempts […]
MPs skeptical of releasing House attendance, but they have no ‘right to confidentiality,’ says democracy watchdog
With no formal roll call in the House of Commons, it can be a bit of a guessing game for anyone who wants to keep track of MPs’ whereabouts, which isn’t good enough when Parliamentarians are being supported by taxpayers’ money, says an accountability advocate. MPs themselves have mixed feelings about whether to make their […]
