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 […]
Liberals embark on spending-cycle shakeup with this year’s early budget
The Liberals’ third budget, tabled this week, came a month earlier than their previous two financial plans to give Treasury Board President Scott Brison “a win” in his push to realign the federal spending cycle, says an opposition MP. This is the first fiscal year in which the government is testing out a new way of […]
The government’s ‘air traffic controller’: peeking behind the curtain of the PCO
It’s the department that never sleeps. The Privy Council Office could be described as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s department, and Clerk Michael Wernick as his deputy minister. One of the most important government bodies, it advises Mr. Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) and his cabinet, and co-ordinates the public service to implement the government’s agenda. Housed within […]
#MeToo movement creating a ‘transformational change’ on Hill, inappropriate sexual conduct to be dealt with quickly and finally, say MPs, pundits
MPs say a “transformational change” is happening on the Hill, spurred by the recent “avalanche” of allegations of sexual harassment, harassment, and misconduct in Canadian federal politics, and some say they’re “terrified,” by the culture shift. “We’re certainly in a transformation moment, and to see it in the sports world, to see it in the […]
