Access to information reform a ticking time dud
In the grand scheme of broken promises—or commitments not being pursued—the Liberal government’s handling of its so-called reform of the Access to Information Act ranks well below dropping electoral reform and not balancing the budget, but still manages to get under people’s skin. “Government data and information should be open by default, in formats that […]
Grits name ex-Liberal B.C. president, $30,000-donor to port authority board
A former president of the Liberal Party’s B.C. chapter who has donated $30,000 to the party since 2004 was appointed to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority this month. Transport Minister Marc Garneau (Notre Dame de Grâce-Westmount, Que.) named North Vancouver lawyer Craig Munroe to the 11-member board on Nov. 15 for a three-year term. His […]
In the back hallways, some Liberals talking about prorogation before start of winter session
PARLIAMENT HILL—Political insiders are hinting the Trudeau government will hit the reset button in January over the holiday break and start the winter session with a new Throne Speech, though the federal Liberals are denying any plans to prorogue Parliament. “Why would the government not prorogue?” former Liberal MP and cabinet minister Don Boudria said in […]
PM’s summer home upgrades, security to cost $1M
The RCMP and National Capital Commission are requesting more than $1-million to renovate the prime minister’s country escape in the Gatineau Hills. The Harrington Lake home needs new windows and doors, heating, cooling, and security upgrades as well as masonry work, according to the supplementary budget estimates recently tabled in the House of Commons. The starting date for […]
NDP planning historic, secret vote in House to keep private member’s bill from sinking
NDP MP Sheila Malcolmson is looking to dust off a never-before-used parliamentary manoeuvre in an effort to keep her private member’s bill on abandoned vessels from fading into legislative oblivion. Ms. Malcolmson (Nanaimo-Ladysmith, B.C.) plans to become the first MP in Canadian history to trigger a vote by secret ballot in the House over an […]
National security oversight committee seeking $4.5M to get off the ground
The new government department-style entity being created to support a group of Parliamentarians charged with overseeing the country’s national security and intelligence operations is expected to cost about $4.5-million this fiscal year, with the Privy Council Office taking on half of the start-up costs. The Privy Council Office is requesting an additional $2.2-million in funding […]
Public service pay a ‘significant’ chunk of new spending ask: Brison
More than one-third of the $4.88-billion Parliament will need to approve in its updated budget is connected to public-service employee costs, including new hires and paying up under collective agreements. That amount is larger than normal, Treasury Board President Scott Brison told a House committee Nov. 9, because it accounts for the fact 90 per […]
‘Highly problematic’ court decision could affect union access to workplaces: PSAC
The Public Service Alliance of Canada is considering taking a case to the Supreme Court, after what it calls a “highly problematic” ruling by a lower court that will threaten union access to workplaces and have “far-reaching” consequences for unions across the country. In October, the Federal Court of Appeal quashed a 2016 decision by the […]
Access to information bill ‘beyond redemption,’ Tories say, as committee wraps C-58 study
Treasury Board President Scott Brison has said he’s open to a few amendments to his access to information reform bill, but opposition members from the committee studying the legislation said it would need a complete overhaul to gain their support. On Nov. 6, Conservative ethics critic Peter Kent (Thornhill, Ont.) said his party wasn’t proposing […]
Liberal political financing bill moves ahead, after opposition amendments voted down
The Liberal government’s political financing bill, C-50, is moving ahead, having passed the committee stage with only technical amendments made, but Conservatives remain steadfast in opposition, calling the proposed changes “window dressing.” “There was a practice which Canadians didn’t approve of, it didn’t pass the sniff test, and created a very significant public backlash, and […]
