Feds drafting new elections law, say House Affairs Committee members
The government is drafting another bill making changes to the Canada Elections Act expected to be tabled as early as this fall, according to members of the House committee tasked with studying changes to the country’s electoral legislation. The Procedure and House Affairs Committee (PROC) began studying former Elections Canada head Marc Mayrand’s 132 recommendations […]
Health Canada, CBSA under ‘wasteful spending’ reviews; Brison overseeing cabinet colleagues’ work
The federal health and public safety ministers are leading special reviews of their own institutions this year, looking for wasteful spending and obsolete programs, while Treasury Board President Scott Brison oversees their work. A Conservative MP on the Government Operations and Estimates Committee compared the arrangement to “having a fox in charge of the henhouse,” […]
Union worried feds could turn back on IT workers post-Phoenix
The head of one of the largest public service unions is warning the government not to contract to an outside company the ongoing maintenance of the problem-plagued Phoenix pay system once it’s working properly. “I have yet to get a commitment, although I will be seeking it firmly, that they will not contract out the […]
MPs preparing to push private members’ bills seek broad support, but wouldn’t mind getting scooped by government
The next round of MPs who get to take a crack at passing private members’ bills are prepping their legislative plans and, in some cases, praying the government acts first. “I’ve tabled my bill and I’m hoping that’s kind of pushing them along. I don’t care if they take all the credit, and they’re the […]
Senators see their public bills as chance to fill gaps in government agenda
PARLIAMENT HILL—Senate public bills provide an opportunity for Parliamentarians to fill legislative holes and tackle important public policy issues not on the government’s agenda, say Senators with public bills before the House of Commons. There are 11 Senate public bills—the equivalent of MPs’ private members’ bills—before the House, and their sponsors say so far this […]
House officer, research caucus spending to go public
House leaders, whips, the Speaker, and other top players in the House of Commons will have to publicly disclose their spending, with the first report due next summer, thanks to changes made by the Board of Internal Economy in a June meeting. The changes were made as part of the board’s “ongoing commitment to transparency […]
Shared Services Canada to begin talks on allowing federal departments to ‘opt out’ from centralized IT service
Shared Services Canada is exploring transferring some responsibilities for federal information technology systems back to individual departments and agencies, in the wake of legislative changes weakening the agency’s monopoly on digital services. Pat Breton, director general of procurement and vendor relations with SSC, said the agency has started reaching out to the 43 federal departments and agencies […]
MPs plan Senate offensive to get private members’ bills through
MPs whose private members’ bills have passed into the Senate say they’re unsure what lies ahead for their legislation in an increasingly independent Senate. While there is hope that a less party-disciplined Senate could make for more open-mindedness to bills, Liberal and Conservative MPs are preparing to boost their lobbying efforts in the Upper Chamber […]
NDP awaits key court decision in satellite-office saga after two days of hearings
Three years in, the NDP’s court battle with the House Board of Internal Economy over orders to repay satellite office and mail-out costs continues, with both sides now awaiting judgment on a motion to dismiss the NDP’s challenge filed by the board’s lawyers. A decision is expected later this summer, after hearings on the motion […]
Meet NDP MP Don Davies, the MP with the most private members’ bills introduced in the House and zero chance of passing one
PARLIAMENT HILL—NDP MP Don Davies has so far tabled 16 private members’ bills in this Parliament, the most of any MP in the House. It’s a title he’s defending from the last Parliament too, but right now he has about zero chance of advancing any one of them in this Parliament. And that’s just fine […]
