Bank of Canada should be folded into Treasury Board: Kazdan
Re: “Bank of Canada bonuses skyrocket, senior officers rewarded for work on new three-year plan,” (The Hill Times, Aug. 8, p. 1, by Derek Abma). The Bank of Canada makes most of its profits (averaging $1.7-billion annually) from interest earned on the purchase of government bonds and treasury bills. Where does the money come from […]
Despite problem-plagued email, pay system, Liberals push ahead on government-wide HR amalgamation
Although the government’s email migration to @canada.ca is more than a year behind schedule with no resolution in sight, and the centralization of federal pay to the Phoenix system has left thousands in precarious financial situations, the government is pushing ahead with plans to take on an all-of-government amalgamation of human resources, financial, and information […]
HR department still suspending policy requiring long-term contract workers to become permanent
At least one government department is continuing to opt out of a federal policy requiring contract (or term) workers to become permanent employees after three consecutive years of work, despite the apparent end of Harper-era cost-cutting initiatives. A spokesperson for Employment and Social Development Canada confirmed that the department doesn’t “automatically make term employees permanent,” hinting at a […]
Liberal MP’s private member’s bill will test backbenchers’ willingness to exercise free votes
Government backbenchers’ ability to exercise their independence by voting against the party line could soon face its first real test this fall when the House returns. The government has come out strongly against Liberal MP Peter Fragiskatos’ (London North Centre, Ont.) private member’s bill, which seeks to create a Criminal Code offence for inflicting torture […]
‘I’d like to see it fixed tomorrow,’ Foote vows to solve problem-plagued Phoenix payroll system, still can’t say when
The federal minister responsible for the government’s new and problem-plagued Phoenix payroll system, which has affected the pay for 82,000 public servants, says she wants the massive problem fixed as soon as possible, but still has no idea when that will happen, and the government’s largest public service union wants the government to use the old […]
U.S. deeply divided by race
OTTAWA—The United States is a country deeply divided by race. A compelling wordsmith, Barack Obama spoke from the heart in Dallas last week, with a sobering reflection on the state of race relations within his country. Even his emotion-wracked appeal did not lower the temperature. After 11 separate murder massacres during the Obama term, the […]
Former Conservative cabinet minister could be first opposition MP to pass private member’s bill this session
Conservative MP Rob Nicholson, a former Harper-era cabinet minister, is primed to be the first opposition MP to have a private member’s bill pass this Parliament. Bill C-233 will create a national strategy for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, however, Mr. Nicholson voted against a similar bill in the last Parliament. His colleague Conservative MP Steven Blaney (Bellechasse-Les Etchemins-Lévis, […]
Senators want to pass Bélanger’s gender neutral national anthem bill this fall
Senators say they are confident Canadians will soon be singing the new gender-neutral version of O Canada proposed in Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger’s private member’s bill, C-210, which is currently before the Red Chamber and could become law this fall. Officially known as An Act to amend the National Anthem Act (gender), it will change two […]
Shared Services Canada’s email migration still on hold, eight months later
Eight months after the migration of government email systems by Shared Services Canada was put on hold, 90 per cent of federal employees’ inboxes remain untouched. According to emails obtained by The Hill Times, the ongoing decision not to restart migrations is due to “missing critical functionality” that Bell Canada and CGI Information Systems—the companies contracted […]
Transparency should start before decisions are made
The Liberals and Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion have found themselves in trouble over a lack of transparency in three foreign policy decisions: weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and Thailand, and a “Joint Action Plan” with Gulf allies. This is in contrast to early pronouncements by the Liberals that openness was going to be a hallmark of […]
