Opposition claims government looking to cut Friday sittings
During a rare review of the House of Commons’ rules Thursday, opposition MPs accused the Liberal government of trying to duck scrutiny by “floating trial balloons” about ending House of Commons Friday sittings. As MPs spoke during the take-note debate on possible changes to the Standing Orders of the House of Commons, NDP MP Charlie Angus […]
Canada’s official languages are worth protecting, preserving
You get what you pay for. This simple truth lies at the heart of an emerging debate about Canada’s two official languages. At issue is the preservation of our English and French linguistic duality. Members of the Commons Committee on Official Languages are intimately familiar with the tension of cost versus quality. After studying the […]
Liberals do decent media relations, but departments still ‘terribly unresponsive,’ say Hill reporters
Liberal ministers are much more engaged with the news media than their Conservative predecessors, say Hill journalists, but the public service has “not gotten on the transparency bus.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) and his party campaigned on promises to be more open and transparent to the public than the previous Conservative government. The new […]
Committee drops probe into assisted-dying-law leak, Conservative MP ‘disappointed’
Liberal MPs on the Procedure and House Affairs Committee voted last week to end its study of a possible breach of privilege as a result of details on the government’s assisted-dying bill being leaked to media prior to its tabling last year. Conservative MP Blake Richards (Banff-Airdrie, Alta.) said in a pre-prepared press release handed out at […]
‘I’m incredibly disappointed,’ PSAC talks with government end on sour note
Talks between the federal public service’s biggest union and the Treasury Board last week—the first in many months—ended without progress and with a disillusioned union leader. “I am incredibly disappointed with the Liberal government,” Robyn Benson, president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), said in an interview on Friday, Sept. 16. “Their agenda […]
Harper quits just as turn for private member’s business was coming up
Former prime minister Stephen Harper had not spoken in the House of Commons or at committee since last year’s election, so it was not surprising he took the opportunity to resign as an MP last week rather than stick around for the next sitting of Parliament. Yet, if he were to stay on as an MP, […]
MPs using tours, lobbying this summer to gain support for private member’s bills
MPs have been away from the Hill for two months, but the legislative work hasn’t stopped, particularly for those with private member’s bills pending. On top of summer constituency events, and consultations the government has MPs conducting, at least two MPs have found time to fit in regional tours to drum up support for their private […]
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 […]
