Privy Council Office’s new delivery unit increases capacity for centralized control, say experts
The Privy Council Office’s Results and Delivery Unit, created by the new Trudeau Liberal government, has increased the capacity for more centralized control over government, say experts. But while there are early positive signs it will be used to strengthen cabinet, it remains to be seen what the effect will be in practice in the years […]
Resist temptation to tighten control, limit openness
The Liberal party’s weekend convention in Winnipeg was meant to be a victory lap for the party that came from third-party status to a majority government after last fall’s election. And it was. But reporters there also ran with another narrative: dissent within the ranks, and a desire to close off policy discussions from reporters, […]
Government’s non-partisan ad and communications policy met by cries of partisanship, confusion
The federal government’s new policy on partisan-free advertising and communications unveiled last Thursday, which is intended to provide “clearer and simplified guidance to officials on the conduct of government communications activities,” resulted in miscommunication and confusion within 24 hours of its release. Though the policy is intended to prevent partisan government advertising, it’s not clear […]
Smoke and mirrors: phase one of the feds’ glib transparency moves
Treasury Board President Scott Brison on May 5 brought his government’s first-stage claims to move transparency forward to the House of Commons Access to Information Committee. With expectations high, those heralded benefits need closer scrutiny beyond the initial favourable headlines. Fee reduction: The news headlines highlighted that the Trudeau government would reduce access-to-information request fees. […]
‘Too early to tell’ if Liberals’ positive tone will last: Info czar
There has been a “change in tone” from the top, and a “very positive one,” when it comes to access to information, says Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault. “This is somewhat of a honeymoon period,” the federal watchdog told The Hill Times in an April 27 interview. “We will have to see whether the sunny ways […]
Feds still haven’t moved on opening up secretive Commons Board of Internal Economy
The Liberal government committed to opening up meetings of the powerful and secretive House of Commons Board of Internal Economy during the 2015 campaign, but six months into its mandate, there’s still no word on when or how this will happen. The latest minutes released from the House management board are from a Dec. 10, 2015 meeting. […]
Improving public service IT systems remains a ‘significant challenge’: Brison
Testifying at the House Government Operations and Estimates Committee, Treasury Board President Scott Brison declared that he wants the government “to become better as a procurer of enterprise-wide solutions.” He was speaking specifically to a question raised about the current rollout of the Public Services and Procurement department’s new consolidated pay system called Phoenix, which […]
‘This bill will save lives’: Liberal MP McKinnon on his bill up for debate tomorrow
Liberal MP Ron McKinnon says his private members bill, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, will save lives. He is optimistic about the support he’s drummed up on both sides of the house ahead of the bill’s first day of debate in the House on Wednesday. The Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam, B.C. MPs bill, Bill C-224, formally […]
Liberals have in some respects ‘lost ground on fiscal transparency,’ says former PBO Page
Former parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page says, in some respects, the new Liberal government has backtracked on fiscal transparency in its 2016 budget. Mr. Page said, when looking at certain aspects highlighted by the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer—such as a large adjustment to private-sector economists’ forecasts, cost projections for two years rather than […]
Doctor-assisted dying bill a ‘minimalist response’ to Supreme Court ruling, designed to pass: Ogilvie
The new medical-assistance-in-dying bill introduced by the government last week is a “minimalist response,” designed to pass with reduced objection, says Conservative Sen. Kelvin Kenneth Ogilvie, co-chair of the special Joint House and Senate Committee on Physician-Assisted Dying. He told The Hill Times the law, as it’s been introduced, will be challenged in the courts, and […]
