The not-so-great reformer: PM Trudeau tone deaf and disconnected in handling of SNC-Lavalin kerfuffle
OTTAWA—To state the Liberal government is chasing its tail in figuring out how to respond to Jody Wilson-Raybould’s masterful performance at the Justice Committee would be understating it. The Trudeau Liberals have a tough job to do if they hope to lighten the impact of the former attorney general’s admission of feeling sustained pressure to […]
PSPC set to award contracts to speed up Phoenix pay processing, says Linklater, as unions protest third anniversary
Later this month, the department overseeing the fix of the government’s Phoenix pay system will award two contracts to companies in the hopes of speeding up the processing of public servants’ problem pay. Public Services and Procurement Canada associate deputy minister Les Linklater, who is in charge of fixing the pay system, told the House […]
Security boosts rankle some Senators as they adapt to new building
The new Senate of Canada Building may be an “architectural gem,” but there were still a few lumps of coal to be sifted out last week as Senators returned from their winter break to the Upper Chamber’s new temporary home. Senators came back Feb. 19 for their first sitting in the new Chamber in the […]
Nearly two-thirds of public servants have unresolved pay issues three years after Phoenix launched, survey shows
More than half of the public servants who experience harassment at work and choose to do nothing about it say they don’t file a formal complaint because they feel it wouldn’t matter, according to the results of the latest government-commissioned survey of federal employees. Meanwhile, 65 per cent of survey respondents say they have not yet […]
Criminal charges raises spectre of SNC-Lavalin takeover, but feds’ $180-billion infrastructure plan can find other builders, experts say
If SNC-Lavalin is found guilty of corruption and fraud charges, it could mean a closing nail in the coffin for the Quebec-based company’s chances of preventing a takeover—something that could infuriate many in the province and provoke a government intervention, experts say. A competitive marketplace for federal construction contracts means the company’s potential exclusion from […]
We can do more to make Canada more accessible, inclusive
“The decency of a society is measured by how it cares for its least powerful members,” wrote Rabbi Harold Kushner. These words ring especially true when it comes to people with disabilities. While policy-makers have achieved progress in making Canada more accessible and inclusive, significant deficiencies remain. Last week, in an effort to address some […]
New book for early-career civil servants meant to demystify how government works
Not sure what the bureaucracy’s hierarchy is? Never heard of a policy cycle? Not sure what you need to emphasize in your public-sector job application? Memorial University political science professor Alex Marland has a book for you. Teaming up with University of Alberta political science professor Jared Wesley, the two are trying to make sense […]
PSAC threatens strike ‘practice run’ to pressure Trudeau on wage boost
The largest federal public sector union is considering holding a large demonstration to amp up the pressure on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to give his negotiators the ability to offer a larger wage boost to 90,000 of its members. Public Service Alliance of Canada national president Chris Aylward said he’s not afraid of calling a strike, […]
MPs remember six ‘victims of hate’ murdered in Québec City mosque attack
Two years ago, six Muslim men were murdered during prayers at the Centre culturel islamique de Québec. Last week, MPs of all political stripes came together to honour their memory. “Ibrahima Barry, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Aboubaker Thabti, Abdelkrim Hassane, and Azzedine Soufiane were all killed. A father, a son, a brother, a husband, […]
‘I need your help:’ Qualtrough pleads for cabinet co-operation to boost Phoenix fix
The fact that Public Services and Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough is only now telling her colleagues to step up their game when it comes to the accuracy and timeliness of human resources data getting put into the Phoenix pay system has both opposition MPs and the head of the largest federal public sector union questioning the Liberals’ […]
