PIPSC members demand answers after VP suddenly resigns, drops harassment claim against union leaders
Members of the second-largest federal public service union are demanding transparency and accountability after they allege two top officials secretly settled a harassment lawsuit against them filed by another executive, leading her to resign and drop her re-election bid. While Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada president Debi Daviau and vice-president Steve Hindle […]
Public service hiring stats useful to show imbalances
Re: “#DMsSoWhite: so few visible-minority senior public servants, feds won’t release stats,” (The Hill Times, Aug. 15, p. 1). Perhaps the focus on the lack of visible minorities in the senior management of the federal public service is unfortunately balanced in the lower ranks. Then-Treasury Board president Lucienne Robillard said in 2002 that “recruitment practices are based on the fundamental values […]
When you write a minister, a machine shouldn’t reply
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—In old Geneva, there is a lovely restaurant serving traditional Swiss meals, with an ambience that lends itself to fondue and raclette: wooden chairs, plaster walls and beamed ceilings. Outside, in a pride of place by the door is a letter, bronzed for perpetuity, from former United States president Bill Clinton, thanking the proprietors […]
#DMsSoWhite: so few visible-minority senior public servants, feds won’t release stats
Fewer than 10 of 84 top-level public servants identify as visible minorities: so few that the federal government won’t pinpoint exactly how many there are. That means fewer than 12 per cent of top federal managers say they are people of colour. By comparison, that’s less than the 14.5 per cent of bureaucrats as a whole who […]
West Block will be House Chamber’s home for at least 10 years, but part of new glass roof only warrantied for five years
The House Chamber moves into the West Block’s courtyard in 2019, where it will remain for at least a decade, enclosed by a new glass roof specifically designed for the space—but the motorized system to control light installed in the glass roof only comes with a five-year warranty. Project planning documents, obtained by Ottawa researcher […]
Number of top-level public servants rising under Trudeau
The number of top-level federal public servants has gone up by more than 15 per cent in the last decade, with the sharpest increase in the last couple years under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, according to the Privy Council Office. In July 2008, there were 72 positions classified at the level of deputy minister or associate […]
Trade, agriculture, innovation bureaucrats are most lobbied
The country’s most-lobbied federal bureaucrats so far this year have their hands on trade, agriculture, and innovation files, according to statistics from the federal lobbyists’ registry, with top officials at Trade, Environment Canada, and Innovation, Science, and Economic Development the most in demand. With NAFTA negotiations underway, lobbyists say it’s no surprise that Frédéric Seppey, the […]
New science policy a good first step, but scientists not fully off leash
On Monday, the Liberals rolled out a new policy, which, on its surface, aims to loosen the tongues of federal scientists, who complained of being “muzzled” under the previous Conservative government. And it wasn’t just sour grapes, either. The previous federal information commissioner, Suzanne Legault, said earlier this year that following an investigation stemming from […]
Senate report on Phoenix ‘failure’ calls for strong public oversight of feds’ spending, future payroll plans
The Senate Finance Committee is calling for Parliament to have a keen eye on what the federal government is doing to stabilize the “failed” Phoenix pay system and how it will move away from the platform going ahead. Published July 31, the Senate’s report on the Phoenix pay system is the latest study in recent […]
Centre Block occupants prepare for summer clear-out
Plans are underway for those who call Centre Block their second home to start the long goodbye. As part of the phased-move approach that will eventually see the iconic Parliament Hill landmark shut down for a decade or more, Parliamentarians with offices in Centre Block are preparing to move into new accommodations this summer. Last […]
