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’ […]
PSAC concerned about plan to privatize heating plants serving the Hill, 80-plus federal buildings in National Capital Region
The Public Service Alliance of Canada is pressuring the government to drop its plan to contract out work on five heating plants that serve more than 80 buildings in the National Capital Region, saying that the proposed public-private partnership compromises health and safety, promotes precarious work, and could cause environmental issues. About 30 union members […]
Preserve Centre Block as ‘cathedral of democracy,’ say MPs, with some modern tweaks
When British Columbia MP Mark Strahl returns to Centre Block at least a decade from now, he hopes it will be like coming home—that he can walk in and say “they haven’t changed a thing.” Whether the Conservative Member of Parliament for Chilliwack-Hope is still representing his riding or returning as a visitor to the […]
Feds hit the road to seek user feedback for Phoenix replacement
The team behind the replacement for the troubled Phoenix pay system is kicking off a round of informal consultations with public servants across the country in an effort to learn what features the bureaucracy wants in a new human resources and pay system. The Next Generation pay system team, or NextGen for short, is starting […]
Fighter jet fiasco best example of procurement system that’s cumbersome, bureaucratic, and beset by political interference
Canada was a founding member of the Joint Strike Fighter program—the U.S.-led consortium with Lockheed Martin to develop the F-35 fighter jet—back in 1997. The government of Australia joined the program five years later. On Dec. 10, 2018, two F-35s arrived at the Royal Australian Air Force’s Williamstown base. They go along with eight other […]
Canada has the worst military procurement system in the Western World
Canada has experienced a disappointing history with defence procurements, dating as far back as Confederation (and even before). Canadians may be inclined to take comfort that, while their country’s defence procurement history has been such a disappointment, it is unremarkable when compared to other western countries. However, a closer of examination of the history shows […]
Unions praise Brison, optimistic about ‘results-oriented’ Philpott heading Treasury Board
Newly minted Treasury Board President Jane Philpott will have big shoes to fill following Scott Brison’s tenure, say public service observers, but they seem confident she is up to the task. Ms. Philpott (Markham-Stouffville, Ont.) was named to the job in a cabinet shuffle Jan. 14, following Mr. Brison’s (Kings-Hants, N.S.) resignation from cabinet and […]
Vice-Admiral Norman’s case takes another revealing turn
OTTAWA—Last month, a witness at the pre-trial hearing of Vice-Admiral Mark Norman dropped a bombshell when he told the court that senior Department of National Defence officials had deliberately omitted Vice-Admiral Norman’s name from key documents in order to avoid a paper trail. This testimony certainly supports the assertion of Vice-Admiral Norman’s legal team, headed […]
