Procurement adviser pens book on getting into government’s ‘inner circle’
An Ottawa procurement expert with a checkered past has re-emerged with a consulting business and new book that promises to teach suppliers how to get into the inner circle of government and win contracts. Over 30 years, Brian Card said he’s founded and managed seven companies. The first went bankrupt, the second sold for about […]
‘It’s a nightmare’: MPs push for more help for riding offices flooded with dozens of Phoenix calls
Members of Parliament are growing increasingly frustrated with what some see as a lack of government support to their constituency offices to help residents affected by the error-ridden Phoenix pay system, and the opposition Conservatives say Public Services and Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough has yet to follow through on a commitment to boost resources. When […]
Phoenix just the latest case of the feds trying to fix what’s not broken
OTTAWA—Phoenixed. When a noun becomes a verb, you know it has become ubiquitous and, more than likely, egregious. So it is with the poorly conceived and badly executed Phoenix pay system. What began as a terrible story of a handful of public servants had ballooned to 520,000 cases by November and could be a $600-million […]
‘Common-sense’ demands: unions want Tax Act exemption, more staff to deal with Phoenix
Imagine someone gives you $30, but you only see $20 of it because of extenuating circumstances. Then they want $30 back, leaving you with $10 less than you started with. On a much larger scale this is what public service employees are experiencing as a result of the troubled Phoenix pay system, which has left […]
‘Slower than ideal’: Hill contractors face long delays to pass complex security screens
Employees of private companies that need to pass complex classified screening to work with government face long delays to complete the process, departmental results for the year reveal, which one opposition critic says can impact project costs and job prospects for those looking to do business with the government. Last year only 34 per cent […]
Phoenix backlog up by 70,000 cases, but 54,000 collective agreement cases are priority
A new Phoenix pay system update shows there remain 54,000 open cases related to collective agreements yet to be processed, signalling the lingering backlog will probably continue for several months. There were 335,000 cases beyond normal workload reported as of Nov. 29, meaning a total of 589,000 open cases are waiting to be processed, according to […]
PCO’s innovation unit nudging more women to join the military
Young women are not sure they can successfully complete basic training when they consider a career in the Canadian Armed Forces, and think they are committing for life, says Elizabeth Hardy. But neither of these are true, she said, when in reality nine out of 10 women pass basic training, and many do better than […]
No Phoenix civil suits for public servants, but unions filing loads of grievances
If you’ve wondered why federal public servants have not filed a class-action lawsuit against the government over the problem-plagued Phoenix pay system, it’s because they can’t. Section 236 of the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act, which governs the rules between the federal government and its employees, says unionized workers are not allowed to individually […]
The longer Phoenix pay problems last, the more chance Liberals face election fallout
No matter how much the Liberals would like to blame the previous Conservative government for the mess that is the Phoenix pay system, they’re the ones who will have to wear this albatross around their necks come election time in two years. On Nov. 21, the federal auditor general released a damning report about the […]
New workplace abuse bill must define harassment, include remedies: critics, unions
For the government’s new workplace harassment bill to have the impact the Liberals have said is the goal, union leaders and party critics say they should amend the legislation to define harassment and address repercussions. Bill C-65, introduced on Nov. 7, will strengthen existing provisions in the Canada Labour Code on harassment and sexual harassment […]
