Procurement ombudsman raises issues about independence, government indifference
The head of the office responsible for mediating disputes between the federal government and suppliers says greater independence would help alleviate concerns about potential departmental interference. Acting procurement ombudsman Lorenzo Ieraci told The Hill Times that it is “difficult” for the office he oversees to be perceived as wholly independent when it is legally part […]
PSAC levels masterful blow to feds over Phoenix pay system
ST. JOHN’S, N.L.—A strange thing happened last week at home in Newfoundland and Labrador. No, it wasn’t Mark Critch going all shirtless with Justin Trudeau, or Danny Williams professing his unrequited love for Stephen Harper. It was something potentially more politically potent. While in St. John’s doing my summer stint of guest hosting on Voice […]
Portrait-gallery plan popular as government consults on fate of old U.S. embassy
A consensus seems to be building around the idea of resurrecting a plan to turn the old U.S. embassy at 100 Wellington St. in Ottawa into a national portrait gallery. “The portrait gallery was a very good plan, Canada needs a national portrait gallery,” said David Jeane, president of Heritage Ottawa. “Canada has a huge collection of […]
Trudeau will be second prime minister to have office in West Block, big move in 2018
When Centre Block is emptied in the summer of 2018 for renovations and all its occupants move into the West Block, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will get some office space in the building’s Mackenzie Tower, marking only the second time in history a prime minister has had an office in that building, The Hill Times has learned. The […]
Feds want your input on old U.S. Embassy building, 18 years later
Better late than never, they say. After sitting vacant since 1998, the new federal Liberal government is getting around to finding a use for the old U.S. Embassy at 100 Wellington St. in Ottawa, directly across the street from the Parliament Buildings. The Beaux-Arts building, built in 1932, is a three-storey Indiana limestone with hardwood […]
Despite problem-plagued email, pay system, Liberals push ahead on government-wide HR amalgamation
Although the government’s email migration to @canada.ca is more than a year behind schedule with no resolution in sight, and the centralization of federal pay to the Phoenix system has left thousands in precarious financial situations, the government is pushing ahead with plans to take on an all-of-government amalgamation of human resources, financial, and information […]
Unions criticize Foote’s performance throughout Phoenix fiasco, claim she’s ‘disingenuous’ on what she knew
The two biggest federal public service unions say Public Services Minister Judy Foote has been inaccessible throughout the Phoenix fiasco pay system and that she’s being “disingenuous” about how much she knew about the issues facing the payroll program that has affected more than 80,000 public servants. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Professional […]
HR department still suspending policy requiring long-term contract workers to become permanent
At least one government department is continuing to opt out of a federal policy requiring contract (or term) workers to become permanent employees after three consecutive years of work, despite the apparent end of Harper-era cost-cutting initiatives. A spokesperson for Employment and Social Development Canada confirmed that the department doesn’t “automatically make term employees permanent,” hinting at a […]
MPs report no personal paycheque problems under Phoenix, but some Hill staffers do
No MPs have reported paycheque problems under the new problem-plagued Phoenix system which has left more than 80,000 federal public servants with pay issues six months after it was rolled out. Some MPs were even unaware their paycheques are now administered through the Phoenix pay system, while at least two MPs—Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands, Ont.), and NDP […]
Phoenix fiasco is still one hot mess
It’s another week and there is still no solution to what’s now being called the “Phoenix fiasco,” the federal government’s new computerized and problem-plagued payroll system which has affected the pay of 82,000 federal public servants. Public Services Minister Judy Foote, who said she wants to fix the massive problem as soon as possible, was in Ottawa […]
