Feds’ digital transformation agenda faces critical risks, Shared Services warns in ministerial briefing
Competing priorities and a lack of financial incentives for various government departments to modernize are key hurdles facing the government’s digital services arm, a ministerial briefing package outlines.
Changes to rules for ‘national security’ contracts bypass competition and raise concerns of potential abuse, say procurement watchers
Loosening rules around the use of the National Security Exception may speed up defence procurement, but it could have trade-offs when it comes to accountability, say experts.
Our bilingual character is threatened, but by whom?
Proposed changes to procuring official language interpretation services would reduce their quality and availability on Parliament Hill.
Reliance on IT contractors exposes feds to risk of foreign interference, experts say, as RCMP warns against North Korean infiltration
‘The point is, you have got to know who’s doing the work, and you got to know who you’re paying. It’s not splitting an atom; it’s basic due diligence,’ says the Centre for International Governance Innovation’s Aaron Shull.
‘We don’t have a choice here’: SecState for defence procurement Fuhr pledges to move ‘quicker,’ take more risks
‘We’re going to build out the Canadian defence industrial complex at a speed and magnitude we just haven’t done before,’ Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Stephen Fuhr told defence industry leaders on Aug. 8.
Feds spent at least $1.7-billion on defence contracts in the first half of 2025, about 16 per cent of which went to U.S. companies: data
U.S.-based companies received more than $68.6-million in DND contracts between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2025, which is a 24-per-cent increase over the same period the previous year.
Feds need to ‘rethink’ industrial benefits policy and refocus on defence capabilities, say former senior officials: it ‘needs to evolve’
Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada needs ‘to go back to basics and make sure it’s using the policy to build defence capabilities in Canada,’ says former senior public servant Clem Srour.
Infrastructure Minister Robertson says he asked the Canada Infrastructure Bank to cancel $1-billion loan for Chinese-made ships, but deal had been inked in March
Though Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson said he had asked the bank to reverse course on its decision, Canada Infrastructure Bank CEO Ehren Corey said cancelling the loan was not discussed in their conversations. The House Transport Committee now wants all the documents on this file.
PSPC sparks backlash as it eyes shift to ‘lowest-bid’ approach to Hill freelance interpretation assignments
The International Association of Conference Interpreters Canada wants to see PSPC’s proposed changes put ‘on ice until we have an opportunity to talk and sort this out,’ says spokesperson Nicole Gagnon.
Ranking the best and worst federal departments, by public service survey results
Global Affairs Canada has nearly the most disenchanted, disconnected, and disengaged workforce of our whole federal public service, according to the latest employee survey.
