Senate administration’s efforts on diversity should be applauded
The Senate has come a long way since the early 2000s. Back then, Conservative Senator Donald Oliver charged that the Senate’s administration—and the public service, in general—was rife with systemic racism. “The Senate’s lack of diversity is so glaring and so problematic to the future of our institution that it heightens the desire of many […]
Improve, then use, name-blind recruitment to boost Senate staff diversity: committee
A name-blind recruitment project could help improve Senate staff diversity, but only if done properly, according to the head of a Senate group studying employment equity in the Upper Chamber’s administration. In a report tabled June 21 with the Senate’s Internal Economy, Budgets, and Administration Committee—a powerful group of Senators that handles the Chamber’s legal […]
Amidst chaos, G7 Summit unleashed a quiet, yet powerful force
Families ripped apart, children detained: these tragic images are flooding our timelines and televisions. Halfway around the world, a boat of migrants travelling from Libya is turned away by Italy. One after the other, more boatloads of people in search of safety are left lingering on the open seas, in limbo and unsure if or […]
If gender equality is so important, why don’t Canadians give female premiers a second term?
If gender equality is so important to Canadians, why do we not allow female premiers a second term? Many argue that, historically, parties in decline and doomed to electoral defeat elect a female leader to clean up their mess. When the mess gets tidied enough for a possible electoral win, they replace the female with […]
More than 95 per cent of MPs finish anti-harassment training, all Senators to start in fall
The Senate is set to follow in the House of Commons’ footsteps and make it mandatory for all Senators and staff to take in-person anti-harassment training. Beginning in the fall, the new practice comes on the recommendation of a Senate Internal Economy, Budgets, and Administration Committee subgroup tasked with reviewing the Upper Chamber’s harassment policy, […]
This just in: lobbying czar Bélanger tables her first annual lobbying report
Lobbying Commissioner Nancy Bélanger tabled her first annual lobbying report on June 7, making a bid for the government to provide more money for office technology upgrades. Ms. Bélanger’s report for 2017-18 says an increase in funds is “required to ensure the [lobbyists’ registry] remains current and up to date with rapidly evolving IT standards.” The […]
Famous 5 Ottawa speech: Celebrating New Zealand’s first female prime minister
Good evening, everyone. My name is Julia, and I am thrilled to be here today. I work at Global Affairs Canada, an organization with many international mandates, including political, trade, consular, and international assistance. I focus my efforts on international assistance, where we try to do things like eradicate poverty and support the empowerment of […]
Ontario now ranks first in Canada for representation of women
During elections where the losses are as big as the wins, it’s easy to miss the obvious. This may be especially true in Ontario where, in this past Thursday’s election, the distinct desire for change was an overriding preoccupation. This intense thirst for change overrode multiple and conflicting concerns, including the relative inexperience and polarizing […]
Diplomatic purge hurts the U.S. more than Trump’s Twitter diplomacy, says Farrow
Diplomacy in the U.S. may have been eroding for decades, but under the Trump administration, the purge of career diplomats has accelerated, undercutting the country’s credibility with its allies, says journalist Ronan Farrow, author of the recently released War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence, who was speaking at […]
Senate committee reviewing harassment policy hearing from staff, Senators in private
Senators and their staffers are able to air their harassment-related grievances behind closed doors over the next month, as a group tasked with overhauling the Upper Chamber’s harassment policy finally gets into gear. A subgroup of the Senate’s Internal Economy, Budgets, and Administration Committee has scheduled four meetings between May 29 and June 19 to […]
