Back-to-workplace plans still in flux say public service union leaders, as PSAC files mandatory vaccination policy grievances
With yet another wave of COVID-19 coming down on Canadians, return-to-workplace plans for thousands of federal public service workers continue to stall, as the Treasury Board reviews policies around telework, as well as the government’s mandatory vaccination order for federal employees. Union leaders say the majority of employees are continuing to work from home. And […]
Conservatives to finalize nomination rules for unheld ridings after consulting the new leader, says party president Batherson
The Conservatives have set their nomination rules for incumbent MPs for the next election, but will finalize the rules for unheld ridings once the new leader is elected, says Conservative Party president Rob Batherson. “As we did in 2020, we want to make sure that we have input from the new leader and their team, […]
‘I’d keep one eye open when it comes to the Liberals,’ says former NDP MP
The confidence-and-supply agreement is a good opportunity for the NDP, the fourth place party in the House, to keep itself relevant nationally but at the same time, it will have to be vigilant to ensure the governing party delivers on the promises they made, says a former NDP MP who ran but lost in the […]
Broadbent says NDP ‘should be worried’ Liberals won’t live up to commitments in upcoming budget, must keep pressure on
In the ramp-up to the upcoming federal budget, the New Democrats have found themselves with more elbow room at the negotiating table this year, thanks to their recent confidence and supply agreement with the governing Liberals. While some of the content of that agreement is expected to emerge by way of tangible commitments in the […]
‘Get cracking’: joint committee reviewing emergency powers should not get ‘bogged down’ debating scope, experts say
More than a month after the government invoked and revoked the Emergencies Act to end the illegal occupation in downtown Ottawa, the special parliamentary committee, created under the same law to offer oversight on the government’s extraordinary powers, is still “wrestling” with the scope of its mandate. But one national security expert is warning the […]
Low-income seniors complain of poor communication, hidden deadlines in GIS repayment rollout
Advocates and legal clinics say they are hearing from “panicked” seniors who have spent hours on the phone with Service Canada trying to register for early access to the government’s one-time payment to make up for clawbacks to federal income supports, only to find out they should have gone to their local MP first, or […]
Chrystia Freeland’s Kyiv calling: Russian invasion of Ukraine personal file for deputy PM
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland invoked one of history’s great orators during a press conference inside the Sir John A. Macdonald Building on Feb. 28, four days after Russia invaded Ukraine, her ancestral homeland. “Dr. Martin Luther King believed that the arc of the moral universe is long, but that it bends towards justice. He […]
Adding Indigenous languages to ballots a step toward reconciliation: Chief Electoral Officer
Enabling the use of Indigenous languages in the federal electoral process is “at the core of reconciliation,” says Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault, but doing so would require sorting out details around which languages to incorporate, where, and how, and would likely mean amending the Canada Elections Act. “The presence of Indigenous languages at the […]
‘Deeply disturbing’ report raises questions about federal interventions supporting Canadian mining companies overseas despite human rights concerns
A new report provides a window into the Harper government’s aggressive support for a Canadian mining company in Guatemala, but MPs and human rights advocates say the current government still improperly prioritizes “economic diplomacy” over its human rights and environmental obligations. NDP MP and international development critic Heather McPherson told The Hill Times that the […]
Medical professionals’ discomfort with digital tech is stumbling block to spread of AI in health care, say experts
Medical professionals’ lack of comfort with new digital technologies is a major challenge that will need to be overcome as Health Canada develops the regulatory framework to support the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical devices, according to experts. “In medicine, there’s a huge divide between the IT side of the organization and the […]
