Wernick planning to stick around PCO for a while, push on for ‘nimbleness and agility’ in PS
Privy Council Clerk Michael Wernick says he’s in no rush to help establish a process for picking his successor since he doesn’t expect to be leaving the job any time soon. In January, Mr. Wernick was announced as the new clerk in a press release from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.), which highlighted, as […]
Natural change occurring in ‘Ottawa ecosystem,’ as PM shuffles DMs
Recent changes to the top ranks of the federal public service represent a natural evolution of government operations and are not surprising given the recent election of a new Liberal government and the age of many senior public servants. In two separate announcements this month, the Prime Minister’s Office outlined changes to 11 different senior […]
Figures from Privy Council Clerk’s 2015 report on public service
Number of federal employees in 2014: 257,138, down from 262,817 in 2013 Proportion of federal workers in permanent positions in 2014: 86.6%, down from 87.6% in 2013 Proportion of federal workers in term positions in 2014: 8.3%, up from 8.1% in 2013 Proportion of federal workers in casual positions in 2014: 3.1%, […]
Short-term work assignments stymie federal public service renewal: union leaders
Union leaders are calling on the federal government to provide younger employees with clearer paths to long-term careers as a way of making the public service a more attractive place to work for millennials. As government officials, such as Treasury Board President Scott Brison (Kings-Hants, N.S.), wrestle with the problem of large cohorts of public […]
Meet Prime Minister Trudeau’s ‘results and delivery’ guy, PCO role inspired by Ontario
Big changes, as of late, in the Privy Council Office don’t stop at the surprise replacement last month of Janice Charette in the clerk’s job by Michael Wernick. A key appointment just slightly down on the hierarchy scale promises to have a profound effect on how government operates. On Jan. 11, Matthew Mendelsohn started his […]
PCO shakeup leaves some government experts wondering
The timing of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s sudden replacement this month of the government’s top public servant seemed like an odd move to some, even those who support what appears to be a move to create a formalized process for appointing Privy Council clerks. On Jan. 22, the Prime Minister’s Office sent a press release […]
Barber briefs Liberals on how to implement ambitious government agenda
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has an ambitious agenda ahead, but it got a run-down from world-renowned management consultancy expert Sir Michael Barber on how to run a government and how to deliver on its promises at its recent Cabinet retreat in St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, N.B., his ‘deliverology philosophy.’ Michael Fullan, a former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty adviser […]
Politics This Morning: Canadians reject negative politics, says Trudeau
Canadians are diverse, resilient and confident and they “reject negative and divisive politics and policies,” says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. At a keynote speech at the World Economic Forum, Mr. Trudeau said that Canada is known for its natural resources, but should also be known for its resourcefulness. “Our natural resources are important, and they […]
