Alarms still ringing: interpreters continue to face challenges in hybrid Parliament, putting limited workforce at risk
With a workforce in short supply, interpreters supporting Parliament continue to face challenges amid virtual proceedings, and unless more is done to address identified issues and prevent a further dwindling of available interpreters, it could lead to a “critical problem” for Canada’s bilingual Parliament, says Canadian Association of Professional Employees national president Greg Phillips. “They’re […]
Treasury Board should get out of the business of faking disclosures
OTTAWA—The Treasury Board thinks and acts like a privileged cabinet committee yet continues to handle federal disclosure policies with a bureaucratic and regressive fist. So putting Treasury Board in charge of future access policy and an access-to-information review that has taken at least two years instead of one was a calculated and cynical strategy. But […]
Feds cited caretaker convention to justify delays even after it wasn’t in ‘strict application’
In the weeks following the Sept. 20 election, the Liberal government cited the caretaker convention as a reason to delay releasing new policies or information, but, as the prime minister confirmed in information tabled in the House, the convention was not in “strict application” after election night due to results showing a Liberal re-election and […]
Centre Block project demolition and excavation work nearly two-thirds complete, MPs hear
While Centre Block may have looked beautiful from the outside, “its facilities were critically outdated and systems were failing,” a senior Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) official told MPs recently, offering up new words to describe the deteriorated and outdated state of the 100-year-old Centre Block building to remind MPs “why we are doing […]
Sajjan’s mandate offers welcome focus on education in Canada’s international development policy
With its December release of new minister mandate letters, the Trudeau government built on the directions and goals previously stated in the November Speech from the Throne by detailing specific directives to each minister on the priorities of their individual portfolios. As expected, as Canada’s newest international development minister, Harjit Sajjan’s priority is to support […]
‘Do no harm’: A recipe for government to help industries out of COVID storm
“Do no harm,” a recognized universal principle in the field of medicine, means that it is better to avoid exposing people to additional risks through action. Viewed from the lens of public policy development, “do no harm” would mean taking a step back from any direct intervention and look to the broader context to mitigate […]
‘We’re still here’: MP Idlout on bringing Inuktitut to the House
This year’s Throne Speech marked the first time a Governor General has substantially addressed Parliament in a language other than French or English, and for Nunavut NDP MP Lori Idlout, hearing Governor General Mary Simon speak Inuktitut from the floor of the Senate Chamber was an “important” and “special” moment. “I sincerely felt included as […]
Green lobby ready to press on, following environment-focused October
Climate change commitments in the recent Throne Speech have set the tone for even more vigorous environmental advocacy in this parliamentary session, following an October in which the environment was the top subject of discussion between government officials and lobbyists in federal communication reports, according to the national policy manager of the David Suzuki Foundation. “’This […]
‘COVID is just purely an excuse’: Advocates call for auditor general review of access to information regime
With government departments still citing COVID-19 as causing delays in processing access to information requests more than 20 months since the onset of the pandemic, those who use the system are asking why the government can operate as usual, but not the regime that gives it transparency. Experts and advocates are calling for Auditor General […]
‘Further, faster’: Throne Speech presents Liberal plan to tackle COVID-19, climate change, and reconciliation
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s plan to rebuild the country post-pandemic focused on delivering programs to deal with rising living costs, and transitioning the economy to be more sustainable and durable in the face of climate change. “This is the moment to grow a more resilient economy. At the same time, the government will also continue […]
