Number of federal public service jobs could drop by almost 60,000, report predicts
A new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says the federal public service could shed almost 60,000 jobs over the next four years as Ottawa looks to cut costs.
Earlier this month, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne sent letters to multiple ministers asking them to identify cuts to program spending at their departments of 15 per cent by 2028-29.
The report, written by Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives senior economist David Macdonald, says the federal public service could lose up to 57,000 employees by 2028.
Canada should follow U.K.'s move to lower voting age to 16, says senator
Now that the British government has vowed to lower its voting age to 16 by the next general election, one Canadian senator says it's past time for Canada to do the same.
The U.K. announced last week that it would lower its voting age from 18 to 16 in a bid to strengthen British democracy and restore trust in politics.
Sen. Marilou McPhedran said the issue has been her "top parliamentary priority" since she joined the Red Chamber. She said lowering the voting age to 16 would be good for democracy and that the only arguments against it are "based on stereotypes."
Fewer federal bureaucrats express confidence in their bosses, survey suggests
Confidence federal public servants have in their senior managers has fallen in recent years, a new survey suggests.
The 2024 Public Service Employee Survey said 55 per cent of public servants have confidence in senior management at their department or agency, down from 64 per cent in 2022 and 68 per cent in 2020.
Almost two-thirds of respondents in the new survey said senior managers in their department or agency model ethical behaviour.
Carney guided the G7 through the 'diplomatic Rockies,' says expert
Prime Minister Mark Carney pulled off a successful performance hosting the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alta., say some world leaders and foreign policy experts commenting on his perceived pragmatism and savviness.
Fen Osler Hampson, international affairs professor at Carleton University, said Carney guided the G7 "through the diplomatic Rockies," navigating "shifting weather" on the global front and avoiding "avalanches and treacherous cliffs."
Highlights from the G7 meeting in Kananaskis
Canada is hosting the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alta.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has two days of meetings scheduled with world leaders, with discussion topics likely to include trade, the war in Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East.
Here are some highlights from the first day of the summit.
The countdown to a U.S.-Canada trade deal is on
Prime Minister Mark Carney's office says U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to have a deal on a new economic and security relationship between Canada and the U.S. by mid-July.
PM Carney says he has no plans to tackle 24 Sussex question during his mandate
Almost a decade after 24 Sussex Drive was abandoned as the official residence of the Canadian prime minister, taxpayers are still shelling out tens of thousands of dollars a year to maintain the vacant property, and the new prime minister has signalled he's in no rush to deal with the crumbling building.
Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters in May that it's up to the National Capital Commission to decide what to do with 24 Sussex.
Public service shrinks by nearly 10,000, with tax, immigration hit the hardest
The federal public service shed almost 10,000 people last year, with the Canada Revenue Agency and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada losing the most employees.
The last time the public service contracted was in 2015, when the number of people employed dropped just slightly from 257,138 to 257,034.
The number of public servants employed by the federal government fell from 367,772 to 357,965 over the last year.
Federal union restarting contract talks for more than 120,000 public servants
Two years ago, more than 120,000 federal public servants went on strike after negotiations broke down.
Now, the union representing those workers is going back to the bargaining table with the government with the goal of securing greater job security and remote work options for its members.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada says next week's initial meetings offer its first opportunity to present priorities identified by members, such as better wages, greater job security and stronger provisions for remote work.
Government failed to follow procurement, security rules with ArriveCan contractor
Federal organizations failed to follow procurement and security rules when awarding contracts to the company behind the controversial ArriveCan app, the auditor general said Tuesday.
The report on GCStrategies — one of several audits tabled in the House of Commons on Tuesday — says the company was awarded 106 contracts by 31 federal organizations between 2015 and 2024.
The maximum value of those contracts was more than $90 million but only $65 million was paid out.
Throne speech adopted without a vote in House of Commons
The government's reply to the throne speech was adopted in the House of Commons Wednesday.
It was adopted "on division," meaning no recorded vote was held. It does not need a vote in the Senate.
Leader of the Government in the House of Commons Steven MacKinnon said on social media that the adoption of the speech sets the stage for a "strong and focused agenda."
"We have a clear mandate to deliver on priorities for Canadians and build a strong Canada — and we're going to do just that," MacKinnon said.