Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press

The Canada Revenue Agency has offered contract extensions to around 850 call centre employees as their union sounds the alarm over staffing levels. 

CRA spokesperson Etienne Biram says the workers, whose contracts were set to expire in September, were contacted about the decision last week.

The federal union representing workers at the tax agency recently launched an online campaign denouncing staffing cuts. 

Employees at the Canada Border Services Agency and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service are the least likely to recommend their office as a great place to work, a survey of federal public servants suggests.

The 2024 Public Service Employee Survey asked federal government employees a range of questions about their satisfaction with their workplace, including about their leadership, well-being and compensation.

One question asked public servants if they would recommend their department or agency as a "great place to work."

When Prime Minister Jean Chrétien got hit in the face with a pie 25 years ago, the only thing hurt was his pride.

A quarter-century later, Canada's security landscape has changed radically. Threats of violence against politicians have become far more common. What seemed like a harmless prank then looks more like a warning now.

"There is this view that you're a politician, it's all fair game," said Catherine McKenna — who was herself the target of multiple threats of violence while she served as a federal minister.

National galleries and museums across the country have seen a 15 per cent increase in attendance so far this summer, after the federal government introduced free or discounted admission through the new Canada Strong Pass.

The Canada Strong Pass, which took effect on June 20 and is available until Sept. 2, offers free national museum admission to children 17 and under, and a 50 per cent discount for those aged 18 to 24.

The pass also offers free admission to national parks and sites maintained by Parks Canada.

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.

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."

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.

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."

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.

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.