For the latest on contract negotiations, diplomatic appointments and what’s been lost and found at the Canadian Museum of History, here are the latest public service updates you need to know in our bi-weekly roundup.
• Global Affairs Canada announces new diplomatic appointments
• “Parliament: The Immersive Experience” opens to the public
• Prime Minister announces upcoming Cabinet retreat
• Audit finds weaknesses in Canadian Museum of History’s conservation practices
A number of new diplomatic appointments have been announced by the federal government since the beginning of the month. On Aug. 8, Mélanie Joly, minister of foreign affairs, announced the following appointments:
• Jessica Blitt became Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia, replacing Alan Bowman
• Gavin Buchan became Ambassador to Romania, replacing Annick Goulet
• Kathy Bunka became Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq, replacing Gregory Galligan
• Caroline Charette became Consul General in São Paulo (Federative Republic of Brazil), replacing Heather Cameron
• Sandra Choufani became Ambassador to Mongolia, replacing Catherine Ivkoff
• Cheryl Cruz became Ambassador to the Slovak Republic, replacing Troy Lulashnyk
On Aug. 15, Joly announced an additional appointment. Kevin Hamilton became Ambassador to the Republic of Türkiye, replacing Jamal Khokhar.
Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) members working at Parks Canada have voted in favour of ratifying a new tentative agreement, following ratification votes from July 17 to Aug. 4.
The agreement includes compounded wage increases of at least 12.6 per cent over the life of the agreement, from Aug. 5, 2021, to Aug. 4, 2025. It also offers group-specific allowances, protections against contracting out and new remote work language, echoing what was established in Treasury Board and Canada Revenue Agency workers’ agreements earlier this year.
“The agreement addresses many long-standing concerns for Parks members,” PSAC said in a news release, adding that the agreement will be signed in the coming weeks.
Parks Canada has 180 days upon the signing of the contract to implement wage increases, adjustments and allowances. All non-monetary terms will come into effect immediately after signing.
PSAC’s Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) bargaining team has reached a tentative agreement for over 4,000 members working at the government agency.
“The CFIA bargaining team unanimously recommends ratification of the agreement,” PSAC said in a news release.
According to PSAC, a full explanation of the agreement and the ratification kit were to be available in the coming days.
A new visitor attraction with the goal of showcasing Canada’s Parliament opened this Thursday. The 45-minute multimedia show titled “Parliament: The Immersive Experience” opened to the public on Aug. 17, following an announcement from the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Commons on Tuesday.
The free attraction, located at 211 Sparks St. and produced by the Library of Parliament, allows visitors to explore Canada’s history and get an inside look at Centre Block, which is currently undergoing renovations. It includes an immersive show and an exhibit.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced this week that he will hold a three-day cabinet retreat in Prince Edward Island later this month, following the recent cabinet shuffle.
Taking place in Charlottetown from Aug. 21 to 23, the retreat will focus on “making life more affordable, growing the economy, building more housing, improving health care, fighting climate change and more,” according to a press release issued on Monday.
“This summer, we continued to listen to Canadians in their communities across the country about what matters to them,” Trudeau said in the news release. “I hear people loud and clear when they tell me life is getting too expensive, we need more affordable housing, wait times to get the medical care they need are too long, and they’re concerned about the impacts of climate change in their communities — from hurricanes and floods to wildfires. I look forward to working together with our new team to keep making real progress on those issues and build a better future for all Canadians.”
A recent audit completed by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada found “several weaknesses that amounted to a significant deficiency” with the Crown corporation’s conservation and management practices.
According to a news release issued late last week, the Canadian Museum of History’s conservation practices “expose the objects in its collections to various risks.” The corporation, the news release indicated, manages collections with over four million objects at its two museums in the National Capital Region.
“The audit found that more than 800 items were declared as missing through several inventory verifications conducted by the corporation between 2012 and 2022, more than 300 items lacked proper storage, and more than 15,000 items had no source information,” the release indicated. “The corporation did not have any plans to deal with these issues.”
The Canadian Museum of History said in a statement last week that it had recovered five missing significant artifacts – three masks, a pair of moccasins and a backrest – listed in the auditor report.
The audit found that the Canadian Museum of History “reasonably maintained systems and practices to carry out its mandate” and followed good practices in terms of corporate governance, strategic planning and risk management, though opportunities for improvement were identified.
Our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark our homepage and sign up for our newsletters here so we can keep you informed.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
MONTREAL – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will not be taking advice from Pierre Poilievre after the Conservative leader challenged him to bring down government.
“I say directly to Pierre Poilievre: I’m not going to listen to you,” said Singh on Wednesday, accusing Poilievre of wanting to take away dental-care coverage from Canadians, among other things.
“I’m not going to listen to your advice. You want to destroy people’s lives, I want to build up a brighter future.”
Earlier in the day, Poilievre challenged Singh to commit to voting non-confidence in the government, saying his party will force a vote in the House of Commons “at the earliest possibly opportunity.”
“I’m asking Jagmeet Singh and the NDP to commit unequivocally before Monday’s byelections: will they vote non-confidence to bring down the costly coalition and trigger a carbon tax election, or will Jagmeet Singh sell out Canadians again?” Poilievre said.
“It’s put up or shut up time for the NDP.”
While Singh rejected the idea he would ever listen to Poilievre, he did not say how the NDP would vote on a non-confidence motion.
“I’ve said on any vote, we’re going to look at the vote and we’ll make our decision. I’m not going to say our decision ahead of time,” he said.
Singh’s top adviser said on Tuesday the NDP leader is not particularly eager to trigger an election, even as the Conservatives challenge him to do just that.
Anne McGrath, Singh’s principal secretary, says there will be more volatility in Parliament and the odds of an early election have risen.
“I don’t think he is anxious to launch one, or chomping at the bit to have one, but it can happen,” she said in an interview.
New Democrat MPs are in a second day of meetings in Montreal as they nail down a plan for how to navigate the minority Parliament this fall.
The caucus retreat comes one week after Singh announced the party has left the supply-and-confidence agreement with the governing Liberals.
It’s also taking place in the very city where New Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat on Monday, when voters go to the polls in Montreal’s LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. A second byelection is being held that day in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona, where the NDP is hoping to hold onto a seat the Conservatives are also vying for.
While New Democrats are seeking to distance themselves from the Liberals, they don’t appear ready to trigger a general election.
Singh signalled on Tuesday that he will have more to say Wednesday about the party’s strategy for the upcoming sitting.
He is hoping to convince Canadians that his party can defeat the federal Conservatives, who have been riding high in the polls over the last year.
Singh has attacked Poilievre as someone who would bring back Harper-style cuts to programs that Canadians rely on, including the national dental-care program that was part of the supply-and-confidence agreement.
The Canadian Press has asked Poilievre’s office whether the Conservative leader intends to keep the program in place, if he forms government after the next election.
With the return of Parliament just days away, the NDP is also keeping in mind how other parties will look to capitalize on the new makeup of the House of Commons.
The Bloc Québécois has already indicated that it’s written up a list of demands for the Liberals in exchange for support on votes.
The next federal election must take place by October 2025 at the latest.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is defending her decision to turn off comments on her social media accounts — with an announcement on social media.
She posted screenshots to X this morning of vulgar names she’s been called on the platform, and says comments on her posts for months have been dominated by insults, to the point that she decided to block them.
Montreal’s Opposition leader and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have criticized Plante for limiting freedom of expression by restricting comments on her X and Instagram accounts.
They say elected officials who use social media should be willing to hear from constituents on those platforms.
However, Plante says some people may believe there is a fundamental right to call someone offensive names and to normalize violence online, but she disagrees.
Her statement on X is closed to comments.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
B.C. to scrap consumer carbon tax if federal government drops legal requirement: Eby
Lawyer says Chinese doping case handled ‘reasonably’ but calls WADA’s lack of action “curious”
A linebacker at West Virginia State is fatally shot on the eve of a game against his old school
Canada’s Marina Stakusic advances to quarterfinals at Guadalajara Open
Hall of Famer Joe Schmidt, who helped Detroit Lions win 2 NFL titles, dies at 92
RCMP say 3 dead, suspects at large in targeted attack at home in Lloydminster, Sask.
Local Toronto business story – Events Industry : new national brand, Element Event Solutions
Provinces decry Ottawa’s plan to resettle asylum seekers across the country
