Marlo Glass is a news reporter covering the federal public service and all things newsworthy on Parliament Hill. She is deputy digital editor for The Hill Times. With a background in breaking news, she previously worked for newspapers in Ottawa, Saint John and Halifax. Send tips to mglass@hilltimes.com.
‘It demands the action of democracy, and I think unless we address it, it will be like an itch that is not scratched,’ says Conservative MP Stephanie Kusie of Alberta’s separatism question.
Former Privy Council clerk Michael Wernick says awarding a bonus involves ‘a fairly sophisticated conversation’ that considers how they achieved key targets. ‘Did you leave a trail of bodies behind you … or did you strengthen your team?’
A refugee advocate says the revelation that a dozen public servants broke Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada’s rules by improperly accessing its data system could stem from a lack of official communication from the department to applicants.
Ottawa’s new electricity strategy says efforts to double Canada’s grid capacity will cost more than $1-trillion, and will be achieved in part by linking existing power grids and ‘adjusting’ current clean electricity regulations.
Leaderless since January, the Office of the Correctional Investigator is still investigating complaints from incarcerated people and making regular visits to prisons, but has been left out of key discussions amid government-wide budget cuts.
Kevin Lynch and Jim Mitchell co-authored A New Blueprint for Government: Reshaping Power, the PMO and the Public Service, which is shortlisted for the prestigious 2025 Donner Prize.
Tory Treasury Board critic Stephanie Kusie recently said she had high hopes the April 28 update would ‘finally outline progress made’ with the Liberals’ spending review, which aims to cut billions of dollars and thousands of jobs from the public service.
Provincial and federal privacy watchdogs say their investigation concluded OpenAI was not compliant with federal and provincial privacy laws. Heritage Minister Marc Miller said ‘AI, like any other platform for that matter, has to respect the privacy of Canadians.’
European Union politicians have voted for a ‘digital minimum age’ of 16, and banning some addictive elements of social-media sites. As Ottawa contends with these concerns, one European politician says laws should also focus on regulating platforms.
The agency confirmed it will be cutting 348 staff, both executives and non‑executives, and has hired 68 as part of a goal of hiring 1,000 border agents. The timeline to fulfill that pledge is by 2028-29.
The 2025-26 deficit is down $11.4-billion compared to the 2025 budget’s forecast, but will reach nearly the same level projected for 2026-27, with an anticipated deficit of $65.3-billion.
With thousands of jobs cut entirely from the public service and thousands more retiring early, ‘that could put operations, in some places, at risk,’ warns union leader Pamela Isfeld, noting the early retirement program has already seen significant interest.
Prime Minister Mark Carney is a ‘better political practitioner’ than he’s given credit for, and the committee’s makeup could be another ‘proof point’ of that, says Conservative strategist Cole Hogan.
Prime Minister Mark Carney says he plans to directly address Canadians’ concerns using the new format, but one Tory MP says his address was ‘conditioning’ citizens for tougher times ahead.
Public Services and Procurement Canada says shaving three years off the timeline to bring Dayforce online won’t cut into time for testing and stabilizing the new system before it’s applied throughout the public service.
Renouncing division is ‘what Canadians have been asking for,’ says MP Corey Hogan, while first-time convention attendee and rookie MP Jake Sawatzky says Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech brings ‘hope’ to a younger generation.
