National Newswatch

Poilievre casts doubt on Liberal plan to shave $15-billion off spending

Aug 15 2023 — Bill Curry — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is dismissing a Liberal plan to find $15-billion in internal savings, saying the Trudeau government has a clear record of overspending. Speaking at a news conference in Toronto on Tuesday, Mr. Poilievre was asked by reporters to comment on a Globe and Mail report that new Treasury Board President Anita Anand […]

Federal outsourcing takes place without IT expertise, memo reveals

Jul 25 2023 — Bill Curry — The department responsible for billions of dollars in federal outsourcing contracts prepared a candid assessment of its own shortcomings when it comes to IT work, acknowledging in a note to the minister and deputy minister that its team lacks proper training and is leery of ranking outside contractors based on performance. The briefing note – […]

Revelations that ArriveCan cost $54-million led to weeks of turmoil, finger pointing, documents show

Jul 24 2023 — Bill Curry — Revelations last year that the cost of the ArriveCan app had climbed to $54-million prompted weeks of turmoil and finger-pointing as officials attempted to account for the spending, according to internal documents obtained by The Globe and Mail. Officials at Public Services and Procurement Canada – the department responsible for billions of dollars in federal […]

Deputy minister left government weeks after Indigenous group privately called for his resignation, documents show

Jun 20 2023 — Bill Curry — A deputy minister’s recent departure from the federal public service occurred just weeks after a national Indigenous organization privately called for his resignation over an e-mail dismissing their description of colonialism as “a gross misreading of history.” Timothy Sargent’s nearly three-decade career in the federal public service – which included representing Canada internationally on trade […]

Federal budget 2023 to announce $7-billion in savings on outsourcing, travel and consultants: government source

Mar 27 2023 — Bill Curry — Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s 2023 budget will announce plans to save about $7-billion over five years through cuts to federal travel and reduced outsourcing, with a particular focus on using fewer management consultants, according to a senior government official. The savings represent one side of what will be a challenging political balancing act for the […]

Coalition led by Raitt, McLellan calls for stronger focus on growth ahead of 2023 budget

Mar 7 2023 — Bill Curry — In a highly polarized political climate, Lisa Raitt and Anne McLellan are pushing for action on the big things that almost everyone agrees on: stronger growth, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and filling leadership positions with people who reflect Canada’s diversity. The former senior Conservative and Liberal politicians lead the Coalition for a Better Future, which […]

Federal outsourcing on pace to reach record $21.4-billion this year

Feb 24 2023 — Bill Curry — Federal outsourcing is on pace to set another record this year – $21.4-billion – and the growing expense faces increasing public scrutiny over whether the billions spent each year on outside help is providing good value for taxpayers. Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux highlighted the increase in a report Thursday that analyzes the federal government’s […]

Ottawa paid out more than $37-billion in pandemic wage subsidies to businesses with tax debts

Feb 23 2023 — Bill Curry — The federal government paid $37.7-billion in pandemic wage subsidies to businesses with tax debts, and $1-billion to insolvent companies, raising new concerns about the level of screening Ottawa applied to its most generous COVID-19 support program. The $37.7-billion represents over 37 per cent of the total cost of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), which […]

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