Jun 29 2022 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — After 10 years as commissioner of Canada elections, Yves Côté is leaving behind a bigger office with more teeth—one he says will have to grapple with the growing and nebulous threats of foreign interference and disinformation in Canadian elections. “The biggest things that we have now that we didn’t have before would be things linked […]
Jun 1 2022 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — The Senate is weighing options to formalize a system to provide committee witnesses with mental health and counselling support, a move Senate Human Rights Committee chair Salma Ataullahjan says is “only right” for witnesses being asked to bare their personal stories. “It’s only right that we cover that cost [of any needed mental health or […]
May 25 2022 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Support resources on the Hill, particularly interpretation services, have been stretched thin amid continued hybrid virtual proceedings and the addition of late-night sittings, leading to a wave of committee meeting cancellations last week. Conservative House Leader John Brassard says he sees “one simple solution” to the problem: putting an end to hybrid proceedings. “The pressure […]
Apr 20 2022 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Directly or indirectly, including Indigenous languages on federal ballots could help to boost Indigenous voter turnout, argue witnesses appearing as part of the House Affairs Committee’s ongoing study into the prospect. But some suggest resources would be better allocated elsewhere. “Having the Inuit language on ballots would help in increasing the voter turnout,” Nunavut Languages […]
Mar 29 2022 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — The Trudeau government recently tabled its solution to stop Quebec from losing a seat in this year’s riding redistribution process, but the proposal, which would set a new minimum seat count for provinces, is getting mixed reviews from opposition MPs. “This is a good step in the right direction,” said NDP MP Daniel Blaikie (Elmwood-Transcona, […]
Mar 8 2022 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Work to renovate Centre Block and build a new underground visitor’s welcome centre is running apace to where where it was before a 16-day suspension caused by the “Freedom Convoy” that occupied downtown Ottawa last month, an interruption that Public Services and Procurement Canada estimates cost roughly $3-million. “PSPC is currently assessing the cost and […]
Mar 1 2022 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — With a workforce in short supply, interpreters supporting Parliament continue to face challenges amid virtual proceedings, and unless more is done to address identified issues and prevent a further dwindling of available interpreters, it could lead to a “critical problem” for Canada’s bilingual Parliament, says Canadian Association of Parliamentary Employees national president Greg Phillips. “They’re […]
Feb 16 2022 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Since Feb. 2, Ontario ISG Senator Bernadette Clement has gone to work on foot, walking from her downtown Ottawa apartment through the protest encampment along Wellington Street to her East Block office, and on to the Senate of Canada Building. Worried about the anti-lockdown occupation that took root in Ottawa on Jan. 28, friends and […]
Jan 11 2022 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — The federal government reported a total of $326.1-million in lost federal revenue, public money, and public property due to fraud, accidents, or offences in 2020-21, up 34.7 per cent compared to 2019-20, according to the most recent Public Accounts. While COVID-19 played a part in some of these losses—from stolen PPE to unfulfilled procurement contracts […]
Dec 1 2021 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — This year’s Throne Speech marked the first time a Governor General has substantially addressed Parliament in a language other than French or English, and for Nunavut NDP MP Lori Idlout, hearing Governor General Mary Simon speak Inuktitut from the floor of the Senate Chamber was an “important” and “special” moment. “I sincerely felt included as […]
Nov 23 2021 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Government House Leader Mark Holland kicked off the new Parliament by setting out a list of bills the Liberals want to see passed in the next four weeks, before the House of Commons rises for a six-week break on Dec. 17, but to do that, the government will need to move fast to strike committees. […]
Nov 17 2021 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Demolition and abatement work inside the Centre Block building has passed the halfway mark and reached the building’s high-heritage spaces, with the Peace Tower’s bells set to fall silent as early as January. “When I see the building coming apart, I see it as a positive thing and I see it as progress, and I’m […]
Nov 16 2021 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Hill passes are set to play a key role as advance efforts get underway by the House of Commons and Senate to confirm the vaccination status of staff, press gallery members, and MPs, with implementation of the new COVID-19 vaccine mandate for both Chambers set to come into effect on Nov. 22. The Senate has […]
Sep 29 2021 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Systemic racism in federal Indigenous departments and agencies has led to human rights and Charter violations, allege two First Nations public servants—one current, one former—pursuing a multi-million-dollar class-action lawsuit against the federal government. A statement of claim—the opening salvo for a possible class-action suit—outlining the experiences of lead plaintiffs Yvette Zentner and Letitia Wells was […]
Aug 4 2021 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Expat voting tripled between the last two Canadian federal elections, and sources who recently spoke with The Hill Times say they expect numbers of those who cast ballots from abroad to continue to trend upwards, opening new opportunities for political parties. But while a conservative group launched in January is working to boost registration of […]