Aug 22 2023 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Day two of the federal cabinet retreat in Prince Edward Island was business heavy, as expert guest speakers presented to ministers on issues like housing, and as as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland stressed to reporters, the focus was on “the economy, the economy, the economy.” “We have been having some really […]
Jun 23 2023 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Demolition work inside Centre Block is now 90 per cent complete, with the first phase of the historic building’s decade-long renovation project coming to a close at the end of this year. Home to the House of Commons and Senate chambers—which have been temporarily relocated to West Block and the old train station at 2 […]
Jun 6 2023 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — The federal government is looking for Parliament’s approval for another $20.5-billion in spending through this year’s first set of supplementary estimates, including $4.4-billion to fulfill 15 measures announced in the 2023 budget, as noted by the Parliamentary Budget Officer. Roughly 61.2 per cent, or $12.6-billion, of the total spending MPs will vote on in these […]
Apr 18 2023 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Senate administration staff who’ve been able to work from home since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic in March 2020 will soon begin transitioning back to the office following the adoption of a new telework policy that brings the Chamber’s work-from-home order to an official end after three years. Staff will begin returning to the […]
Feb 2 2023 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — If the current rate of progress keeps up, it could take some four decades for Canada to complete all 94 Calls to Action released by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015, with only 14 per cent fully completed as of 2022, says a recent Yellowhead Institute report—findings Nunavut NDP MP Lori Idlout calls “disappointing” […]
Jan 10 2023 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — After the Christmas-time Via Rail service disruptions that saw dozens of trains cancelled and hundreds of passengers stranded overnight, an NDP MP and a transport advocate are calling for protections similar to those introduced for air travellers to be extended to rail passengers. Members of the House Transport Committee met on Jan. 9 to organize […]
Dec 13 2022 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — The House of Commons and Translation Bureau are working to have more interpreters on deck in the new year, with the number of House events that can be accommodated per week set to increase by at least two, after continued interruptions and limits on committee meeting schedules through the fall sitting. “I wouldn’t say a […]
Nov 30 2022 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — A higher proportion of government bills—almost 23 per cent—have been introduced through the Senate so far this Parliament, a trend Government House Leader Mark Holland says comes down to efficiency and the Liberal government’s “very ambitious agenda.” “Both Chambers are going to be involved either way. This allows us to maximize our efficiency of moving […]
Nov 15 2022 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — The federal government wracked up a total of $227.1-million in lost revenue, public money, and public property due to fraud, accidents, or offences in 2021-22, a 30 per cent decrease from the year prior, according to the 2022 Public Accounts. But while the dollar figure attached to losses has dropped, the number of reported cases […]
Nov 2 2022 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Non-affiliated Manitoba Senator Mary Jane McCallum is pushing for the Red Chamber to reconsider its rules and processes to enable unaffiliated Senators to participate more fully and equally in Senate business, without relying on the goodwill of recognized groups for speaking time or a seat on committees. “Despite being a modern Senate that supposedly values […]
Oct 20 2022 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Recent public opinion polls point to Quebec as an electoral weak spot for the Tories, but while new Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre may have gotten off to a rocky start among Quebecers with the handling of former Quebec lieutenant Alain Rayes’ caucus exit, strategists argue Poilievre’s bilingualism, universal pitch, and decisions since—including naming two Quebecers […]
Aug 18 2022 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Almost half of responding Translation Bureau-accredited freelance interpreters have taken zero or very few assignments with the bureau in the last six months, according to a new survey by the International Association of Conference Interpreters—findings rep Nicole Gagnon says show the House of Commons’ pilot project to test the use of external providers is “needlessly […]
Aug 3 2022 — Laura Ryckewaert — Hill Times — Katie Telford is closing on in seven years as chief of staff to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau—and with it, closing in on the record for the longest-serving person in such a role—and she’s once again been voted to the top of The Hill Times’ Terrific 25 Staffers list after placing second last year. The PM’s […]
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 […]