May 3 2021 — Terry Pedwell — OTTAWA — Canada's biggest civil service union says it is considering taking legal action after the Canada Revenue Agency ruled that damages paid to federal employees in connection with the troubled Phoenix pay system are taxable. The Public Service Alliance of Canada says it has received notice from CRA that the agency won't review the […]
Mar 8 2021 — Terry Pedwell — OTTAWA — The minister responsible for making changes to Canada's broadcasting laws says legislation he introduced recently does not target user-generated online content.Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault told a House of Commons committee Monday the aim of Bill C-10 is to regulate online video and music streaming services in much the same way as conventional broadcasters.But […]
Feb 20 2021 — Terry Pedwell — OTTAWA — More than one in three federal public servants were granted paid time off work during the first nine months of the COVID-19 pandemic, at a cost exceeding $800 million, according to a Treasury Board document. At the onset of the pandemic, civil servants were told to work from home if possible, to avoid […]
Feb 18 2021 — Terry Pedwell — OTTAWA — The country's biggest civil service union says the federal government plans to issue payments of up to $2,500 to its members next month — minus taxes — even though a dispute over the tax status of the damages payments has not been settled. The Public Service Alliance of Canada accuses the government of […]
Jan 28 2021 — Terry Pedwell — OTTAWA — A new report says Black Canadians and people from most other minority groups tend to disproportionately lose out on federal civil service jobs they apply for compared with other Canadians. The audit report on the representation of employment equity groups in public service recruitment appears to back a push by the Trudeau government […]
Nov 6 2020 — Terry Pedwell — OTTAWA — A Manitoba man facing weapons charges and another of threatening the prime minister is expected back in court next month in advance of a possible plea in his case. Corey Hurren appeared virtually in front of an Ontario Court judge in Ottawa Friday morning. Court was told Hurren's defence team needed more time […]
Sep 4 2020 — Terry Pedwell — OTTAWA — The fall will bring new risks in the COVID-19 pandemic along with colder weather and indoor family holiday gatherings, Canada's chief public health officer warned Friday. With the final long weekend of the summer season upon us, Dr. Theresa Tam said Canadians need to consider their own risk factors and the details of plans for […]
Jul 24 2020 — Terry Pedwell — OTTAWA — The federal government has lost at least $439 million so far this year in productivity through a policy that allows civil servants to stay home, with pay, during emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the country's budget watchdog said in a report released Friday. Most of that total was a result of employees […]
Jul 10 2020 — Terry Pedwell — OTTAWA — Federal employees stand to collect up to $2,500 each in cash payments for "pain and suffering" resulting from the government's failed Phoenix pay system under an agreement reached with the country's biggest civil-service union. The settlement comes as government workers scramble to get emergency benefits out to individual Canadians and businesses affected by […]
Apr 2 2020 — Terry Pedwell — OTTAWA — Canada Revenue Agency employees know a giant spotlight will be pointed at them come Monday, when they begin the monumental task of delivering federal benefits meant to mitigate the disastrous economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. "If you work for CRA, people think we are just there to take money from your pockets," […]
Feb 17 2020 — Terry Pedwell — OTTAWA — One of Canada's major mobile service providers appears to have set the stage for a battle with Ottawa over the timing of proposed wireless rate cuts. Telus and affiliated brands Koodo and Public Mobile recently placed what they are calling a "True North Affordability" stamp on their websites — a move one consumer advocate says […]
Feb 3 2020 — Terry Pedwell — The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — The minister responsible for overhauling Canada's broadcasting and telecommunications sectors tried to reassure Canadians Monday that the federal government is not preparing to license news outlets. "Let me be clear. Our government has no intention to impose licensing requirements on news organizations nor will we try to regulate news content," Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault […]
Jan 14 2020 — Terry Pedwell — OTTAWA — The federal government is making clear that cuts to wireless rates it expects from mobile service providers must go above and beyond any price reductions already seen since 2016. Industry Minister Navdeep Bains says the 25 per cent rate reductions he has been mandated to achieve over the next two years will be […]
Jan 8 2020 — Terry Pedwell — OTTAWA — Canada's broadcast and telecom regulator says it's inevitable that foreign media companies streaming content into Canada, including Netflix and Amazon, will have to make an "equitable" contribution to the production of Canadian content. But the chairman of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission says it's not as simple as making those companies pay […]
Jan 6 2020 — Terry Pedwell — OTTAWA — Canada is closely monitoring developments after Iraq's parliament called for the expulsion of foreign troops from the country, a spokesman for Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said. But Sajjan's press secretary, Todd Lane, would not say whether contingency plans are in the works for getting Canadian military personnel out of Iraq should the situation […]