Latest news with #CarolineDesrochers
National Observer
a day ago
- Politics
- National Observer
Many public servants ran for federal office in last election — only one of them made it
Out of the many federal public servants who ran as candidates in the last federal election, only one was elected: Caroline Desrochers, the Liberal member of Parliament for Trois-Rivières, Que. Originally from Montreal, Desrochers worked at Global Affairs Canada for almost 25 years; her first posting was in Haiti. She later worked for about a decade on Canada-US relations and was posted to New York during US President Donald Trump's first mandate. During that time, she worked on the first round of tariffs and the renegotiation of the North American trade pact. "I always knew one day I would want to do that," Desrochers said of entering politics, adding that she was interested in doing work that felt closer to people. "For me, it was important to have a solid experience to come and do this kind of work." Desrochers ran for the Liberals in the La Prairie riding in 2021 but was defeated by Bloc Québécois candidate Alain Therrien. Desrochers said her experience in dealing with the Americans on steel and aluminum tariffs and her outreach with the US Congress will be valuable in this "consequential" moment. Many public servants ran for federal office in the spring — only one of them made it. She said she's also interested in working on economic development and industry issues, noting the presence of a federal port and a large steel and aluminum industry in her new riding. This is the first time the Trois-Rivières riding has been held by a Liberal since the 1980s. It has been held most recently by Conservative, Bloc and NDP members of Parliament. The Public Service Commission of Canada gave 54 federal public servants permission to run in the recent federal election. Federal government employees who want to run in federal, provincial, territorial or municipal elections need to get permission from the commission, said a commission spokesperson. Before that permission can be granted, the commission has to be satisfied that there are no risks to the political impartiality of the public service. More federal public servants showed interest in running in the recent election than in previous years. The commission received requests from 65 public servants for permission to run in the 2025 campaign — 11 later withdrew their requests. The commission received 29 requests from public servants for permission to run in 2021, and 44 in 2019. The commission granted 38 requests in 2015 and 12 in 2011. The commission says it doesn't have data on the total number of requests filed in those years. While she's keen to work on economic issues and housing — she's now parliamentary secretary to the minister of housing and infrastructure — Desrochers said she also wants to be part of ongoing conversations about modernizing the public service. While Prime Minister Mark Carney promised during the election to "cap," not cut, the size of the public service, most departments and agencies have since been asked to find program spending cuts of up to 15 per cent by 2028-29. A recent report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives said the public service could shed almost 60,000 jobs over the next four years as Ottawa looks to cut costs. Desrochers — who worked on transforming Global Affairs Canada before the election — said she believes the public service needs to be trimmed down to make it more efficient. She said that complex processes and multiple levels of bureaucracy are slowing down the work of government. "We owe that to the Canadian public, to be more efficient in how we do things," she said. Reducing the size of the public service will be "a dance" and will "take some coordination," Desrochers said, because people retiring or leaving for other opportunities may not be working in the places where cuts are most needed. Desrochers also said that the ratio of executives to non-executives is "quite high" in some departments and the plan seems to be to cut back in that area as well. The Carney government has struck a new cabinet committee focused on government transformation. Desrochers said she already has started to engage with colleagues on that committee. "It's important that we get it right," she said. "I hope it can be a constructive conversation also with the public service." Desrochers said there will also be a "conversation" if some departments are unable to achieve their targets without cutting essential items and services. She said some departments may be able to cut deeper than others, which could allow other departments to make smaller cuts. Desrochers said her main focus when Parliament returns will be housing, particularly for students. She said she's also working on the new Build Canada Homes initiative promised by the Liberals during the election. Desrochers said the government is exploring options for Build Canada Homes, which could become a separate agency or a unit within Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada. "We're going to start doing work right now with what we have already, the programs that we have, and then we're going to see about what's the best governance of it, but our goal is really to not create more layers of bureaucracy and approvals," she said. "This is why you do politics … to work on something that is going to have impact on people. And so, I think to have the privilege of working on that is really, it's really awesome."
CTV News
a day ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Many public servants ran for federal office in the spring — only one of them made it
Caroline Desrochers, Liberal member of Parliament for Trois-Rivières, is seen in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — Caroline Desrochers (Mandatory Credit) OTTAWA — Out of the many federal public servants who ran as candidates in the last federal election, only one was elected: Caroline Desrochers, the Liberal member of Parliament for Trois-Rivières, Que. Originally from Montreal, Desrochers worked at Global Affairs Canada for almost 25 years; her first posting was in Haiti. She later worked for about a decade on Canada-U.S. relations and was posted to New York during U.S. President Donald Trump's first mandate. During that time, she worked on the first round of tariffs and the renegotiation of the North American trade pact. 'I always knew one day I would want to do that,' Desrochers said of entering politics, adding that she was interested in doing work that felt closer to people. 'For me, it was important to have a solid experience to come and do this kind of work.' Desrochers ran for the Liberals in the La Prairie riding in 2021 but was defeated by Bloc Québécois candidate Alain Therrien. Desrochers said her experience in dealing with the Americans on steel and aluminum tariffs and her outreach with the U.S. Congress will be valuable in this 'consequential' moment. She said she's also interested in working on economic development and industry issues, noting the presence of a federal port and a large steel and aluminum industry in her new riding. This is the first time the Trois-Rivières riding has been held by a Liberal since the 1980s. It has been held most recently by Conservative, Bloc and NDP members of Parliament. The Public Service Commission of Canada gave 54 federal public servants permission to run in the recent federal election. Federal government employees who want to run in federal, provincial, territorial or municipal elections need to get permission from the commission, said a commission spokesperson. Before that permission can be granted, the commission has to be satisfied that there are no risks to the political impartiality of the public service. More federal public servants showed interest in running in the recent election than in previous years. The commission received requests from 65 public servants for permission to run in the 2025 campaign — 11 later withdrew their requests. The commission received 29 requests from public servants for permission to run in 2021, and 44 in 2019. The commission granted 38 requests in 2015 and 12 in 2011. The commission says it doesn't have data on the total number of requests filed in those years. While she's keen to work on economic issues and housing — she's now parliamentary secretary to the minister of housing and infrastructure — Desrochers said she also wants to be part of ongoing conversations about modernizing the public service. While Prime Minister Mark Carney promised during the election to 'cap,' not cut, the size of the public service, most departments and agencies have since been asked to find program spending cuts of up to 15 per cent by 2028-29. A recent report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives said the public service could shed almost 60,000 jobs over the next four years as Ottawa looks to cut costs. Desrochers — who worked on transforming Global Affairs Canada before the election — said she believes the public service needs to be trimmed down to make it more efficient. She said that complex processes and multiple levels of bureaucracy are slowing down the work of government. 'We owe that to the Canadian public, to be more efficient in how we do things,' she said. Reducing the size of the public service will be 'a dance' and will 'take some coordination,' Desrochers said, because people retiring or leaving for other opportunities may not be working in the places where cuts are most needed. Desrochers also said that the ratio of executives to non-executives is 'quite high' in some departments and the plan seems to be to cut back in that area as well. The Carney government has struck a new cabinet committee focused on government transformation. Desrochers said she already has started to engage with colleagues on that committee. 'It's important that we get it right,' she said. 'I hope it can be a constructive conversation also with the public service.' Desrochers said there will also be a 'conversation' if some departments are unable to achieve their targets without cutting essential items and services. She said some departments may be able to cut deeper than others, which could allow other departments to make smaller cuts. Desrochers said her main focus when Parliament returns will be housing, particularly for students. She said she's also working on the new Build Canada Homes initiative promised by the Liberals during the election. Desrochers said the government is exploring options for Build Canada Homes, which could become a separate agency or a unit within Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada. 'We're going to start doing work right now with what we have already, the programs that we have, and then we're going to see about what's the best governance of it, but our goal is really to not create more layers of bureaucracy and approvals,' she said. 'This is why you do politics … to work on something that is going to have impact on people. And so, I think to have the privilege of working on that is really, it's really awesome.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2025. Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Climate
- Winnipeg Free Press
In the news today: Air Canada flight attendants picketing at airports
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed… Air Canada flight attendants picketing at airports Air Canada flight attendants are expected to picket at airports in four major Canadian cities in what their union is calling a national day of action. The Canadian Union of Public Employees says demonstrations are expected to take place at Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, Vancouver International Airport and Calgary International Airport, all at 1 p.m. ET. CUPE says it is looking to raise awareness about what it calls 'poverty wages' and unpaid labour when working on a plane when it's not in the air. CUPE says the Air Canada component of the union was set to return to bargaining talks with the airline on Friday after its members voted 99.7 per cent in favour of a strike mandate. The vote, which wrapped last Tuesday, means flight attendants could possibly walk off the job as soon as Aug. 16 at 12:01 a.m. with at least 72 hours' notice provided. Here's what else we're watching… Heat warnings issued throughout Canada Another day of punishing heat and humidity is expected to hit Ontario, Quebec and the four Atlantic provinces. A heat warning from Environment Canada remains in effect for all of southern Ontario, stretching north past Lake Huron and Georgian Bay and east through southern Quebec. Expected daytime highs could reach 35 degrees Celsius in some parts, with the humidex at or near 40 C. Hot conditions are also washing over Atlantic Canada, with most of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and parts of Newfoundland and Labrador also under a heat warning. In British Columbia, heat warnings are also in place for most of Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, as well as southern B-C's Fraser Canyon, South Thompson and South Okanagan areas. Ruling on appeal of Sask. pronoun law challenge The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal is expected to rule today on the province's appeal of a decision to allow a challenge of its school pronoun law. A judge ruled last year that the court challenge could continue, despite the government's use of the notwithstanding clause. The law, which came into force in 2023, requires parental consent if children under 16 want to change their names or pronouns at school. Lawyers for the LGBTQ+ group UR Pride brought forward the challenge, arguing the law causes irreparable harm to gender diverse youth and its case should move ahead. The government has argued its use of the notwithstanding clause to bring the law into force should end the court challenge. Public servant elected as MP for Trois-Rivières Out of the many federal public servants who ran as candidates in the last federal election, only one was elected: Caroline Desrochers, the Liberal member of Parliament for Trois-Rivières, Que. Originally from Montreal, Desrochers worked at Global Affairs Canada for almost 25 years; her first posting was in Haiti. She later worked for about a decade on Canada-U.S. relations and was posted to New York during U.S. President Donald Trump's first mandate. 'I always knew one day I would want to do that,' Desrochers said of entering politics, adding that she was interested in doing work that felt closer to people. Desrochers ran for the Liberals in the La Prairie riding in 2021 but was defeated by Bloc Québécois candidate Alain Therrien. Desrochers said her experience in dealing with the Americans on steel and aluminum tariffs and her outreach with the U.S. Congress will be valuable in this 'consequential' moment. Study maps 'megathrust' quake zone off B.C. coast Scientists have captured the first detailed images of the meeting of two tectonic plates off the coast of northern British Columbia, an area they say has the potential to generate the largest 'megathrust' earthquakes and tsunamis. The images confirm what appears to be a rare geological occurrence, a subduction zone in its 'infancy,' the study by U.S. and Canadian researchers shows. The paper, in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances, says the Queen Charlotte plate boundary features the beginnings of such a zone, where one plate slides under the other. The plate boundary that extends from the southern tip of Haida Gwaii to southeast Alaska was the site of Canada's two largest earthquakes in recent history — a magnitude-8.1 quake in 1949 and the magnitude-7.8 quake in 2012. Co-author Michael Bostock, a professor in the department of earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences at the University of B.C., says it's likely the area will see more 'thrust' quakes, and the next one could be larger as the fault grows. This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 11, 2025.
Toronto Star
a day ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Many public servants ran for federal office in the spring — only one of them made it
OTTAWA - Out of the many federal public servants who ran as candidates in the last federal election, only one was elected: Caroline Desrochers, the Liberal member of Parliament for Trois-Rivières, Que. Originally from Montreal, Desrochers worked at Global Affairs Canada for almost 25 years; her first posting was in Haiti. She later worked for about a decade on Canada-U.S. relations and was posted to New York during U.S. President Donald Trump's first mandate.
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Many public servants ran for federal office in the spring — only one of them made it
OTTAWA – Out of the many federal public servants who ran as candidates in the last federal election, only one was elected: Caroline Desrochers, the Liberal member of Parliament for Trois-Rivières, Que. Originally from Montreal, Desrochers worked at Global Affairs Canada for almost 25 years; her first posting was in Haiti. She later worked for about a decade on Canada-U.S. relations and was posted to New York during U.S. President Donald Trump's first mandate. During that time, she worked on the first round of tariffs and the renegotiation of the North American trade pact. 'I always knew one day I would want to do that,' Desrochers said of entering politics, adding that she was interested in doing work that felt closer to people. 'For me, it was important to have a solid experience to come and do this kind of work.' Desrochers ran for the Liberals in the La Prairie riding in 2021 but was defeated by Bloc Québécois candidate Alain Therrien. Desrochers said her experience in dealing with the Americans on steel and aluminum tariffs and her outreach with the U.S. Congress will be valuable in this 'consequential' moment. She said she's also interested in working on economic development and industry issues, noting the presence of a federal port and a large steel and aluminum industry in her new riding. This is the first time the Trois-Rivières riding has been held by a Liberal since the 1980s. It has been held most recently by Conservative, Bloc and NDP members of Parliament. The Public Service Commission of Canada gave 54 federal public servants permission to run in the recent federal election. Federal government employees who want to run in federal, provincial, territorial or municipal elections need to get permission from the commission, said a commission spokesperson. Before that permission can be granted, the commission has to be satisfied that there are no risks to the political impartiality of the public service. More federal public servants showed interest in running in the recent election than in previous years. The commission received requests from 65 public servants for permission to run in the 2025 campaign — 11 later withdrew their requests. The commission received 29 requests from public servants for permission to run in 2021, and 44 in 2019. The commission granted 38 requests in 2015 and 12 in 2011. The commission says it doesn't have data on the total number of requests filed in those years. While she's keen to work on economic issues and housing — she's now parliamentary secretary to the minister of housing and infrastructure — Desrochers said she also wants to be part of ongoing conversations about modernizing the public service. While Prime Minister Mark Carney promised during the election to 'cap,' not cut, the size of the public service, most departments and agencies have since been asked to find program spending cuts of up to 15 per cent by 2028-29. A recent report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives said the public service could shed almost 60,000 jobs over the next four years as Ottawa looks to cut costs. Desrochers — who worked on transforming Global Affairs Canada before the election — said she believes the public service needs to be trimmed down to make it more efficient. She said that complex processes and multiple levels of bureaucracy are slowing down the work of government. 'We owe that to the Canadian public, to be more efficient in how we do things,' she said. Reducing the size of the public service will be 'a dance' and will 'take some coordination,' Desrochers said, because people retiring or leaving for other opportunities may not be working in the places where cuts are most needed. Desrochers also said that the ratio of executives to non-executives is 'quite high' in some departments and the plan seems to be to cut back in that area as well. The Carney government has struck a new cabinet committee focused on government transformation. Desrochers said she already has started to engage with colleagues on that committee. 'It's important that we get it right,' she said. 'I hope it can be a constructive conversation also with the public service.' Desrochers said there will also be a 'conversation' if some departments are unable to achieve their targets without cutting essential items and services. She said some departments may be able to cut deeper than others, which could allow other departments to make smaller cuts. Desrochers said her main focus when Parliament returns will be housing, particularly for students. She said she's also working on the new Build Canada Homes initiative promised by the Liberals during the election. Desrochers said the government is exploring options for Build Canada Homes, which could become a separate agency or a unit within Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada. 'We're going to start doing work right now with what we have already, the programs that we have, and then we're going to see about what's the best governance of it, but our goal is really to not create more layers of bureaucracy and approvals,' she said. 'This is why you do politics … to work on something that is going to have impact on people. And so, I think to have the privilege of working on that is really, it's really awesome.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2025.
