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Ottawa Citizen
a day ago
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
How John Hannaford led the public service through transition and turmoil
If John Hannaford had a superpower, it might have been his ability to help a team reach consensus. Article content Rather than rule with an iron fist, he would engage in what former colleagues called 'deep listening.' Article content Recommended Videos Article content 'He really was thoughtful about that, and I think purposeful, right?' said Marta Morgan, a former colleague of Hannaford and retired public service executive. 'He wanted to pull out the best in people, and one way of doing that is making people know that they're heard and they're part of the discussion.' Article content Article content Morgan recalled that when Hannaford led meetings, he would prioritize listening and ensure that everyone in the room was given a chance to share their thoughts. Article content Former colleagues have said those listening skills served him well in his career as he navigated turbulent times. Hannaford retired in early July as his successor, Michael Sabia, took the reins of the federal public service. Article content Before he became clerk of the Privy Council, Hannaford was deputy minister at Natural Resources. In that role, Hannaford led a team of government executives on a tour of Western Canada when that part of the country was feeling particularly alienated from the federal government in Ottawa. Article content Daniel Quan-Watson, another former colleague and retired public service executive, said the tour embodied Hannaford's 'commitment to listening and genuine interest and fascination.' Article content Article content 'I think it's such an important signal of Canada's public service, being there, even in difficult places, difficult listening, difficult conversations and being present for people,' Quan-Watson added. Article content Article content Hannaford would perhaps agree, having said in a 'fireside chat' with the Canada School of Public Service that he 'didn't have that objective' in his career planning. Article content But he was trusted by then-prime minister Justin Trudeau, having served as a PCO advisor on foreign affairs and defence from 2015 to 2019. He also served as deputy minister of international trade, where he was involved in renegotiating NAFTA, which then became the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.
Calgary Herald
6 days ago
- Business
- Calgary Herald
John Ivison: Carney will have to cut the uncuttable — if he has the guts
Article content 'I see storm clouds ahead on the Indigenous front,' said Michael Wernick, the Jarislowsky Chair in public sector management at the University of Ottawa, and a former clerk of the Privy Council. Article content Spending down political capital with Indigenous groups and environmentalists might seem unlikely, but the government is already doing that with C-5, the recently passed major projects bill. Prime Minister Mark Carney is meeting First Nations leaders at a summit on Thursday and he will likely be lobbied heavily to move many of those grants and contributions from the 'cuttable' column into the 'uncuttable' one. Article content In a Policy Options article Wernick wrote in 2021, and reposted this week, he said governments serious about program reviews have to 'go where the money is'; accept that any changes will be fiercely contested; and ask fundamental questions about whether certain activities should be funded at all. Article content Article content Wernick said in an interview with National Post this week that Carney's efforts at spending restraint will not be a 'one and done' exercise, but will more likely resemble then finance minister Paul Martin's multi-year efforts in the 1995 and 1996 budgets that brought runaway deficits under control. Article content François-Philippe Champagne, the finance minister, indicated just such an approach in his letter to ministers that called on them to find savings of 7.5 per cent in the current year, 10 per cent next and 15 per cent in 2028–29. Article content This goes far beyond the productivity efficiencies that were included in the Liberal election platform. Article content But the need for more ambitious savings is apparent. Article content Recent projections by the C.D. Howe Institute and by economist Trevor Tombe suggest the commitment to increase military spending to five per cent of GDP is likely to push deficits and debt to levels not seen outside the pandemic. Tombe's model sees annual deficits of over $150 billion by 2035. Article content Article content Wernick said the uncertainty surrounding the trade war with the U.S. means that fiscal forecasts are inherently unreliable. But he concedes 'the arithmetic is relentless' and has even proposed a specific defence and security tax that would see the GST increased by two points and the funds allocated directly to military spending. Article content The public is onside with more expenditure on defence. A recent Abacus Data poll suggested two-thirds of Canadians back the Carney government's announcements of more military spending. Article content But consumption-tax hikes in the current political climate are likely to prove as popular as taking a hatchet to Old Age Security payments. Article content Carney risks becoming the man who fell to earth if these cuts are miscalculated. Article content A similar sense of crisis gave Martin leeway he might not have had in less straitened circumstances. Article content Over the course of three years, he reduced government spending by 19 per cent and reduced the federal headcount by 50,000 people. The budget was balanced within three years, the government's popularity rarely dipped below 50 per cent and the Liberals won the 1997 election. Article content The public accepted the need for action and sensed the Liberals would enjoy cutting spending far less than the opposition Reform party would. Article content The same logic applies for Carney. Article content But in the mid-1990s, the government of prime minister Jean Chrétien was able to demonstrate progress each year in the form of reduced deficits. Article content It is less clear how Carney will be able to claim victory. He has said the answer is faster growth and a balanced operating budget within three years. Article content Article content Yet, growth will be hard to achieve if trade with the United States falls (it has dropped for four consecutive months this year), while GDP growth will result in increases to defence spending and fiscal transfers, which are linked to the size of the economy. Article content In addition, the definition of what constitutes 'operating,' as opposed to 'capital' spending (which Carney has tried to distinguish) is likely to muddy the picture. Article content Voters likely don't need to see balanced budgets, if the Carney government can demonstrate it is making progress on its other priorities, such as using the public balance sheet to bring in investment for major projects, and, crucially, is able to convey that the public finances are under control. Article content One way to do that would be to shrink the public service. Article content A new report from the Parliamentary Budget Office shows that the federal public service increased by 30 per cent between 2015–16 and the last fiscal year. It has topped out at 445,000 full-time equivalent positions, with a slight reduction expected over the next few years due to attrition. Article content Article content Carney could chop a similar number that Martin did and still be left with a federal bureaucracy bigger than it was before the pandemic. Article content The problem for the government is not that bending the curve on program spending will lead to a rusting, hollowed-out public sector. Program spending reached 16 per cent of GDP in the last fiscal year, compared to 13 per cent in 2014–15 ($480 billion versus $329 billion in 2025 dollars).
Calgary Herald
14-07-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Poilievre says Carney lied about conflicts after ethics disclosure reveals investment portfolio
Article content The screen will be administered by Carney's chief of staff, Marc-André Blanchard, and Clerk of the Privy Council Michael Sabia. Article content Poilievre said Carney hasn't gone nearly far enough because Canadians have never before had a prime minister with such an array of potential conflicts. Article content Carney has said that he's gone beyond what is necessary or convention to separate his new job from his personal finances. Article content If Carney doesn't sell all of his corporate assets, Poilievre said, the prime minister may need to recuse himself multiple times per cabinet meeting to avoid conflicts. Article content Under this new set of procedures, Carney must remove himself from the room and make a public declaration of recusal if a matter is being discussed that involves one of the companies under his screen. Article content But the prime minister isn't barred from all discussions that may affect those companies. Carney's screen contains a caveat where he can participate in discussions or decisions on matters that broadly affect any of the 103 companies if they are part of a larger group, 'unless those interests are disproportionate to the other members of the class.' Article content Article content Nor is the ethics screen without challenges, because the prime minister's job involves virtually every issue and public policy question and Carney's screen involves so many companies. There's also the sticky matter that his Liberal government has vowed to make Canada into a conventional and clean energy superpower, while some of Carney's assets are directly involved in the clean energy sector. Article content One of the screens the prime minister will be subject to involves Westinghouse, one of the world's largest nuclear power companies. Brookfield Asset Management acquired a majority ownership stake in Westinghouse while Carney was co-head of the investment fund. Article content As Poilievre pointed out, Carney mentioned Westinghouse while praising nuclear energy during a leaders' debate during the election campaign. He also alleged Carney had promoted modular homes, heat pumps and specific kinds of jet fuel that benefited companies he has invested in. Article content Article content Other noteworthy conflict of interest screens relate to some of Brookfield's investments in India's clean energy and renewables sector — Leap Green, Avaada Group and CleanMax — through the Brookfield Global Transition Fund, which was co-managed by Carney. Article content The ethics disclosure also contains an extensive list of companies — running across 16 full pages — of shares and share options Carney owns that held in a blind trust or in an investment account managed by a third party that he does not control or direct. Article content In his blind trust, Carney put shares of North of 60 Advisors, Stripe, Partners Value Investments LP, Cultivo Land PBC, Watershed Technology, and options and deferred share units of the Brookfield Corporation and Brookfield Asset Management. Article content According to Brookfield's annual report, Carney was entitled to 209,300 stock options at US$35.13 each and 200,000 options at US$40.07 each, for a market value of more than US$6.8 million as of Dec. 31, 2024. The expiration date on these options is either 2033 or 2034.
Ottawa Citizen
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
New government won't rule out full return to office for public servants
Public servants go to work in downtown Ottawa. Photo by JEAN LEVAC / POSTMEDIA The new federal government won't rule out sending public servants back to the office four days a week or more. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors As Prime Minister Mark Carney and his new clerk of the Privy Council, Michael Sabia, have started to make their imprint on the federal government, observers have wondered if there could be a shakeup to policies around remote work for public servants, who are currently required to work in offices at least three days a week. When asked if the Treasury Board could rule out such a change in policy, spokesperson Rola Salem said in an emailed statement that 'the direction on prescribed presence in the workplace remains in place. This model, which was updated in Spring 2024, allows eligible public servants to work from home up to two days per week. The Ottawa Citizen's best journalism, delivered directly to your inbox by 7 p.m. on weekdays. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again 'The federal public service's approach to hybrid work is driven by a commitment to most effectively serve Canadians. This approach is consistent with that of many public and private sector organizations across Canada.' However, many other private sector organizations continue to tighten remote work flexibility. In recent weeks, several banks, including RBC and Scotiabank, have told their employees that they will return to the office four days a week in the fall. Last fall, a Treasury Board order shifted remote-work rules and mandated the three-day return to office rule for public servants in the core public service. Meanwhile, executives are expected to be in the office at least four days a week. In an interview last October, Christiane Fox, the deputy clerk of the Privy Council, also did not rule out a four-day return-to-office mandate, noting that the government is 'ready to adjust' if necessary. Public servants and the unions that represent them fought the three-day mandate last summer, holding rallies and filing complaints. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the largest of the federal public sector unions, even filed a challenge of the new requirements in Federal Court. Since the new rules came into effect in September, compliance with the mandate has not always been high in some departments, according to internal records. Documents obtained by the Ottawa Citizen through access-to-information requests showed that the Treasury Board and Employment and Social Development Canada revealed that more than 25 per cent of those departments did not follow return-to-office orders during some weeks that fall.
National Observer
03-07-2025
- Business
- National Observer
Fewer federal bureaucrats have confidence in their bosses, survey suggests
Confidence federal public servants have in their senior managers has fallen in recent years, a new survey suggests. The 2024 Public Service Employee Survey said 55 per cent of public servants have confidence in senior management at their department or agency, down from 64 per cent in 2022 and 68 per cent in 2020. Almost two-thirds of respondents in the new survey said senior managers in their department or agency model ethical behaviour. Almost half said they make effective and timely decisions, and that essential information flows effectively from senior management to staff. The survey results have been released as the public service awaits Prime Minister Mark Carney plans to transform the public service. Carney said in his election platform that his government will cap, not cut, the public service and take steps to increase its productivity. The employee survey indicates that public servants have fewer concerns about their immediate managers, with 80 per cent of respondents saying they're satisfied with the quality of supervision they receive. Fewer federal bureaucrats express confidence in their bosses, survey suggests. David McLaughlin, executive editor of Canadian Government Executive Media and former president and CEO of the Institute on Governance, said there appears to be a general "softening" in scores for senior management since the pandemic. McLaughlin said the pandemic was stressful for the federal public service. "Likely causes are delivery fatigue coming from the government asking public servants to deliver more and faster, with a lot of shifting priorities and demands coming from the top," he said. McLaughlin said most public servants likely would welcome a stronger demand for "performance excellence" from senior management. "Replacing poor performers on their own without addressing the systemic process and technology roadblocks to good performance, though, would not be welcomed," he said. "What most public servants want is empowerment to do their jobs in the best way they can, without political or bureaucratic sand in the gears." Former clerk of the Privy Council Michael Wernick said public servants have tended to feel more positive about their immediate supervisors than senior management. Wernick said about a quarter of the respondents in the most recent survey would be people hired in the last five years. He said their experience is "all pandemic and post pandemic" and also includes the recent labour strike and disputes about work-from-home policies. "It could be that (working from home) for about half of the service has made senior management seem even more distant than they already do," he said. "More recently, they are the people who enforced return-to-work policies and the first budget cutting in a decade." The 2024 survey also found that close to a quarter of employees say they experience high or very high levels of stress at work. Thirty-nine per cent said they experience moderate levels of stress. In 2022, 19 per cent of employees said they experienced high or very high levels of stress at work and 37 per cent said they experienced moderate levels of stress. In the most recent survey, 59 per cent of public servants described their workplace as "psychologically healthy," a drop from 68 per cent in 2022 and 2020. The 2024 survey ran from Oct. 28, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2024 and surveyed 186,635 employees in 93 federal departments and agencies, for a response rate of 50.5 per cent. It was administered by Statistics Canada in partnership with the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.
