Latest news with #civilServants
Times
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Times
Lord Hermer ‘gives himself veto' over government policy
Civil servants have been ordered to 'snitch' on ministers if they suspect them of potentially breaching international law, leading the Tories to accuse the attorney-general of handing himself an 'effective veto' over government policy. Lord Hermer is reported to have comprehensively amended guidance to Whitehall lawyers and civil servants that had been drafted by one of his Conservative predecessors, Suella Braverman. The guidance, which governs how government lawyers relate to ministers, has been tweaked to include a 'snitch clause', according to The Daily Telegraph. Hermer is said to have told civil servants to inform him if ministers might be about to break the law. It was also claimed that the attorney-general inserted 23 references to international law into the guidance and watered down Braverman's instructions that were designed to prevent government lawyers from becoming a 'block' to ministerial policy. Sir Michael Ellis, another former Conservative attorney-general, said that the changes to the document amounted to 'empire building' by Hermer, who had 'effectively given himself a veto over all government business'. Last year Hermer, who is the government's top lawyer and a friend of the prime minister, said in a speech that ministers must protect the rule of law from an 'age of populism'. Despite attending cabinet, Hermer is technically an independent legal adviser to the government. A spokesman for Hermer told The Daily Telegraph that 'government lawyers advise ministers, but it is always ministers that make decisions on policy, as has been the case under successive governments'.
Free Malaysia Today
03-07-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
No need to halt Kota Madani project, says Zaliha
Federal territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa rejected PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden's call to suspend the Kota Madani project. KUALA LUMPUR : The government has dismissed the call by PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden to suspend the Kota Madani project, saying its development is essential to meet the housing needs of civil servants. Federal territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said that around 17,000 civil servants required housing in Putrajaya, the nation's administrative capital. 'The housing units we plan to build under the project will help address, at least in part, the shortage of government quarters for civil servants,' she said after attending a programme here today. On Tuesday, Afnan urged the government to halt the project, citing growing national debt and the worsening economic situation. Afnan, the Alor Setar MP, also questioned the returns that future generations would inherit, given the debt burden that projects like Kota Madani might leave behind. Zaliha previously said that the Kota Madani project was expected to help civil servants working in the administrative capital save up to RM1,000 a month. Developed by Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd via a public-private partnership, the project is based on the build, lease, maintain and transfer concept and will not involve any government allocations in its initial phase. Once complete, the RM4 billion Kota Madani will offer 10,000 high-density residential quarters for over 30,000 residents, vertical schools, and various public amenities. Putrajaya will assume full ownership of the project after 25 years.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former police chief, CAO among Winnipeg's top paid city employees last year
Winnipeg's police chief and top bureaucrat remained among the city's highest paid civil servants in 2024, despite leaving their positions midway through the year. The police chief received $498,841 in 2024, according to the city's annual compensation disclosure published Friday. The figure — which may include any combination of salary and other forms of compensation — would be almost $200,000 higher than what the city paid for the same position a year previous. Danny Smyth retired from the role on Sept. 3, 2024. He'd been the highest-paid civil servant in 2023, when he was compensated $305,874. The disclosures may include compensation in the form of taxable benefits, overtime, retroactive pay adjustments, retirement allowance, sick pay cash out, vacation pay cash out, back pay and severance pay. Before retiring, Smyth had served seven years as chief and had been with the Winnipeg police service for more than 38 years. Smyth's predecessor, Devon Clunis, received $368,883 in compensation in 2016, his last year as police chief. He'd been with the service for 29 years. Only ranks of police officers are shown on the annual disclosure. A "chief of police" also claimed the No. 4 spot in 2024 with $312,419 in compensation. Art Stannard took over from Smyth as acting chief before Gene Bowers took on the job permanently this March. CAO Jack 3rd highest-paid civil servant in 2024 Michael Jack, who resigned last June from his role as the city's chief administrative officer, was the third highest-paid civil servant with $410,769 in compensation. Jack's resignation came a week after an audit of the city's workforce found gaps in how the city reviewed staff performance, saying there was "limited accountability" in how it documented whether leaders were meeting key goals. He had the second-highest compensation out of civil servants in 2023, receiving $287,782. Sherwood Armbruster — who took over as interim CAO in June — received $222,731 in 2024. Joseph Dunford, the provincial deputy minister of public service delivery, is set to take over the role permanently on Aug. 4. The disclosures include all civic employees who make $85,000 or more. About 4,200 made the latest list. Others in the top 10 include human resources director Angie Cusson, Moira Geer who served as deputy CAO, fire chief Christian Schmidt, and four unnamed police officers: a superintendent, a sergeant and two deputy chiefs. Mayor Scott Gillingham was No. 21 on the list with $223,338.
CBC
28-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Former police chief, CAO among Winnipeg's top paid city employees last year
Winnipeg's police chief and top bureaucrat remained among the city's highest paid civil servants in 2024, despite leaving their positions midway through the year. The police chief received $498,841 in 2024, according to the city's annual compensation disclosure published Friday. The figure — which may include any combination of salary and other forms of compensation — would be almost $200,000 higher than what the city paid for the same position a year previous. Danny Smyth retired from the role on Sept. 3, 2024. He'd been the highest-paid civil servant in 2023, when he was compensated $305,874. The disclosures may include compensation in the form of taxable benefits, overtime, retroactive pay adjustments, retirement allowance, sick pay cash out, vacation pay cash out, back pay and severance pay. Before retiring, Smyth had served seven years as chief and had been with the Winnipeg police service for more than 38 years. Smyth's predecessor, Devon Clunis, received $368,883 in compensation in 2016, his last year as police chief. He'd been with the service for 29 years. Only ranks of police officers are shown on the annual disclosure. A "chief of police" also claimed the No. 4 spot in 2024 with $312,419 in compensation. Art Stannard took over from Smyth as acting chief before Gene Bowers took on the job permanently this March. CAO Jack 3rd highest-paid civil servant in 2024 Michael Jack, who resigned last June from his role as the city's chief administrative officer, was the third highest-paid civil servant with $498,841 in compensation. Jack's resignation came a week after an audit of the city's workforce found gaps in how the city reviewed staff performance, saying there was "limited accountability" in how it documented whether leaders were meeting key goals. He had the second-highest compensation out of civil servants in 2023, receiving $287,782. Sherwood Armbruster — who took over as interim CAO in June — received $222,731 in 2024. Joseph Dunford, the provincial deputy minister of public service delivery, is set to take over the role permanently on Aug. 4. The disclosures include all civic employees who make $85,000 or more. About 4,200 made the list last year. Others in the top 10 include human resources director Angie Cusson, Moira Geer who served as deputy CAO, fire chief Christian Schmidt, and four unnamed police officers: a superintendent, a sergeant and two deputy chiefs. Mayor Scott Gillingham was No. 21 on the list with $223,338.
Daily Mail
27-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Angela Rayner's civil servants launch 'work to rule' protest after being told they cannot WFH
Civil servants in 's department are launching a 'work to rule' protest after being told they cannot work from home. Staff at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which is headed by the Deputy Prime Minister, will begin the industrial action next week. It follows a dispute over the closure of six offices, the scrapping of 'location-neutral' contracts, and the enforcement of 'rigid' office attendance policies. Members of the Public and Commecial Services (PCS) union, which represents civil servants, will begin action short of a strike on Monday. This will see MHCLG staff who are PCS members work to contract, remove goodwill, and refuse to comply with non-contractual policies and processes. Civil servants in Ms Rayner's department are said to feel particularly frustrated as the Deputy PM is spearheading Labour's reforms to workers' rights. The Employment Rights Bill includes a right to request flexible working, including working from home, and measures to boost trade unions' powers. The legislation will increase the burden of justificaion on bosses so that they must accept a flexible working request unless it is 'not reasonably feasible'. The Bill also seeks to give trade unions greater freedom to organise, represent and negotiate on behalf of their workers. Martin Cavanagh, the PCS president, said: 'From removing staff from an office before the lease expires to spuriously challenging lawful notices of industrial action, the employer seems intent to avoid proper consultation, disregard fair process and alienate its staff. 'Closing local offices while rigidly enforcing mandatory office attendance doesn't make sense. The way out of this dispute is to negotiate, not frustrate.' A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'We have engaged with unions and staff about a number of proposals – including plans to expand four offices outside of London and close six offices over the next two years, as leases come to an end. 'The department will continue to have offices in every English region as well as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and all staff affected will be able to continue in their roles.'
