PARTIES OFFER IDEAS ABOUT PHOENIX, PUBLIC SERVICE
What are the other parties promising around Phoenix?
The Liberal platform pledges “entirely eliminating the backlog of outstanding pay issues for public servants as a result of the Phoenix pay system.” It doesn’t mention anything about the system itself, but the party confirmed in a statement that if re-elected, the Liberals would move forward with a new pay system.
Days before the campaign period began, the Liberal government announced a $117-million investment in its process to procure a Phoenix replacement. It’s already named three qualified vendors who can work with the government to design and test pilot versions of a new HR and pay system.
The Green platform doesn’t make any reference to the Phoenix pay system or public service pay problems. The same goes for the People’s Party.
The Conservatives have yet to release their full platform, and questions about what, if anything, the party will promise around Phoenix and the public service hadn’t received a response by Monday afternoon. What else do party platforms say about the federal public service? The Liberals are campaigning on a pledge to speed up the public service hiring process, with a goal of reducing the average time it takes to hire a new bureaucrat from 10 to five months. They’re also promising improvements to project management by ensuring all major projects are led by a “certified professional” with five or more years of experience.
The Grits say they will improve diversity in promotions to senior public service positions, and in appointments to federal agencies and bodies. And they promise action “to reduce the number of significant deficiencies” identified by the auditor general in followup audits of programs or departments.
The New Democrats are pledging to “take action to put an end to harassment in the federal workplace” and reduce the contracting-out of government work. The party promises to review “the existing employment equity regime to help close the racialized wage gap” and ensure “diverse and equitable hiring within the federal public service and federally-regulated industries.”
The NDP platform also promises renewable energy in federal buildings, and by 2025, making the federal government vehicle fleet electric and made-in-Canada where possible. And if elected, they would “strengthen the Accessibility Act to cover all federal agencies equally, with the power to make and enforce accessibility standards in a timely manner.”
The Green party platform pledges to “respect the unionized employees of the federal public service and the bargaining process by rejecting back-to-work legislation as a bargaining tool.” It also promises the full implementation of federal pay equity rules, a federal ombudsman to help “harassed and demoralized employees,” and to require accessible and gender-neutral washrooms in all federal buildings.
The Greens would impose “strict” conflict-of-interest screening criteria for federal regulatory board and agency appointments. And they would “reaffirm the independence and integrity of the public service” and strengthen whistleblower protection.