Alex Robinson

OCDSB supervisor says media interviews are not his mandate Bob Plamondon has released only two public statements since the province took over the board on June 27 and he was appointed supervisor.

The supervisor appointed by the provincial government to run Ottawa's public school board says it's not "in his mandate" to speak to the press.

C.D.C. Layoffs Included 2 Top Measles Experts Amid Rising Cases

The mass layoffs of federal workers on Friday night swept up the top two leaders of the federal measles response team, those working on Ebola and dozens of other infectious disease experts
(Gift article)

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...

Head of new Major Projects Office to make north of $577K | CBC News The head of the federal government's new Major Projects Office will earn a salary between $577,000 and $679,000 a year, according to an order in council issued last week.

The head of the federal government's new Major Projects Office will earn a salary between $577,000 and $679,000 a year, according to an order in council issued last week.

Look up: Military drones to be tested over downtown Ottawa The Canadian Forces will be using downtown Ottawa to test new technologies to track mini-drones in an urban setting.

Look up: Military drones to be tested over downtown Ottawa ottawacitizen.com/public-servi...

What moving from Montreal to Ottawa taught me about two very different cities If Ottawa has taught me anything so far, it’s that what seems predictable can still surprise you, provided you know where to look.

What moving from Montreal to Ottawa taught me about two very different cities ottawacitizen.com/life/moving-...

How public servants can use AI responsibly A former Chief Human Resource Officer explains the risks of using AI in the federal government.

How public servants can use AI responsibly ottawacitizen.com/public-servi...

I did a deep-dive into Ben Mulroney's extracurricular activities:

At the same time as Mulroney is filling-in as host of The West Block, he is also working for two registered lobby groups and as an adviser to several companies – some of whose CEOs he's interviewed on Global News 640 Toronto radio

Deadline comes and goes with no release of DND F-35 report Deadline passes for release of F-35 report as Canadian government offers no explanation.

DND originally told us that its F-35 review would be done by the end of summer. According to the department, that meant Sept. 22. Well, as of 2:19 p.m. yesterday, it's fall. Still no word on what the review found or if it's even been finalized yet. Read more in
@davidpugliese.bsky.social's latest:

U.S. warns Canada of potential negative consequences if it dumps F-35 fighter jet The review of Canada's proposed purchase of 88 U.S.-built F-35s is set to be finalized by Sept. 22.

U.S. warns Canada of potential negative consequences if it dumps F-35 fighter jet ottawacitizen.com/public-servi...

Trump’s EPA Plans to Stop Collecting Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data From Most Polluters Climate experts expressed shock and dismay at the move. “It would be a bit like unplugging the equipment that monitors the vital signs of a patient that is critically ill,” one said.

When @fastlerner.bsky.social reported in April that the EPA was going to stop collecting greenhouse gas emissions data from most polluters, it wouldn't admit it was eliminating the requirements. Today it announced the change, saying it's "cutting unnecessary red tape" & "unleashing American energy."

Michael Wernick: Caught between denial and dogma, here's a better way to downsize the public service Unions need to admit layoffs are coming and the government should admit it needs to proactively shape the future workforce. Keep reading.

"What the two major political parties share is the unwillingness to confront the unpleasant realities of involuntary layoffs. Both have been peddling the illusion that attrition will painlessly deliver the smaller workforce to which they aspire." - Michael Wernick in FP this morning

OpenAI argues Canadian news publishers’ lawsuit should be heard in U.S. OpenAI is set to argue in an Ontario court today that a copyright lawsuit filed by Canadian news publishers involving its ChatGPT generative AI system should be heard in a U.S. courtroom instead. A coalition of Canadian news outlets which includes The Canadian Press, Torstar, The Globe and Mail, Postmedia and CBC/Radio-Canada is suing OpenAI […]

OpenAI is trying to ague that an Ontario court doesn't have jurisdiction to hear a lawsuit by Canadian media companies that accuse the firm of breaching copyright by scraping large amounts of content:

Ottawa considering scrapping tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles If Canadians were in the driver’s seat, tariffs imposed by Ottawa on Chinese electric vehicles (EV) would have an easier road to the Canadian market.

A new Nanos poll found 62% of Canadians were at least somewhat supportive of removing tariffs on Chinese EVs:

What the public service risks losing in a full return to the office A former executive from the federal public service writes that one-size-fits-all approaches rarely work.

What the public service risks losing in a full return to the office ottawacitizen.com/public-servi...

Feds give CRA 100 days to fix call-centre debacle Officials confirmed the CRA will not be given additional funding to improve services.

Feds give CRA 100 days to fix call-centre debacle ottawacitizen.com/public-servi...

Feds to spend $71 billion on public servants' salaries, other costs this fiscal: PBO The increase in personnel spending came despite a shrinking federal public service.

Feds to spend $71 billion on public servants' salaries, other costs this fiscal: PBO ottawacitizen.com/public-servi...

Could government watchdogs have to do more with less despite being exempt from spending review? While such offices will be spared by the spending review, some observers say it might mean requests for funding may go unfulfilled.

Could government watchdogs have to do more with less despite being exempt from spending review? ottawacitizen.com/public-servi...

Canada's spy agency has a leadership trust crisis. The new boss says that's unacceptable Earlier this year, new CSIS director noted that trust in senior leadership is low, the amount of red tape is seen as too high and less than half of surveyed employees would recommend working at CSIS.

When the results of the latest Public Service Employment Survey landed on Dan Rogers’ desk earlier this year, the new head of Canada’s spy agency was angry.
No matter how he looked at them, the results for CSIS were bleak and clear: there is a leadership trust crisis
nationalpost.com/news/politic...

Path cleared for Canada to take part in Trump’s 'Golden Dome' missile shield Canadian officials told their American counterparts that roadblock's to joining Trump's Golden Dome missile defence system had been lifted.

ottawacitizen.com/public-servi...

Meet the 24-year-old Ottawa software engineer who runs a MAGA bot The bots were created to flood X with pro-MAGA messages, attracting attention from Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

Meet the 24-year-old Ottawa software engineer who runs a MAGA bot ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa-...

Deachman: The ByWard Market is both beautiful and broken Curious to see how the Market changes during the day and night, Bruce Deachman wandered its streets and alleyways for 24 consecutive hours.

Deachman: The ByWard Market is both beautiful and broken ottawacitizen.com/news/byward-...

Military commander steps down as investigation into Cameron Highlanders social media posts continues Military commander steps down as investigation into Cameron Highlanders social media posts continues

ottawacitizen.com/public-servi...

Globe and Mail reporter targeted by online campaign, photographed surreptitiously in public settings An anonymous X account posted photos of Alberta reporter Carrie Tait and described her movements as she reported on a health authority controversy

Hi, yes, g'morning. This is awkward.

But targeting a reporter - hi! - with
surreptitiously obtained photos and details of her tooling around town is an attack on the public's right to know.

www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

Will the retirement age ever drop for new public servants? Government workers hired after 2013 can’t retire with a full pension until 60. An expert explains why and what you can do now.

Will the retirement age ever drop for new public servants? ottawacitizen.com/public-servi...

Government blocked streaming sites for public servants as a 'people management issue,' documents show | CBC News Although streaming services like Netflix and Prime weren't straining the government's network bandwidth, federal officials decided to block them because they were perceived to be a "people management"...

Late last year, the federal government banned public servants from accessing certain streaming services like Netflix on work devices. Internal documents show DND was the department with the highest volume of streaming in Sept. 2024 at over 3 terabytes. PSPC was second and the PCO was third:

Former Afghan interpreter details alleged sexual abuse by Global Affairs employee | CBC News Clutching a teddy bear and trembling through her story in the witness box, a female former Afghan interpreter who worked for Canada in Afghanistan detailed the harrowing sexual abuse she allegedly suf...

A former Afghan interpreter detailed how she allegedly suffered sexual abuse by a Global Affairs employee shortly after she came to Canada at the age of 17.

Cameron Highlanders top officer removed in wake of Blue Hackle Mafia controversy The Canadian Army launched an investigation into the alleged conduct of any currently serving members that were part of the Facebook group.

The commanding officer of the Cameron Highlanders has been temporarily removed as the Canadian Army investigates a Facebook group, where the unit's members allegedly posted hateful content.

Cap or cuts? Public servants have 40,000 reasons to worry A former federal director general explains what $13B in savings could mean for job reductions across departments and what public servants should watch for in the months ahead.

Cap or cuts? Public servants have 40,000 reasons to worry ottawacitizen.com/public-servi...

Texas Governor’s Office Says Its Emails With Elon Musk May Be, in Part, Too “Embarrassing” to Release to the Public We asked Abbott for his and his staff’s emails with Elon Musk and Musk’s companies. The governor’s office won’t turn them over, saying some contain “intimate and embarrassing” information that is “not...

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott won't release his emails with Elon Musk to ProPublica because they contain “intimate and embarrassing” information.

'The world waits for no one': The Michael Sabia era begins for the public service The new clerk of the Privy Council, Michael Sabia, laid out his vision in an open letter to public servants on his first day on the job.

'The world waits for no one': The Michael Sabia era begins for the public service ottawacitizen.com/public-servi...