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Friday miscellany...
Dr. Stevo comes to the rescue!
Public service efficiency
Mr. Day is scheduled today to unveil a government initiative aimed at increasing the efficiency of the federal departments – which manage activities ranging from the war in Afghanistan and relief in Haiti, to income-tax collection, employment insurance and old-age security claims.
Huh, I didn’t realise we were inefficient? Haven’t all of the efficiency programs that we have been subjected to almost each and every year counted for anything or resulted in these cherished “efficiencies”?
Are we still that inefficient? After Blue Ribbon Panels? Streamlining? Corporate Business Architecture?
Man, we in the PS MUST be sooooooo incompetent! You’d think that we would by now be the smoothest and most efficient public service in the freakin’ GALAXY!
And so iut begins – Day has announced the first round of cuts by reducing the number of Governor in Council appointments by 245.
It is interesting to see where these cuts have been made.
Yes, they are patronage appointments and yes, many of these seats were already vacant, but I think this spells out the shape of things to come..
March 8, 2010
Reduction of Governor in Council Positions
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Current
number GiC
Department/ of GiC positions
Agency Organization positions reduced
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Agriculture and Canadian Grain Commission 9 6
Agri-Food Canada -----------------------------------------------------
National Farm Products Council 9 2
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Canadian Heritage Canadian Council on the Status
of the Artist 12 12
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Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission 19 6
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Citizenship and Canadian Race Relations Foundation
Immigration Canada and Investment Committee 24 11
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Environment Canada Historic Sites and Monuments
Board of Canada 15 2
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National Round Table on the
Environment and the Economy 26 8
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Department of Canada Development Investment
Finance Canada Corporation 20 9
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Canadian International Trade
Tribunal 9 2
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Fisheries and Freshwater Fish Marketing
Oceans Canada Corporation - Advisory Committee 15 15
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Foreign Affairs Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada 7 2
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International Boundary Commission 1 1
-----------------------------------------------------
International Development Research
Centre 21 3
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Roosevelt Campobello International
Park Commission 3 1
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Health Canada Assisted Human Reproduction Agency
of Canada 13 1
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Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse 7 1
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Canadian Institutes of Health
Research 19 2
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Human Resources Canada Employment Insurance
and Skills Commission 4 2
Development Canada -----------------------------------------------------
Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporation 13 3
-----------------------------------------------------
Canada Pension Plan/Old Age
Security: Review Tribunals 400 40
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Canada Pension Plan: Pensions
Appeals Board 12 2
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Indian and First Nations Financial
Northern Affairs Management Board 12 2
Canada -----------------------------------------------------
First Nations Statistical Institute 15 2
-----------------------------------------------------
National Aboriginal Economic
Development Board 20 7
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Northern Flood Agreement 1 1
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Industry Canada Business Development Bank of Canada 15 2
-----------------------------------------------------
Canada Foundation for Innovation 7 1
-----------------------------------------------------
Canadian Space Agency 2 1
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Canadian Tourism Commission 25 14
-----------------------------------------------------
National Research Council of Canada 22 3
-----------------------------------------------------
Natural Sciences and Engineering
Research Council 22 3
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Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council 22 3
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Space Advisory Board 19 19
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Standards Council of Canada 13 2
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International Trade Export Development Canada 15 2
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NAFTA Secretariat, Canadian Section 1 1
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Labour Canadian Centre for Occupational
Health and Safety 41 18
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National Defence Military Police Complaints
Commission 7 2
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Natural Resources Alberta - British Columbia Boundary
Canada Commission 1 1
-----------------------------------------------------
Alberta - Northwest Territories
Boundary Commission 1 1
-----------------------------------------------------
British Columbia - Yukon -
Northwest Territories Boundary
Commission 1 1
-----------------------------------------------------
Cape Breton Development Corporation 7 7
-----------------------------------------------------
Energy Supplies Allocation Board 1 1
-----------------------------------------------------
Manitoba - Saskatchewan Boundary
Commission 1 1
-----------------------------------------------------
Saskatchewan - Northwest Territories
Boundary Commission 1 1
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Transport, Intercolonial and P.E.I. Railways
Infrastructure Employees Provident Fund 1 1
and Communities -----------------------------------------------------
Marine Atlantic Inc. 15 5
-----------------------------------------------------
Parc Downsview Park Inc. 13 4
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Via Rail Canada Inc. 17 4
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Treasury Board Canada School of Public Service 15 3
of Canada -----------------------------------------------------
Secretariat Public Sector Pension Investment
Board 12 1
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1) I always thought “unveiling” was a term better used for art shows, new models of cars or a line of clothing… but this?
(1200)
Of course the PS is inefficient, just like any other large bureaucratic organization that employs tens of thousands of people.
Just like my old employer – one of the big banks. There were days when I wanted to pull my hair out.
The thing that gets me is that eliminating positions that aren’t filled doesn’t save money. The position isn’t filled, so it’s not being paid for, so there’s no money being spent – hence nothing being saved.
Of course. It’s just a laugh that they keep using the same government-speak over and over.
Ya, “increasing PS efficiency” is code for financial cut-backs. You’ve been around long enough to get that, right? It’s got nothing to do with performance or output or results and everything to do with saving lots of money by cutting staff, slashing budgets, freezing salaries and not filling positions vacated through attrition. Only then will the inefficiencies really begin