A culture of entitlement: Take public transit or walk you lazy arses!
By Elizabeth Thompson
Monday, June 4, 2012
Federal government executives are about to lose their parking perk as part of Treasury Board President Tony Clement’s push to change the way government does business, iPolitics has learned.
The parking benefit will be phased out effective July 1 and is expected to save the government nearly $3 million a year.
Government executives were formally advised Monday that the government will no longer pick up the tab for half the cost of their parking. With parking in downtown Ottawa running at about $220 a month, the move will force dozens of senior public servants to pay more than $100 a month more than they do now.
“While we’ll take any saving available to us, this is a key part of our culture shift and a signal to the public service including political staff that we’re looking at all ‘perks,’” said a senior government official who spoke on condition they not be named.
Clement is also eyeing other soft perks such as cars and drivers and is
considering a system of pooled drivers for both ministers and mandarins.
“The problem is we have some drivers who are making six figures in overtime and largely it is because of downtime or wait time,” said the official.
“We think with proper planning co-operation across all ministers we can come up with a solution that avoids the driver making six figures because he’s waiting for a minister for hours and hours, whether it is cabinet or caucus meetings or late evening.”
“We think there is a more efficient way of managing that. We are interested in the British model of pooled driver service. So that’s one option.”
While the cost of ministerial drivers periodically makes the headlines, a number of other officials, such as deputy ministers, officers of Parliament and the governor of the Bank of Canada also have cars and drivers. Separate agencies, like crown corporations, are considered distinct employers and aren’t impacted by the move.
Reducing the number of government cars and drivers also saves the government money buying and operating cars, they pointed out.
The government’s conference and events directive is also under the microscope. The move comes only a few weeks after Customs and Immigration Union officials staged a demonstration in Montreal to protest an executive retreat held for Canada Border Services Agency bosses days after more than 1,000 CBSA staff members were advised they could lose their jobs.
They are among thousands of public servants who have been told their jobs are in jeopardy as a result of the government’s deficit reduction action plan and are weighing whether to accept work force adjustment measures to leave the public service.
However, they may find it difficult to return to working for the public service on contract. Clement is also looking at ways to curb the practice of contracting out to government officials who leave or retire from the public service.
It’s all part of an attempt by Clement to change the culture of Canada’s public service.
“It’s a carrot and stick approach,” said the official.
“The problem is we have some drivers who are making six figures in overtime and largely it is because of downtime or wait time,” said the official.
“We think with proper planning co-operation across all ministers we can come up with a solution that avoids the driver making six figures because he’s waiting for a minister for hours and hours, whether it is cabinet or caucus meetings or late evening.”
“We think there is a more efficient way of managing that. We are interested in the British model of pooled driver service. So that’s one option.”
While the cost of ministerial drivers periodically makes the headlines, a number of other officials, such as deputy ministers, officers of Parliament and the governor of the Bank of Canada also have cars and drivers. Separate agencies, like crown corporations, are considered distinct employers and aren’t impacted by the move.
Reducing the number of government cars and drivers also saves the government money buying and operating cars, they pointed out.
The government’s conference and events directive is also under the microscope. The move comes only a few weeks after Customs and Immigration Union officials staged a demonstration in Montreal to protest an executive retreat held for Canada Border Services Agency bosses days after more than 1,000 CBSA staff members were advised they could lose their jobs.
They are among thousands of public servants who have been told their jobs are in jeopardy as a result of the government’s deficit reduction action plan and are weighing whether to accept work force adjustment measures to leave the public service.
However, they may find it difficult to return to working for the public service on contract. Clement is also looking at ways to curb the practice of contracting out to government officials who leave or retire from the public service.
It’s all part of an attempt by Clement to change the culture of Canada’s public service.
“It’s a carrot and stick approach,” said the official.
posted by Clare L. Pieuk at 3:47 PM
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