Relax, Harper tells public servants

GATINEAU, Que. — Hundreds of new measures introduced by the Liberals to enforce public service accountability in the wake of the sponsorship scandal may have gone too far and some could be reversed, Prime Minister Stephen Harper says.

A new government accountability act will be a centrepiece of the Conservative minority's first legislative session but Harper told a select audience of bureaucrats today not to expect more workplace rules.

"This government will not be imposing more regulations," he said in a luncheon speech at the Museum of Civilization, across the Ottawa River from the Parliament Hill.

"If anything, we will look to repeal the ones that inhibit your effectiveness."

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It's fucking ridicoulously impossible to get a job there anymore.

Given that Harper is commited to new restrictions on federal government spending (even as revenues go up!), and considering his congenital disdain for all things federal, and what with his often-stated intention of handing over more authorities and programs to the provinces, I'm not seeing a lot of hiring for federal public service in the next while.

- B

usually don't cut it that hard. They sort of realize that you still need a decent Public Service to get things done. So I'm hoping against hope?

That's partly why I am rather 'cool' to the various government union ads demanding support...I am not at all convince that gov't hiring isn't based on whim, favoritism, quota, nepotism and political contacts....merit would be nice.

You go into any gov't liquor outlet and you usually find surly older men with absolutely NO qualifications to be doing 'retail'--no way under a fair hiring process that any HR manager would hire them.

The senority thing is a bit generous as well as the ability to 're-train' workers is a bit much when it seems to be only a noble principle regarding this 'group' of workers and NO attempt has been ever made to make some of this stuff part of the labour code.

"Because that would tie our hands."