CONFIDENCE ISSUES — While Deputy Minister of Finance MICHAEL SABIA prepares for his next professional chapter as head of Hydro-Québec, the department he leaves behind is working through an apparent rank-and-file dearth of confidence in senior managers.
That trend was clear in the results of the most recent Public Service Employee Survey, a biennial taking of the temperature in the federal bureaucracy that offers an enormous sample size of insight. Fifty-three percent of public servants — 189,584 in all — filled out the Treasury Board-run survey between Nov. 22 and Feb. 5. More than 500 employees at the Department of Finance answered most of the questions. (The department planned to employ 929 full-time equivalents in 2022–23.) — A notable drop: Sixty-eight percent of respondents "have confidence in the senior management of my department or agency," compared to 85 percent in 2020 and 88 percent in 2019. The public service average was 64 percent. (In 2021, the department was hit with a spate of senior official departures.) The department's decline ran across every age group except the 60-plus crowd — and was most pronounced among those aged 40-44, only 58 percent of whom expressed confidence in Finance brass. In 2020, 80 percent of responding employees believed senior managers made "effective and timely decisions." That dropped to 56 percent in 2022, still a tick above the public service average. Again, only the 60-plus set gave higher marks than two years ago. — Mental health concerns: A small majority of 57 percent said their department "does a good job of raising awareness of mental health in the workplace," a 20-point drop since 2020. Only 38 percent of employees aged 25-29 either somewhat or strongly agreed with that statement, and only 44 percent of those aged 30-34 said the same. Again, a clear generation gap emerged: 85 percent of those 60 and over approved of the department's mental health awareness. — The official response: Asked if the department has taken any steps in response to the findings, a spokesperson replied with this statement: "Every person working at the Department of Finance plays an essential role in delivering for Canadians. The Department is extremely thankful for all their hard work." PROXY FIGHT — The House environment committee is calling for an end to federal fossil fuel subsidies by the end of 2023. A report that dropped Tuesday attempted some nuance on the controversial public money for the oil patch, recommending Ottawa wind down remaining subsidies "with careful attention to and mitigation of any potential social and economic impacts." Want more nods to industry? We got 'em. MPs also urged the government to "ensure that the competitiveness of Canada’s oil and gas sector is considered when it makes decisions related to climate change measures." — "Climate change is real": Those were the first four words of a blistering rebuttal from Conservative MPs, who argued the report was unable to clearly define what counts as subsidies and amounted to "nothing more than aimless virtue-signalling." Tories took the opportunity to call for an end to carbon taxes and clean fuel regulations, champion the sector and tut-tut the Liberals for not unlocking more natural resources for export to global markets. The CPC solution: "fiscal incentives" for the private sector, and a regulatory regime that encourages fossil fuel development — including "low-emissions LNG." — From the left: The NDP called on the Liberals to withdraw a signature investment tax credit for carbon capture, utilization and storage — a key plank in the budget 2023 response to JOE BIDEN's Inflation Reduction Act. The NDP also wants the government to ban fossil fuel subsidies via legislation. — Also hot off the presses: A report by the House natural resources committee advises that to better manage a net-zero transition, governments, industries, workers and communities must better understand what it is and where it is taking them. And the House ethics committee is calling for a review and overhaul of the federal government’s access to information system. ‘I AM FRUSTRATED’ — Lobbying Commissioner NANCY BELANGER appeared before the Commons ethics committee Tuesday to be quizzed about former Cabinet Minister NAVDEEP BAINS taking on a new gig at Rogers. But what they got was a full-throated appeal to fix flaws in the Lobbying Act. “I feel like a broken record,” she told MPs,urging them once again to address the “gaps” and “loopholes” in the law. Elected officials cannot lobby for five years after leaving public office. But the rule is different if they work for a corporation. “The issue here is not Mr. Bains,” she told MPs. “He has said publicly he will not communicate with federal officials. But the act would allow him to, up to 20 percent of his time. So, one day a week during a month. That’s a lot of phone calls. That’s a problem.” | 
