OTTAWA—The minister in charge of replacing the federal government’s troubled Phoenix pay system says testing of prototypes to replace it will begin within weeks.

And while he says there is no definitive timetable as of yet for when a new system will be fully up and running, Treasury Board President Scott Brison says he’s hoping for a launch in the spring.

Brison stressed Wednesday, however, that he doesn’t want to repeat mistakes of the past by launching too early.

The minister said any new system that replaces Phoenix must be fully tested and people have to be properly trained to operate it first.

Brison spoke as human resource system companies showcased their technology on Parliament Hill.

The government earmarked $16 million in its last budget to search for a replacement for Phoenix, which has caused massive headaches for more than half of the country’s federal workers, many of whom have been overpaid, shortchanged or not paid at all.

Brison said it is not yet known how much a replacement HR system will cost.

It’s estimated that Phoenix will cost taxpayers in excess of $1 billion, which includes the system’s original startup and measures enacted since then to stabilize the government payroll.

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