Canadian Government Executive - Volume 21 - Issue 9

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Editorial
Editor-in-Chief: Patrice Dutil
Associate Editor: Jason McNaught
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Vic Pakalnis, Mirarco, Laurentian University; Denise Amyot,
CEO, ACCC; Nick Frate, Federal Youth Network; George Chin,
Provincial Interministerial Council, OPS; Jodi LeBlanc,
Veterans Affairs
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4 / Canadian Government Executive // November 2015
I write this on the day following the general election that resoundingly put the Liberal
Party back in power; the first Liberal majority victory in fifteen years. Is there hope for
a new approach to managing the modernization of the state apparatus? Will the new
government allow for more experiments in public policy and finally harness the power
of the Internet?
The Conservative Party left with many clouds over its head, many of which originated
from the way it managed its relations with the bureaucracy in public. Its attitude cre-
ated differences over the place of science in policymaking and as a government activity.
It probably lost a few votes over the issue of the long-form census alone (really, where
else but in Canada could this sort of issue come to a head?). There were concerns about
partisanship in dealing with the bureaucracy but mostly there was a discomfort that the
public service was not allowed to play the policy role it considers its sacred domain.
In fairness, every government has had to deal with these issues and I’m still not con-
vinced that the Conservatives did much worse than their predecessors (remember how
the Liberal government under Jean Chrétien gutted science in Environment Canada,
Fisheries and Oceans, and Natural Resources?). Otherwise, the Conservative reign was
remarkably quiet in terms of its labour relations with government employees (in con-
trast, remember the 1970s, 80s and 90s?).
The new government has a tremendous opportunity to lead Canadian governance in a
great leap forward. True to form, it has announced a bold new approach to a “fair and open
government” (fans of Yes, Minister! will imagine Sir Humphrey Appleby turn agonizingly in
his literary grave). The Liberal Party platformdeclared it would continue to improve access
to government data. It is significant that the Liberals announced that it is “especially impor-
tant to us that government work well, and be seen to work well.” They have also promised
“better public services and more effective public servants.” On the premise that “Ottawa is
broken” the Liberals say they have a “comprehensive plan to fix it.”
I think I’ve heard these lines before, but let’s lean on the side of optimism. The Liberal
platform is filled with commitments for better service to Canadians, including individ-
ualized, secure accounts for citizens who want better, faster access to government ser-
vices. It promises higher performance standards for services, a reduction in red tape,
reductions of wait times and money-back guarantees. There is a commitment to inde-
pendent assessments of performance and better public reporting of results. There is a
promise of expansion of online services, but at the same time there is a commitment
to expand in-person service where “it is critical in the delivery of programs.” There is a
commitment to consult Canadians on decisions and “evaluations of existing programs
and policies,” and this will start with door-to-door home mail delivery. The Liberal plat-
form promises to continue the practice; it will be fun to see where it will end.
All this wrapped-up in a promise to deliver evidence-based decision-making.
This month’s issue shows where governments have embraced new methods and
new strategies to make service leaner, faster and better targeted. There is much to
be learned from the examples of the Region of Peel and the District of Mission. Roger
Oldham reminds us that nothing is possible without leadership, however.
We live in a time when technological and governance innovations seem so promis-
ing. There is an appetite to improve every dimension of our governance. I hope the new
government lives up to its high promises and genuinely creates an environment where
public servants can indeed strive to meet their equally high commitments.
A New Opportunity (?)
editor’s note Patrice Dutil
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