A lot has been happening across Canada. From COVID-19 vaccines to immunity passports, a looming election, digitizing, and diversity. And in this edition of Canadian Government Executive, we try to touch on all of these trending topics to bring you a public sector perspective.
At the time of writing, more than 50 per cent of Canadians age 12 and up have received the required two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, which means that 44 per cent of all Canadians are fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus. To various degrees, countries around the world are rolling out their vaccine programs as well. With this massive global vaccine rollout, there is hope that the world’s population will become immune to COVID-19 and in many respects, life will return to normal.
One of the norms people are looking forward to is travelling. Travel and tourism have been severely affected during the pandemic. As more and more people are getting vaccinated and travel restrictions are easing, the question that keeps popping up relates to the COVID-19 vaccine passport.
In his article, Vijay Raj analyzes the issue of immunity certificates ‘passports’ in Canada as an inter-governmental problem and explores possible solutions and recommendations to address it. He points out that while some argue for the benefits of immunity certificates, there are many on the other side who are voicing their concerns around privacy and the socio-economic implications such as stigma and its impact on marginalized communities. He argues for adopting a human-centred design approach to the problem of immunity certificates.
With the Liberal government still a long way in completing its full term, polls indicate that a majority government for them is within reach if an election is to be held shortly. Dr. Lori Turnbull writes that in the past, parties in Canada have been accused of crowding the political centre in the scramble for votes, thereby failing to offer a true spectrum of choices based on competing values and policy choices. But this election stands to be different with the parties’ offerings likely be more distinctive than usual.
Digitizing is taking a whole new perspective due to the pandemic. Organizations are rethinking service delivery models that are incorporating digital platforms. A 2020 Deloitte report projects increased public demand for virtual government services for the foreseeable future. Albert Ruvuza writes about this trend that organizations are integrating into their service delivery to comply with social distancing rules while embracing consumer demands like instant messaging.
Achieving diversity has been an expanding goal within public service. Megan Fowler writes about how now more than ever, the public service is imbued with diversity and inclusion through specialized positions, strategies, and commitments. She explores in her article the mainstream leadership ideas, Indigenous leadership styles, and then connects the two through the public service’s expressed commitment to diversity and inclusion.
To round out this issue, be sure to check the CGE Dashboard on how the Canadian economy fare during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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