Canadian Government Executive - Volume 24 - Issue 05

26 / Canadian Government Executive // October/November 2018 Phoenix, the Senate and Digital Renewal T he recent 2018 Senate Report examining the Govern- ment of Canada’s Phoenix debacle provides cold com- fort to the thousands of individuals and families im- pacted by the deeply flawed payroll system. Yet it can help illuminate some of the many challenges of digital renewal facing an all-too-often antiquated public sector. Three salient issues stand out: first, the importance of political oversight in all matters digital; second, the dysfunctional West- minster model of political and operational accountability; and third, the tenuous balance between government-wide transfor- By Jeffrey Roy Governing Digitally mation and organizational autonomy and flexibility. With respect to political oversight, an advantage of the Senate is less partisanship than what transpires in the theatrics of the House of Commons. As with other important matters, notably medically-assisted dying and legalization of marijuana, the re- formed Senate has sought to enlighten debate. The Senate Report is thus less about assigning blame for past sins and more about addressing the costly and consequential choices at hand. Down under, Australia’s climb to the top of the UN Global E- Government Survey (number two in 2016) is owed at least in Senators Percy Mockler (committee chair), André Pratte and Mobina S.B. Jaffer (committee deputy chairs) share findings of the Senate Committee on National Finance’s report at a press conference in Ottawa on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. Photos: Senate of Canada