Category: Tradecraft of Politics
Twin challenges to the public service
The public sector is entering another period where dramatic changes are coming. This is precisely the time to advocate for the importance of a dynamic, effective public service and to argue for mindful, smart management of these forces of change.
Letter from Ottawa: a new year begins quietly, but much lies ahead
2024 has begun relatively quietly in Canada but the ripples of the past couple of years are still being felt. It will be a year for public servants to put on their bifocals, says Michael Wernick – working on near-term pressures, but trying to look to the horizon.
The pay-as-you-go proposal on cutting federal spending not as simple as advocates say
Many politicians, advocates and pundits would like to discourage growth in federal government spending. Spending restraint (slower growth) or outright austerity (cuts) are legitimate paths that political parties can propose to voters. Ultimately voters choose between parties with different views on the appropriate size and role of government in the economy and society.
Diagnosing the elements of Tired Government Syndrome
Parliament has returned in Canada for what’s likely a final session before the election. If history is any guide, the government will find it hard to make progress before the election – and whoever wins will need to look afresh at public sector reform
If spending is out of control, why are important federal services underfunded?
Spending is just one tool in any federal government’s policy box. There are other ways to advance priorities. But spending is the most visible way to signal where the government’s prime concerns and values lie.
Transitions and reboots for the Canadian public service
A new clerk takes the top job at a period of unusual attention and angst in the Canadian government. Political tumult is ever-present, even two years from an election, and planned restraint on public spending likely means tough decisions to come. All the more reason to celebrate the role of officials this Public Service Week
Stress testing Canadian governance
Across Canada, the public sector struggled to put in place pandemic public health measures, provide emergency relief to households and businesses, and continue to deliver a vast array of services to Canadians. These efforts are now going through after-action reviews supported by an extensive array of officers and agents of Parliament.
Launching constitutional reform in Canada would be a terrible idea
One of my vivid memories from a long career in public service was when I met Quebec’s then-premier, Robert Bourassa, in a hotel elevator in Charlottetown in August, 1992. It was the morning that the political accord was finalized. A little later, prime minister Brian Mulroney dropped by the federal delegation room to thank the…
LETTER FROM OTTAWA: Strikes and Other Storm Clouds are on the Horizon for Canada’s Public Service.
Spring has taken its time to arrive in most of Canada this year. An April ice storm knocked out electricity to more than a million customers in Montreal and surrounding areas, creating flashbacks to a similar event in late 1998. However, arrive it has, and with it familiar and comforting rites, notably the ice hockey…
These practical ideas can help reinvigorate Canada’s public sector
The Canadian public sector is having a moment. Typically, it only draws attention from politicians and pundits in episodes, usually as a response to a specific problem or breakdown. This feedback loop has been an essential driver of change, as governments look to make the pain go away and pledge to fix the problem and…
The pull and push of the centre that haunts the public service
The federal public sector has been shaped by two easily identifiable democratic forces – the views of the people we elect about the role of the state in society and the economy as well as the federal government’s role within the federation. Federal institutions, direct programs and transfers to other levels of government have waxed…
Letter from Ottawa: an exhausting year shows the limits of foresight
Accountability in government is important – but hindsight must be used to help build resilience and capacity in the public sector, not make politicians and public servants even more risk averse
Leaving the comfort zone: Difficult issues in public sector reform
Much of the commentary on the public sector stays at the level of generalities. Exhortations to become more strategic, more inclusive, bolder in advice and better in delivery are impossible to contest. Too often, the discussion stops short of analyzing resistance or tradeoff among objectives. As in so many things, we are much better at…
Heading for the Rapids? – Canadian Government Executive
It isn’t too early to cast an eye to the far horizon and the scenarios for the period just before and just after the next federal election. About a year from now this kind of forecasting will move from providing filler for political pundits to serious planning by a myriad of associations and lobbyists, and…
Letter from Ottawa: The changing of the political seasons – and royal eras
Politics is gearing up again in Canada as summer turns to autumn. Michael Wernick, the former clerk of the privy council and secretary to cabinet, sets out the stakes in months – and years – ahead, and reflects on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II
Letter from Ottawa: a little perspective on public service problems
Passport processing delays have prompted debate about service delivery in Canada. Michael Wernick, the country’s former cabinet secretary, warns against catastrophising – and says old ways of talking about the public service stand in the way of progress
Letter from Ottawa: After a winter of shocks, Canada’s Budget is the latest sign of stability
A political agreement that increased the durability of the government and a Budget that that launched a number of policy reviews indicate that the government in Ottawa is trying to think more long term.
LETTER FROM OTTAWA: Now is the winter of our discontent.
Opinion: the ongoing truckers’ protests against COVID-19 restrictions in Canada could be taken as a worrying sign of polarisation. But as Michael Wernick, former clerk of the Privy Council writes, things may not be as gloomy as they seem.