Tag: Protest
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.
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
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.
Confronted with Canada’s grim history, we must strive to do better on inclusion
The discovery of unmarked graves of children near former Indian residential schools has created waves of shock and anger across Canada. Michael Wernick, former deputy minister for Indigenous affairs and clerk of the Privy Council, hopes that out of the pain will come a renewed commitment to reconciliation and social inclusion.