Canadians Expect 21st Century Public Service, Says Minister Clement

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - April 29, 2013) - The Honourable Tony Clement, President of the Treasury Board, today encouraged young and new public servants to challenge the status quo and innovate, supporting government-wide efforts to increase efficiency and better serve Canadians.

"The world, thanks to technology, has and will continue to change rapidly, and with it Canadians' expectations for the public service, what it delivers and how it communicates," said Minister Clement. "Now more than ever the public service needs to be innovative, think outside the box and challenge the accepted and expected ways of doing things. No one is better placed to meet those expectations than the new generation entering the public service."

The Government of Canada's Action Plan on Open Government, with its three pillars of Open Information, Open Data, and Open Dialogue, provides key examples of how the public service is engaging with Canadians to provide more information and increase transparency in new and technologically enhanced ways. The launch of the new next-generation Open Data Portal later this year will increase public access to government data, providing opportunities to drive innovation and spur economic growth.

"This new generation of government employees brings with it a mature set of technological skills," said Minister Clement. "Public servants are embracing the re-purposing of data to collaborate, co-create and achieve results. Creative use of open data will help the Government remain innovative and serve Canadians better, so it's important that public servants take part."

The Government of Canada continues to modernize how it delivers services and communicates with Canadians. Economic Action Plan 2013 committed to renewing the Government's Web presence to make it easier for Canadians to find and access services. Measures are also underway to increase the use of social media and mobile devices.

To learn more about Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit Canada's Economic Action Plan.

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