Hannaford launches existential discussion on government’s role in the 21st century

There will likely be a change in government in the near future, and a new laser focus on fiscal restraint. This will undoubtedly drive a conversation on the role of government: what should it be doing, and what can be better—and more cost-effectively—done by others?

Privy Council Clerk John Hannaford. As the idea of public service as a 'vocation' slips away, perhaps talk of 'values' needs to be complemented by talk of the 'value proposition' for Canadians of maintaining a large, expensive public service, writes Lori Turnbull. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY LORI TURNBULL

October 21, 2024

OTTAWA—By all objective criteria, the clerk of the Privy Council is one of the most important jobs in the country. It is a venerable position that has existed since Confederation. Yet, ask most Canadians outside the “Ottawa bubble” who the clerk is and what they do, an...

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