Campbell Morrison
Recently retired, Campbell Morrison has spent 40 years observing the Government of Canada as a public servant, ministerial staffer and Parliament Hill journalist.
Recently retired, Campbell Morrison has spent 40 years observing the Government of Canada as a public servant, ministerial staffer and Parliament Hill journalist.
The departments and agencies and the employment categories that were involved in the pandemic response are the ones with the greatest reductions. Growth is occurring in defence and security, and, at least to this point, executives have seen smaller reductions than many front-line employees. Finding the next 15,500 jobs to cut will be harder.
Imagine if all public servants were trusted to the point where excessive oversight was not required? Imagine if they were asked to contribute in a meaningful way to the well-being of their departments, agencies and Crown corporations? Perhaps then the lethargy would dissipate, morale would improve, and an ongoing fiscal balance would be established.
Three years after he died, Ian Shugart’s colleagues in the public service have commemorated his contribution to Canada in several ways.
Michael Sabia is already a year into his tenure as clerk. Removing outliers, the average term for a modern clerk is under four years. It is not a lot of time to make good on any attempt to alter the trajectory of government. Will Sabia, the clerk with more private-sector experience than his predecessors, make a difference? Will his succinct three-word mission statement endure?
Michael Sabia says the current moment ‘calls for an entrepreneurial mindset, with measured risk-taking and a willingness to seize opportunities to drive meaningful, long-term change.’ The 50 deputy ministers have until next March to deliver bold ideas.