Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I want to talk today about good government. Good government means public service renewal is urgent. No government can realize its objectives without the support of a dynamic and supportive civil service. Yet, as we all know and have observed, our public
service is under great stress. This is not surprising.
Over the past two and a half years our public service has taken a great deal of the brunt of our difficulties, whether it has been the budget cutting exercise, the division issue or the ongoing pay equity issue.
Number two, good government also means financial health, not just a balanced budget. Just because there is a balanced budget does not mask the fact that we have a disturbing economic picture on our hands. Just look at our housing needs, demands for more money for education and the need for jobs.
Finally, good government is about: openness, transparency and accountability. The government has introduced many new programs such as: P3 Initiatives, new contracting processes, down loading of services through community empowerment. As we move further and further away from the traditional ways in which things were done, the questions of democratic accountability, openness and transparency come repeatedly to the fore.
What about responsiveness? The government has not been open about many of the motions and questions we have introduced and asked, some of which are no doubt thorny, but they need to be asked and they need to be answered. For example, on Monday, I made a statement and followed up with questions about money in the budget that are now P3 projects. Mr. Todd told me to read my mail. Mr. Speaker, I read my mail. How can I read my mail when it lands on my desk a half an hour after I come into this House?
Improved accountability, a renewed public service, sensitivity to our motions and questions and concerns go the heart of my comments today and while we need to focus on matters of long-term significance to the health of northern democracy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
--Applause