Report - Government On-Line and Canadians

TWO: Why Government On-Line?

Canadians are connected and want on-line government

Canadians are among the most connected to the Internet in the world. Canada ranks second in overall connectivity only to the United States (Conference Board, January 2001). Two-thirds of Canadians have Internet access, spending an average of nine hours per week on the Internet – more than any other nation (Communication Canada – Spring 2001). In 2000, 97% of businesses with 100 or more employees used the Internet, as did 63% of business enterprises with fewer than 100 employees. ( Electronic Commerce and Technology Survey, Statistics Canada 2000).

What are Canadians doing on-line? We increasingly rely on the Internet as a tool for improving our skills, productivity and competitiveness. Individual Internet users bank, search for news, medical and health information, book travel plans, seek out education and training on-line, all at increasing rates (Household Internet Use Survey, Statistics Canada 2001). Businesses are using the Internet not only as a marketing tool, but also to improve management practices by networking and developing virtual communities of interest, and to improve productivity by linking functions with suppliers, avoiding duplicative paperwork and data entry.

It is not a surprise, then, that individual Canadians and businesses are looking to government to move services on-line. 56% of Canadian Internet users have visited a Government of Canada Web site (Communication Canada – Fall 2001).

A majority of Canadians believe that the Internet will improve the quality of service they receive from Government (see box). Businesses support the move to on-line service delivery because it will provide faster access to information and reduce the cost of complying with government regulations, thus increasing their productivity and competitiveness.

The Canadian government has responded

The Government of Canada has responded to these expectations, committing to improve service delivery by putting the most frequently used government services on-line. On-line services will be available when Canadians want, where they want – from home, office, school, or in transit.

Initial funding for GOL was provided in the 2000 Budget, and funding to implement the initiative was announced in the December 2001 Budget (see box).

Putting government services on-line is part of a comprehensive strategy to make Canada the most connected country in the world - "Connecting Canadians". This strategy includes providing public access to the Internet, promoting the development of Canadian content, and encouraging the adoption and use of electronic commerce.

Realizing economic and social benefits

On-line service delivery has wide-ranging benefits, from improving service to Canadians, to encouraging Canadians to use the Internet and establishing Canada’s reputation as a leading knowledge-based economy and society.

Better service: On-line services will be faster and more convenient for Canadians. The government is committed to re-thinking services (rather than simply automate existing programs), to eliminating unnecessary red tape and to taking advantage of the speed and real-time interactivity of the Internet. The goal is to provide Canadians with a choice of service delivery options, better service quality and more efficient service delivery.

Encouraging Internet use: Internet adoption and use drives economic and productivity growth, as documented by the Canadian E-Business Opportunities Roundtable and the U.S. Department of Commerce. The more that individual Canadians and businesses can be encouraged to use the Internet, the greater the potential for productivity gains. GOL can help accelerate Internet take-up by individuals and businesses by providing information and services Canadians want, and by demonstrating that on-line services can be delivered safely and securely.

Creating products and services: Canada is well positioned to benefit from the development of innovative Internet products and services. Canada’s highly competitive information and telecommunications sector provides a full range of advanced networking and applications technology, products and services. GOL can play an important role by encouraging the development of electronic commerce and security applications – new products and services that can be sold around the world. Already Canada is benefiting from global leadership in photonics and fibre optics, wireless technologies, and the development of educational courseware.

Creating knowledge: Putting government information on-line increases the resources and knowledge available to Canadians at work, at home and at school. Departments are able to provide on-line access to information, research findings and analyses that were previously only available on request or used only within government. Access to these rich resources contributes to Canada becoming a knowledge-based society.

Becoming a location of choice: Developing innovative applications and best practices in e-government will help position Canada as a leading innovative economy. In doing so, GOL can contribute to Canada becoming a location of choice to conduct business, to live and to travel, resulting in the creation of jobs and economic growth. Canada has already established a reputation as an early e-government leader.