|
Speech by
Lucienne Robillard,
President of the Treasury Board, and
Member of Parliament for Westmount-Ville-Marie
October 8, 2002
Ottawa
Introduction
Mr. Speaker:
It is a privilege to participate in this debate on the
Speech from the Throne.
The vision that has been sketched out is based on widely
shared values and deeply held Canadian principals that reflect the
Canadian way - sharing risks and benefits, equality of all citizens,
tolerance and celebration of our differences. It is a vision that builds
on a record of success. The success we have achieved has come not only
from strong economic growth and fiscal prudence, but also from our ability
to listen to Canadians and to focus on the issues that are most important
to them. The commitments in the Speech from the Throne reflect those
priorities: a comprehensive plan for health care reform, a strong economy,
a clean environment and the well being of children and families.
Official Languages
One of Canada's great strengths is our linguistic
duality. As a strong advocate of official bilingualism, I look forward to
a renewed action plan to re-energize our Official Languages policy.
Promoting and deepening the bilingual nature of the Public
Service is an important priority. The Public Service of Canada is, and
will always be, a bilingual institution. On this there can be no
compromise. I am particularly pleased to know that a recent study on
public servants' attitudes towards official languages shows that an
overwhelming majority of public servants support the official languages
program including both the importance of serving the public in the
language of their choice, and the need to encourage bilingualism in the
workplace.
That being said, we certainly need to be more active in
the way we promote the use of both official language in the federal
workplace. It needs to be a more prominent feature of daily activity and
there must be a better understanding of the policies. You will hear more
about this in the coming months.
Human Resource Management System Reform
Now I want to turn to the subject of human resource
management in the Public Service. As the final commitment in the Speech
from the Throne the government will: " Introduce long-awaited
reforms for the public service to ensure that it can attract the diverse
talent it needs to continue to serve Canadians well."
For me, it is fitting that this should serve as a
conclusion to this important speech. It is fitting because the public
service underpins all that we do in government. Whether in advising
Ministers on policy, supporting Parliamentarians, delivering services to
citizens across Canada or abroad, or in enforcing the law, we rely on the
dedicated men and women who are the Public Service of Canada.
The Public Service is one of this country's greatest
assets. As a parliamentarian, I consider that a vital characteristic of
our democracy is the positive energy and results that are produced when
those elected to serve Canadians are supported by an impartial,
non-partisan, professional, representative and bilingual public service.
While it is true that we set the agenda, we must all recognize that our
public servants make it happen.
It is because of this, that there is a clear political
determination to make the changes required to ensure that our public
service is prepared to take on the challenges of the 21st century. We
realize that, if we are to meet Canadians' legitimate needs, we must
rely on an effective and competent public service.
I have always believed that people are central to any
organization, whether in the public or the private sector. And since it is
the job of every government to deliver to its citizens the high-quality
services upon which we all depend, human resources carry even greater
importance in the public sector. Our employees give a human face to the
workings of government.
The current system for managing our employees is outdated
and out of step with modern management. Some of our rules and regulations
were put in place 30 or 40 years ago, and they haven't changed much since,
yet the face of our Public Service and the face of our country have
changed profoundly.
The demographic reality is that as many as half of
today's public servants, and a much higher proportion of its senior
ranks, will be eligible to retire over the coming decade. At the same
time, competition for the best minds is intensifying. One of our
priorities, then, is to retain and hire competent employees. The public
service must be able to keep, attract and develop highly motivated women
and men. And we must ensure that there are appropriate development
mechanisms for future leaders, in ensure a seamless transfer of corporate
knowledge.
As such, we need to renew the legal and administrative
framework for human resources management, which in many ways is rigid. We
need to foster innovation, which calls for more flexible policies and
procedures. We need to give our employees and managers the right tools, so
that they never feel they have to fight the system to do a good job.
An Exemplary Workplace
We need to create an exemplary workplace. In my view, an
exemplary workplace is a place that embraces diversity, where employees
are proud to belong, where they can work in the official language of their
choice in bilingual regions and receive fair compensation for their work.
It is a place where managers encourage employees to take advantage of a
range of possible working conditions, so that they can better balance
professional and family responsibilities. It is a workplace that promotes
learning and professional development for all employees, regardless of
level. Of course, such a workplace should also be a place of harmonious
labour relations where a real spirit of co-operation non
confrontation-leads to frank and constructive exchanges and problem
solving between the employer and union representatives.
In an exemplary workplace, systems, practices and
regulations are aligned with getting results. Right now, many of our human
resources management practices are just plain inadequate for today's
challenges. Anyone who has tried to recruit or transfer an employee in the
public service knows that the process is lengthy and tedious. I have
received much correspondence and have had numerous conversations with
members on both sides of this House about the difficulties that some of
their constituents have encountered with the current human resource
system. These exchanges have been very helpful to me because they
illustrate the practical difficulties that Canadians face when applying
for a public service job.
Things must and will change. However, changing the system
does not mean changing our core values. On the contrary, the values of
integrity, fairness, respect, accountability, transparency, competence and
merit must be maintained in any new human resources management framework.
Reform must be based on a foundation of strong ethical conduct. We insist
on a solid ethical foundation because it provides the support that allow a
democratic government to perform at its best and because it will foster
public confidence and trust in Canada's public institutions.
Working Together
For all of these reasons, I will soon be tabling, for
consideration of this House, legislative changes to address these concerns.
Mr. Speaker, it is incumbent upon each one of us to get involved.
Reforming the public service human resource management system is a
priority for this government as it should be for all Members in this
House.
We are not embarking on this endeavour because we think
the Public Service is deficient. On the contrary, I believe, my government
believes, and I hope Members opposite believe that our public sector is
one of the best in the world. We simply want to make sure it can grow and
adapt to meet the challenges of the economy and society as they evolve.
This is the essence of modernizing human resources management, the essence
of efficient government. I therefore invite you to take an active part in
this process. With support and commitment of everyone from public service
executives to employees, from union partners and indeed from
Parliamentarians, this initiative will lay a solid foundation for our
continued success in serving Canadians.
Conclusion
Mr. Speaker, I believe we are headed in the right
direction. For change to happen, we need to focus on our goals and we need
to bear in mind that changes must be possible and practicable. Ultimately,
we will all benefit from modernization.
I applaud the Prime Minister for concluding his reply to
the Speech from the Throne by saying: " When I travel across
Canada I will talk to a new generation about the importance public life. I
will discuss with them the role of public service. How they can
participate and lead in the future." I urge all Members in this
House to follow his lead.
And so, I am pleased to support the vision set out in the
Speech from the Throne. With a renewed and strengthened public service, we
can be confident in building together the Canada we want.
|
