Speaking Notes: Values and Ethics in the Public Service

I am so pleased to be with you today to launch this new Masters in Public Ethics. This is an important development in our community and for Canada.

It will add considerably to Saint Paul University’s stature as a leader in the field of ethics, and to its reputation as an institution dedicated to reflecting on values and the common good of Canadian society.

It will also provide an important source of learning for aspiring and current public servants whose work is co crucial to the well-being of this country.

The Public Service is a national asset, an institution that assists the Government of Canada to serve the public interest. Its objective is to always deliver excellent policies, programs and services to the people of Canada.

The work of public servants has always been challenging. Today, however, working inside government is arguably more difficult than ever because the issues we face are so complex and there is little room for error.

There are many challenges that are changing the way we work and the work we do.

As far back as 1919, when the first Canadian Civil Service Commission was created, the values of integrity, responsibility, impartiality and professionalism were introduced.

These values were then spread far and wide, confirmed and strengthened, in particular through the work of the task force led by John Tait. Some of you will recognize his name. Some of you may have known him.

John was a brilliant and accomplished public servant who died far too young, but who left an abiding legacy in the form of his landmark work in 1996 on public service values.

Through a process of exploring problems or challenges facing the public service, the task force drew out four families of public service values – democratic values, professional values, ethical values and people values. These values have stood the test of time and are the foundation for the Values and Ethics Code of the Public Service.

This process of better understanding ourselves and our work is far from over. In fact, it never will be. We must ensure that we continue to adapt to the new realities of Canadian society. We have to ensure that the Public Service is well equipped to better serve Canadians in the years to come.

In particular, society is rapidly evolving in ever more complex ways and, as such, the complexity of ethical issues is also increasing.

In this light, I am very enthusiastic about the launch of this new Masters in Public Ethics. It will provide a place for people to come and study, think and explore—a chance to remove themselves from the rush of their everyday lives and jobs, to pull back and witness the larger scheme of things, to recognize connections and possibilities that are typically obscured in the rush of everyday life

The Masters in Public Ethics could be thought of as a laboratory, a practical, concrete environment for people to bring in the ideas originating in the workplace and then, through reflection and discussion with professors and other students, experiment with those ideas—test those ideas—in order to then return to the workplace ready to implement fresh and exciting possibilities that have truly been put through a dry run.

This is an important initiative. The Faculty of Philosophy, in offering this masters program, will contribute to the ongoing renewal of the Public Service.

Things are rarely black and white in government. This can be frustrating at times, but it is also the very aspect that attracts many of us.

The Public Service needs people who demonstrate the values I spoke about earlier, and the associated leadership qualities.

I look forward to working with the Faculty towards this very laudable goal.

Thank you and good luck.