PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER WELCOMES THE TWENTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT ON THE PUBLIC SERVICE OF CANADA

Introduction

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today welcomed the Twenty-Second Annual Report on the Public Service of Canada from Janice Charette, the Clerk of the Privy Council, Secretary to the Cabinet and head of the Public Service of Canada.

The report highlights a number of the Public Service of Canada’s achievements over the past year in delivering on the Government’s commitments and serving Canadians with excellence, such as:

• the use of innovative technology and unprecedented collaboration between the public, private and non-profit sectors to locate Her Majesty’s Ship Erebus, one of the ill-fated Franklin Expedition ships lost in 1846;
• the devolution of land management from the federal government to the Northwest Territories to place decision-making about land use in the hands of Northerners; and,
• the development of new tools to forecast border wait times and expedite the processing of applications for the most eligible skilled foreign nationals.

It also underscores work underway to achieve the Blueprint 2020 vision to create a more innovative, agile, collaborative and high-performing Public Service of Canada. Reforms underway include efforts to encourage innovation, develop a new information technology infrastructure to facilitate collaboration, and a more coordinated and effective approach to people management and learning.

The report also articulates the Clerk’s priorities for the coming year, which are: reinvigorating recruitment efforts; building healthy, respectful and supportive work environments, with a particular focus on mental health; and developing the policy community to ensure that the Public Service can continue to provide world-class, timely advice to government.

The report is available on the Clerk of the Privy Council’s website: www.clerk.gc.ca.

Quick Facts

• As required under section 127 of the Public Service Employment Act, the Clerk of the Privy Council reports annually to the Prime Minister on the state of the Public Service of Canada.
• The Annual Report to the Prime Minister on the Public Service of Canada was first introduced in 1992.
• The Public Service of Canada is the country’s largest employer, with approximately 257,000 employees. It is also the country’s most diverse workforce, including administrative, scientific, engineering, medical, and enforcement professionals, among others.

Quote

“I would like to thank the Clerk for this year’s report, which showcases some of the significant contributions made by the Public Service of Canada in serving Canadians and delivering on government commitments. A world-class and modern Public Service is essential to our continued success as a nation.” – Prime Minister Stephen Harper