Canadian Digital Service challenged to digitize government by 2025
At just a little over two years old, the growing team at the Canadian Digital Service is busy thinking about an ambitious goal—how to make many government services available online by 2025. Just under a year ago, the federal government convened a group of Canadian industry leaders to establish economic strategies for the country, including […]
AI, climate crises converging
LONDON, U.K.—Maybe we can get through the climate crisis without a global catastrophe, although that door is closing fast. Maybe we can cope with the huge loss of jobs caused by the revolution in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) without a social and political calamity. But can we do both at the same time? We […]
PSAC head says avoiding Conservative government ‘No. 1’ election issue
The head of Canada’s largest federal public service union says the number one issue for the Public Service Alliance of Canada is “not to end up with another Conservative government” and to “get the NDP elected wherever we can.” “There’s no way we can have more of Stephen Harper, and that’s exactly what Andrew Scheer will […]
MPs should be asking better questions about innovation and technology; this is huge
TORONTO—There are many reasons to worry about the state of our democracy. But one reason is the decline in the role of MPs and their self-imposed failure in exercising their constitutional authority in holding government to account. The House of Commons is no longer a Chamber of representatives engaged in debating the big issues facing […]
Social media companies that violate new political ad rules, even inadvertently, will be fined, minister suggests
Canada has a new regime for online political ads heading into October’s election, but in an interview last week the minister responsible expressed some frustration with certain social media companies’ approach to the new system. Instead of agreeing to implement a registry of all campaign ads, as is required by the newly passed election-reform law […]
Privacy watchdog proposing rule change that could see firms revise data-use policies
Companies could soon be rewriting their privacy policies to fit a change the privacy commissioner is contemplating that could mean getting a person’s explicit okay in all cases when their data is to be transferred across the border. Though the proposed change isn’t final, it has some interested people and groups saying that they’re now […]
The EU and Canada: a transatlantic partnership with a strong digital dimension
Relations between the European Union and Canada are probably stronger now than they have ever been before. The Strategic Partnership Agreement and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, both signed in October 2016, show our mutual commitment to an open, democratic, sustainable, and progressive international order. I am delighted that an EU-Canada digital dialogue is […]
Digital Privacy and Security
Broad scope needed for Canada’s upcoming Athena SWAN program, say stakeholders
A pilot program the government is expected to launch soon to boost diversity in the research ranks should include a variety of institutions in order to have the impact the feds intend, says two organizations representing post-secondary institutions at the national level. Universities have varying needs and challenges when it comes to achieving equity goals, […]
The future of work will determine the future of equality
The future of work is here. Technological disruption is already rapidly changing work, but we still have little idea of what the job market will look like in the years ahead here in Canada or elsewhere, including in developing countries. Because we know little about what impact automation technology like artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics […]
