My Account

Saturday, December 21, 2024

Canada’s Politics and Government News Source Since 1989

When the pendulum swings: how does the public service respond to political polarization?

The polarization between political parties and their agendas creates a unique challenge for the nonpartisan public service. When everything is black and white, binary, and dichotomous, neutrality becomes difficult to define.

Opinion
BY LORI TURNBULL
November 18, 2024

Opinion | BY LORI TURNBULL | November 18, 2024

FOLLOW THE HILL TIMES:

Want to make sure your whole office has the full Hill Times experience?

We have team plans available for companies, organizations, classes, Parliament Hill offices and more. Fill out this form and find out if your team is eligible for a discount.

More Opinion

DMs’ report on values and ethics reveals public servants’ concerns with political staff boundaries, social media, lack of diversity

NewsBY MIKE LAPOINTE

Anaida Poilievre could be Pierre Poilievre’s ‘secret weapon’ in next election, say politicos

NewsBY ABBAS RANA

Johnston reprises role as ‘adult in the room’ as special rapporteur on foreign interference, but a ‘big question mark’ remains on timeline and scope, say observers

NewsBY IAN CAMPBELL

Senior public servants feel ill-equipped and fearful to provide fearless advice

OpinionBY STEPHEN VAN DINE AND DON ABELSON

What about the public service under a Conservative government?

OpinionBY LORI TURNBULL

If there's a change in government, the ball will be in the court of the senior public service to show that they deserve the positions they've occupied by delivering on a new agenda.

What about the public service under a Conservative government?

OpinionBY LORI TURNBULL

If there's a change in government, the ball will be in the court of the senior public service to show that they deserve the positions they've occupied by delivering on a new agenda.

DMs’ report on values and ethics reveals public servants’ concerns with political staff boundaries, social media, lack of diversity

NewsBY MIKE LAPOINTE

The public service 'often faces more bureaucratic hurdles and resource constraints, making it less agile in adapting to technological and sociological shifts,' according to the report.

DMs’ report on values and ethics reveals public servants’ concerns with political staff boundaries, social media, lack of diversity

NewsBY MIKE LAPOINTE

The public service 'often faces more bureaucratic hurdles and resource constraints, making it less agile in adapting to technological and sociological shifts,' according to the report.

Anaida Poilievre could be Pierre Poilievre’s ‘secret weapon’ in next election, say politicos

NewsBY ABBAS RANA

Anaida Poilievre is ‘an interpreter of who Pierre Poilievre is, she can explain him to us in a different way,’ says Prof. Lori Turnbull

Anaida Poilievre could be Pierre Poilievre’s ‘secret weapon’ in next election, say politicos

NewsBY ABBAS RANA

Anaida Poilievre is ‘an interpreter of who Pierre Poilievre is, she can explain him to us in a different way,’ says Prof. Lori Turnbull

Johnston reprises role as ‘adult in the room’ as special rapporteur on foreign interference, but a ‘big question mark’ remains on timeline and scope, say observers

NewsBY IAN CAMPBELL

Political scientist Lori Turnbull says the government would have been aware that David Johnston’s connections to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation may be questioned, but the ‘strength of the appointment’ meant the government was willing to ‘risk manage whatever mud can be flung.’

Johnston reprises role as ‘adult in the room’ as special rapporteur on foreign interference, but a ‘big question mark’ remains on timeline and scope, say observers

NewsBY IAN CAMPBELL

Political scientist Lori Turnbull says the government would have been aware that David Johnston’s connections to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation may be questioned, but the ‘strength of the appointment’ meant the government was willing to ‘risk manage whatever mud can be flung.’

Michael Wernick, right, then clerk of the Privy Council, and Nathalie Drouin, deputy minister of justice, pictured on March 6, 2019, before the House Justice Committee. Wernick, who resigned over the SNC-Lavalin affair, offered advice to deputy ministers in his book: 'Your most important task is to secure and maintain the trust and confidence of the minister. That doesn’t mean telling ministers what they want to hear. On the contrary, you will want ministers to be confident that you will warn them of upcoming trouble and to trust you to give them the frank advice and full information.' *The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade*

Senior public servants feel ill-equipped and fearful to provide fearless advice

OpinionBY STEPHEN VAN DINE AND DON ABELSON

Senior public servants feel ill-equipped and fearful to provide fearless advice

OpinionBY STEPHEN VAN DINE AND DON ABELSON

When the pendulum swings: how does the public service respond to political polarization?

The polarization between political parties and their agendas creates a unique challenge for the nonpartisan public service. When everything is black and white, binary, and dichotomous, neutrality becomes difficult to define.

Hundreds of billions in ‘contingent liabilities’ loom large over Canada

Justin Trudeau no longer has a mandate to govern, and he doesn’t care

Canada needs a stable democratic partner in South Korea

What Canada needs in its next prime minister

Like it or not, the die is cast

What about the public service under a Conservative government?

DMs’ report on values and ethics reveals public servants’ concerns with political staff boundaries, social media, lack of diversity

Anaida Poilievre could be Pierre Poilievre’s ‘secret weapon’ in next election, say politicos

Johnston reprises role as ‘adult in the room’ as special rapporteur on foreign interference, but a ‘big question mark’ remains on timeline and scope, say observers

Senior public servants feel ill-equipped and fearful to provide fearless advice

What about the public service under a Conservative government?

What about the public service under a Conservative government?

DMs’ report on values and ethics reveals public servants’ concerns with political staff boundaries, social media, lack of diversity

DMs’ report on values and ethics reveals public servants’ concerns with political staff boundaries, social media, lack of diversity

Anaida Poilievre could be Pierre Poilievre’s ‘secret weapon’ in next election, say politicos

Anaida Poilievre could be Pierre Poilievre’s ‘secret weapon’ in next election, say politicos

Johnston reprises role as ‘adult in the room’ as special rapporteur on foreign interference, but a ‘big question mark’ remains on timeline and scope, say observers

Johnston reprises role as ‘adult in the room’ as special rapporteur on foreign interference, but a ‘big question mark’ remains on timeline and scope, say observers

Senior public servants feel ill-equipped and fearful to provide fearless advice

Senior public servants feel ill-equipped and fearful to provide fearless advice

News

Get free news updates

Opinion

Submit a guest opinion article

resources

Follow us

Advertise

subscribe

get help

Get free news updates

Submit a guest opinion article

When the pendulum swings: how does the public service respond to political polarization?

The polarization between political parties and their agendas creates a unique challenge for the nonpartisan public service. When everything is black and white, binary, and dichotomous, neutrality becomes difficult to define.

Get The Weekend Point of View Newsletter