The Contested Terrain of Canadian Public Administration in Canada's Third Century

Abstract

This essay examines the impact of "new public management" on the Canadian public service. It argues that, without much public debate, the principles by which the public service operates changed dramatically in the 1980s and 1990s. New public management is a complex set of ideas about the political, economic and organizational bases of modem society. It prescribes flexible organizations that seek business efficiency and greater responsiveness to citizen interests, and assumes that government services need not be delivered by governments themselves. It envisions a "partnership" society. New public management has been adopted by Canadian governments as they struggle to balance their budgets; however, its application has redefined government accountability and raised questions about the capacity of governments to deliver services in the third millennium. More robust finances are no panacea for Canada's public services. The impact of e-government, restaffing and debate about the role of government will generate demands for continuing administrative reform.