October 14, 2010
New Mowat research recommends ways for government to save money and improve service delivery.
Toronto – The Mowat Centre at the University of Toronto has released a new research report recommending ways in which provincial and federal governments can save money while improving public services and program effectiveness.
The report, Saving Dollars and Making Sense: An Agenda for a more Efficient, Effective and Accountable Federation, proposes the rationalization of federal and provincial roles and the reduction of overlap in their responsibilities at a time when the public expects that governments do more with less.
The report’s conclusions are based on interviews with over 50 leading experts in the field, including many former deputy ministers.
According to Matthew Mendelsohn, the Director of the Mowat Centre, “Our federal model is slow in a world that is fast. We need more areas where one government can act quickly, introduce innovative solutions and be held accountable for its performance by the electorate. Instead our model encourages finger-pointing between governments.”
“Before cutting vital services or raising taxes, governments should look at areas where they are tripping over each other and slowing program innovation. Sometimes there are too many governments in an area, sometimes it is the wrong government in an area. These are luxuries Canada can no longer afford,” says Josh Hjartarson, Mowat’s Policy Director.
The Mowat study makes several key recommendations across the spectrum of government activity. The report concludes that provinces are usually better-placed to design and implement social programs to suit local needs and that the federal government is better suited to making sure our economic union runs smoothly.
