Canada's Digital Future Priorities

Source: https://youtu.be/Z4WqWRyJHjs The motivation for pursuing these digital transformations goes beyond just implementing technology. It is about making Canadians' lives better, and making Canada more productive and competitive, which the country "dearly needs to succeed". For instance, enabling online tax filing is highlighted not just for convenience but as a crucial way to ensure that many benefits announced for poorer Canadians actually reach them, as they often fail to file taxes otherwise. National healthcare records are presented as necessary because healthcare is often delivered outside one's home province, requiring a federal system rather than waiting for provincial ones. The cost and inefficiency of traditional voting methods are also a significant driver for considering online voting. However, the source focuses heavily on the obstacles preventing these changes, which forms a key part of the "deep dive": • National Reluctance and Risk Aversion: A primary obstacle identified is Canada's deep-seated risk aversion, particularly within the bureaucracy. The source uses the saying that Canadian bureaucracy is so risk-averse, "if they were a hockey team they'd put six goalenders on the ice". This reluctance is seen as something Canada "can no longer afford". • Lack of Accountability: Coupled with risk aversion is a deep lack of accountability, which the source argues is a "recipe for disaster in complex systems" like the Phoenix pay system fiasco. • Fear of Online Attacks: There is a stated need to "get over the fear of online attacks". While acknowledging this is a concern, the source suggests that with regular hacks already occurring and widespread social media oversharing, "that chip has sailed". The implication is that instead of letting fear paralyse progress, the focus should be on improving security measures. • Mismatch Between Words and Actions: The source notes that Canada's "modern political culture has been deeply invested in training us that words matter more than actions," but this is fundamentally untrue. The call to action is to "actually do the hard work of proving" that Canada can achieve great things by matching its words to actions. Despite the potential negative consequences acknowledged, such as some accountants losing jobs or medical data being compromised (which is already happening), the source strongly argues that the risk is worth it for the sake of happier and more productive Canadians. Canada needs to pair its "strong words in support of Canadian independence with a tolerance for risk and an insistence on change". The path forward, the source suggests, involves several critical elements beyond just implementing the technology: • Ensuring citizens are digitally literate. • Making sure these new systems are completely auditable and transparent, so citizens know whenever their data is used. • Most importantly, being willing to match words to actions, hold politicians and bureaucrats to account, and stop pretending that making these changes "won't be hard".