Gomery Commission / Commission Gomery

Media Advisory
Quebec City Roundtable

13 September 2005, Ottawa: The Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities will hold the second roundtable working session of its Phase II program. Phase II is focused on the preparation of the Commission's final report - the Recommendations Report.

Attached herewith is a list of the participants and the agenda for the meeting.

Note: Roundtable Working Session
 
Date: Wednesday, 14 September, 2005
 
Location: Quebec City, Quebec
Hilton Quebec

-30-


For further information contact:

François Perreault
Commission Spokesperson
(613) 992-1834/ (418) 647-2411/ (514) 992-1363


P.O. Box 1388, Station "B", Ottawa, Ontario / C.P. 1388, succursale "B", Ottawa (Ontario)
K1P 5R4
(613) 992-1834  Fax / télécopieur (613) 992-2373

Annexe 1.0

Participants


Mr. Denis Desautels, Executive-in-residence at the School of Management of the University of Ottawa, former Auditor General of Canada, former senior partner with Ernst and Young, and, a chartered accountant; Mr. Alain Dubuc, a columnist for La Presse and Le Soleil, a former researcher in econometrics at the University of Montreal, former co-host of Questions d'argent a weekly television program on Radio-Québec, former Editor-in-Chief at La Presse and, former president and publisher of Le Soleil; Hon. Marc Lalonde, a partner with the law firm of Stikeman Elliott in Montreal, former Minister of National Health and Welfare, former Minister of Justice, former Minister of Energy, former Minister of Finance, former advisor to Prime Minister Lester Pearson, and, former Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau; Mr. Vincent Lemieux, one of Canada's pre-eminent political scientists who has studied political systems, political parties and political patronage in Quebec, currently Professor Emeritus at the University of Laval and, former President of the Canadian Political Science Association; Mr. Marcel Proulx, Director General of l'École nationale d'administration, a specialist in the study of organizations and public administration and, a consultant for a number of departments and agencies in Quebec on organizational dynamics and the machinery of government; Dr. F. Leslie Seidle, Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Research in Public Policy, Senior Research Fellow for the Centre for Research and Information on Canada, former Senior Director, National and International Research at Elections Canada, former Director General, Strategic Policy and Research, Intergovernmental Affairs, in the Privy Council Office; Mr. Paul Tellier, a Director of several Canadian companies, a former President, CEO and Director of Bombardier and Canadian National Railway, a former Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet of the Government of Canada, and, a former Deputy Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Energy, Mines and Resources; Ms. Diane Wilhelmy, a consultant in public administration, Director of a research centre at ENAP, a former Deputy Minister for international relations with the Government of Quebec, a former Delegate General in New York, a former Deputy Minister for Canadian intergovernmental affairs during the constitutional negotiations leading to the Meech Lake Accord and the Charlottetown Accord.


Annexe 2.0

Discussion Agenda - Roundtable Questions
  1. Advertising and Sponsorship

    Should government advertising and sponsorship programs be insulated from political influence?

    If so, how?

  2. Responsibility

    Do deputy ministers have sufficiently clear responsibilities and should they be protected from undue political pressure? If so, how? Is there sufficient clarity in the separation of responsibilities among elected officials, exempt staff, and public servants?

  3. Accountability

    With the growing trend to "horizontality" in government, what new measures or mechanisms are required to ensure accountability? Who should be accountable to whom and for what? For how long? Does accountability cease when a person leaves a position?

  4. (Accountability)

    What sanctions, if any, should be imposed on public servants, elected officials, exempt staff and others who abuse public funds?

  5. Transparency

    Should "values and ethics" guidelines for public servants be linked to specific responsibility and accountability processes to safeguard against wrongdoing: Should they be enshrined in legislation?

  6. (Transparency)

    What limits, if any, should there be to full transparency of government programs and management and expenditure decision/actions? What mechanisms are acceptable to protect secret/confidential information and decisions that would still allow an acceptable level of transparency to the public?

  7. (Transparency)

    How effective is the current Access to Information legislation? Should it be expanded? Does it ensure that public servants enforce the spirit as well as the letter of the law?

  8. General

    What protections should be afforded to public servants who believe they have witnessed impropriety in the management of government programs ("whistle blowers")?

  9. (General)

    How can government departments and officials learn from their mistakes and develop lessons learned that will not be impeded by inappropriate political influences?