Carol Stephenson, Richard Ivey School of Business dean, was named this week to the newly formed Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services. The commission will be chaired by Don Drummond, Matthews Fellow in Global Public Policy, Queen’s University. Appointed along with Stephenson were Dominic Giroux, Laurentian University president, and Susan Pigott, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health vice-president, communications.
The commission plans to examine ways the government delivers services to people. On the table are issues like programs no longer serving their intended purpose that could be eliminated or redesigned; areas of service overlap that could be eliminated; as well as areas of value that could provide a greater return on investment.
The commission will report to Finance Minister Dwight Duncan in time to inform the development of the 2012 Budget. The government points out the commission will not make recommendations leading to an increase in taxes or privatization of health care and/or education.
