OTTAWA – The newly minted ministers of Prime Minister Trudeau’s first cabinet received their ministerial mandate letters this week, detailing his expectations and their priorities.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Singh Bains’ letter said that his “overarching goal will be to help Canadian businesses grow, innovate and export so that they can create good quality jobs and wealth for Canadians”.
His top priorities, as they pertain to the Canadian communications industry, include:
– Improve the quality of publicly available data in Canada. This will require working with Statistics Canada, the President of the Treasury Board and other departments and agencies to develop an Open Data initiative that would consider big data and make more of the data paid for by Canadians available to the public;
– Support the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness in a review of existing measures to protect Canadians and our critical infrastructure from cyber-threats; and
– Increase high-speed broadband coverage and work to support competition, choice and availability of services, and foster a strong investment environment for telecommunications services to keep Canada at the leading edge of the digital economy.
Minister of Canadian Heritage Mélanie Joly was told that her “overarching goal will be to implement our government’s plan to strengthen our cultural and creative industries”. Her list of 13 top priorities include:
– Restore and increase funding for CBC/Radio-Canada, following consultation with the broadcaster and the Canadian cultural community;
– Review the process by which members are appointed to the CBC/Radio-Canada Board of Directors, to ensure merit-based and independent appointments;
– Double investment in the Canada Council for the Arts; and
– Increase funding for Telefilm Canada and the National Film Board.
“We have promised Canadians a government that will bring real change – in both what we do and how we do it”, the PM wrote in both letters. “Canadians sent a clear message in this election, and our platform offered a new, ambitious plan for a strong and growing middle class. Canadians expect us to fulfill our commitments, and it is my expectation that you will do your part in delivering on those promises to Canadians.”
