For immediate release December 2, 2004 Ottawa – The Honourable Reg Alcock, President of the Treasury Board, today tabled Canada's Performance 2004 in the House of Commons. Canada's Performance is an annual government-wide report that tracks how we are doing as a nation – highlighting both our strengths and areas for improvement. "The report directly supports the commitment in the Speech From the Throne to improve the availability and quality of government performance information for Canadians so that they can hold the government to account, said Mr. Alcock. "Canada's Performance provides parliamentarians and Canadians with a whole of government perspective from which to review the performance of departments and agencies against their planning and performance reports." This report provides information on the outcomes the government is striving to achieve in six policy areas, as measured by 32 societal indicators that highlight how our national performance is changing over time. The indicators were chosen because they matter most to Canadians, and because they can be tracked and reported on over the years. Taken together, the indicators reflect a balance of social, economic and environmental interests. "Of special note in this year's report is a new chapter entitled Aboriginal Peoples, which is an important and significant step toward fulfilling the government's April 2004 commitment to developing a more robust Aboriginal Report Card," said Minister Alcock. "Also new this year is the chapter entitled Canada's Place in the World, which recognizes the international dimension of government activity needed to advance national aspirations." Canada is one of the few countries in the world to publish this kind of results-based report. Where the data is available, such as in economic and health indicators, the report compares Canada's performance with that of other countries. The themes and societal indicators are: Canada's Place in the World: total trade, perceptions of security, trust in international institutions, and official development assistance. Canada's Economy: barriers to entrepreneurship, employment rate, income security, innovation, literacy, educational attainment, and real gross domestic product per capita. Society, Culture and Democracy: attitudes towards diversity, safety, volunteerism, participation in culture and heritage activities, and political participation. Aboriginal Peoples: educational attainment, employment rate, median income, health status, and housing. The Health of Canadians: life expectancy, self-rated health, infant mortality, healthy lifestyles, waiting times for key diagnostic and treatment services, and patient satisfaction. The Canadian Environment: climate change, air quality, water quality, biodiversity, and natural resources sustainability. The electronic version of the report links to the specific pages in the Reports on Plans and Priorities and the Departmental Performance Reports that provide relevant details on plans, results and resources, as well as audit and evaluation information. The report is available on the Treasury Board Internet site www.tbs-sct.gc.ca or by calling 1-800-O-Canada (1-800-622-6232). - 30 - For more information, contact: Lise Jolicoeur Press Secretary Office of the President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board (613) 957-2666 Robert Makichuk Media Relations Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (613) 957-2391 If there is a discrepancy between any printed version and the electronic version of this news release, the electronic version will prevail. TTY (Telecommunications device for the hearing impaired) — (613) 957-9090
