November 6, 2014
Ottawa
Check against delivery
I am very pleased you could all join us for the launch of our Open Government Action Plan 2.0.
I would like to thank the University of Ottawa for hosting us today.
In fact, we held our Ottawa roundtable earlier this year in the room next door.
It was one of many public consultations we held across the country to hear directly from Canadians.
So, in many ways, we have come full circle this morning.
I am very proud of the progress our Government has made since our first action plan was released in April 2012.
Through a number of bold and inspiring initiatives, we have been driving openness, innovation and economic opportunities.
We have also been creating a more cost-effective, efficient and responsive government that respects Canadian taxpayers.
And this morning we’re here to build on that strong record of achievements.
Action Plan 2.0 – the Directive
Our new Action Plan on Open Government is the result of months of public consultations and engagement.
We heard directly from more than 1,400 Canadians. And their input is reflected in this action plan, which is a key element of our membership in the Open Government Partnership – an international organization which now includes over 60 countries.
The action plan includes 12 ambitious commitments that we will implement over the next two years and beyond.
This includes our Directive on Open Government – which you could describe as the foundation of our action plan.
The new directive applies to over 100 federal institutions.
It requires them to maintain an “open by default” position for the release of government data and information of business value – provided there is no breach of privacy, confidentiality or security measures.
In doing so, our Government is delivering on our commitment to provide access to as much open, machine-readable data and information as possible. And I’m confident that Canadians and Canadian businesses will do their part to unlock its full value.
There is no question that this represents an important culture change for federal institutions.
For too long, many have been collecting and storing data and information like they were your grandmother’s silver.
But the culture is changing, thanks to the actions we have taken – and will be taking – to continue proactively releasing data and information.
I would now like to turn to some of our other commitments which – like in our first action plan – fall under three broad streams of activity: Open Data, Open Information, and Open Dialogue.
Open Data
Under open data, we are determined to continue leveraging this new natural resource of the 21st century.
Some estimate that open data around the world could create $3 trillion a year in value in several areas of the global economy, such as education, transportation, and oil and gas.
It has already given rise to hundreds of businesses around the world.
The classic example is weather data, which we get from Environment Canada monitoring stations and which we use daily to make decisions on everything from the clothes we wear to the crops we plant.
The Government has already published vast amounts of public data, including socio-economic data from Statistics Canada, national broadband coverage from Industry Canada, reports on water and air quality from Environment Canada, and much more.
Our open data portal, for example, includes some 200,000 datasets from 40 government departments.
Still, we know that releasing data is not enough.
We need to ensure that data can be easily discovered, accessed, used, or understood by the public.
Our action plan will help us do that in a number of ways.
For example, we will hold a second national open data competition – or CODE 2 – where developers can use government data to create apps that can be commercialized.
Our first CODE event was a big success. It generated broad interest across the country in the business value of data.
And I look forward to expanding this event by working with other levels of government and our partners in the private sector.
In the same spirit, our action plan commits the Government to invest in the launch of a new institute on open data: the Canadian Open Data Exchange – or ODX.
ODX will support collaboration among the private sector, academia, and government to encourage the commercialization of open data, with the end goal of becoming self-sustaining.
It will do that by developing industry standards for open data, building a national marketplace where commercialization of open data can flourish.
It will also support a pan-Canadian open data innovation community that will help incubate the next generation of data-driven companies.
Our action plan also commits the Government to continue collaborating with its partners to reduce barriers to the reuse of data by Canadians across the country.
For example, we will work with our partners in other provinces and territories on developing a “No Wrong Door” approach.
Called Open Data Canada, this commitment will allow citizens from across the country to search for, and access, data from multiple governments, regardless of which portal they use to start their search from.
Open Information
Through our action plan, we will also continue to improve access to information on government activities.
For example, we will continue declassifying government information resources that are already in the holdings of Library and Archives Canada.
We will also develop and launch a virtual library to provide single window access to federal publications and documents.
I would also like to mention our Open Science commitment.
I know that scientific research is vital to the University of Ottawa, which is at the forefront of Canadian efforts to make its publicly funded research freely available online.
Back in 2009, the university adopted a comprehensive access program that supports free and unrestricted access to scholarly research.
I’m pleased to say that the Government of Canada is moving in the same direction.
Our action plan commits us to provide open access to federally-funded scientific research.
The goal is to encourage greater collaboration and engagement with the scientific community, the private sector and the public.
Open Dialogue
Finally, I’d like to mention the work we will be doing to better consult and engage citizens and civil society groups.
This includes the launch of a new government-wide consultation portal to promote opportunities for public participation, host online consultations, and share findings from completed consultations.
We are also planning to expand the use of social media across the government to enable departments to connect with Canadians in innovative ways.
Clearly, our Government is committed to making sure that citizens have a say in the decision-making process.
By engaging them, we can better respond to their expectations and, at the same time, design better programs and services.
This is especially true in today’s technologically enabled-world – a world where governments can connect faster and more easily with citizens than ever before.
New Portal
I hope this has given you a good overview of our action plan.
I’m confident that it will take Canada’s leadership on Open Government to the next level.
To learn more, I encourage you to visit our new Open Government portal at its new URL: open.canada.ca.
For those familiar with the old site, you’ll notice some important changes.
Many of these are a direct result of the feedback we received from Canadians over the past several months.
In particular, we have expanded our section on open data, which now includes interactive and thematic communities.
This will make it easier to track down information in your field of interest.
The Health and Safety community page, for example, showcases how open data is being used in emergency situations. It also highlights new data, information and apps related to this area.
I’m also very pleased to announce new search functions for government information.
Much like for open data, we have begun centralizing government records, such as contracts over $10,000, public expenditures, and access to information requests.
So far, nearly 160,000 records have been consolidated on open.canada.ca. And many more are coming.
In short, we redesigned our new Open Government site to enhance the user’s experience.
They can now find government information faster and use it more successfully to develop innovative applications, create value-added analysis, and drive social and economic benefits.
I look forward to seeing how Canadians use the growing data and information resources that are continuously being released on our Portal.
And I would encourage you to keep sharing your thoughts with us. Let us know what is working and what isn’t.
Conclusion
I would like to thank everyone again for coming this morning to help us launch our Open Government Action Plan 2.0.
I look forward to continue working with our many partners from across Canada and around the world.
We have an opportunity to accelerate the renewal of the public service and the Government of Canada.
We have an opportunity to continue leveraging new technologies that lets us connect faster and more easily with citizens.
And we have an opportunity to become more transparent, accountable, and participatory.
Our action plan is designed to achieve these goals and much more.
It builds on past successes. And, best of all, it responds to the expectations of Canadians.
Thank you.
