Message on the milestone report from the Deputy Ministers’ Task Team on Values and Ethics (December 2023)

Dear Colleagues,

Our public service values and ethics are our compass to guide us through times of change.

This fall, I formed a task team of deputy ministers to speak to individuals, networks and communities—both within and outside the public service—to advance a discussion of our values and ethics. Today, I welcomed their milestone report, Deputy Ministers’ Task Team on Values and Ethics Report to the Clerk of the Privy Council, which summarizes those conversations.

The report’s findings will inform a broader discussion with all public servants on how we live out our values and ethics in our day-to-day work.

As the report captures, the public service faces increasingly complex challenges and a dramatically changing geopolitical context. As a result, we have an opportunity to reflect on what it means to be a public servant and how we bring our values and ethics to life.

I would like to sincerely thank the deputies involved for their work in starting this vital dialogue, as well as everyone who shared their perspectives.

This is only the beginning of a renewed conversation across the public service on values and ethics. The report’s recommendations will inform the next steps, including how to broaden the discussion. I will reflect on them over the coming weeks and share with you in the new year how this important work will move forward.

I encourage you to read the report and participate as we continue this vital conversation on what it means to be a public servant in a rapidly changing world.

Sincerely,

John Hannaford (he/him)
Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet