2000 October Report of the Auditor General of Canada

October 2000 Report—Chapter 12

Exhibit 12.2—Major Values and Ethics Initiatives Recommended in the Tait Report

• Initiate a wide-ranging and honest dialogue on values and ethics.
• Re-focus the character of public service as a public trust.
• Adopt a statement of principles for the public service.
• Adopt comprehensive ethics regimes government-wide and in public service organizations.
• Clarify for both the political and public service levels the principles of responsible government, the concept of ministerial responsibility and the role the public service is expected to play.
• Acknowledge the confusion, tension and conflicts between "traditional" and "new" public service values, and establish an appropriate balance between these values, giving primacy to the public interest and respect for law.
• Reaffirm that speaking truth to power is a public service value.
• Establish suitable recourse mechanisms for public servants who may feel that they are under pressure or have been asked to perform actions that are unethical or contrary to public service values and to the public interest.
• Align systems, policies, and processes to ensure that they support a sound public service culture and values.
• Hold deputy ministers and managers accountable for leading by example and ensuring that core public service values are understood and respected.
• Establish an independent body for non-partisan appointments so that patronage appointments do not threaten the integrity of the public service.

Source: Tait Report