Ontario faces its biggest challenge in decades. Without a major overhaul, its public services, especially social assistance and health, are not sustainable. But the challenge is not simply to cut; nor is the challenge merely to restore the productivity of the economy in order to lay the basis for a prosperous province. Ontario must re-think public services for the 21st century. How can we put citizens at the centre, recognizing their evolving needs in a changing demographic, fiscal and global context?

The Government of Ontario turned for informed advice on these issues to three members of the School of Policy Studies at Queen's University.  Don Drummond chaired the Commission on the Reform of Ontario's Public Services; David Walker prepared the report on Caring for our Aging Population and Addressing Alternate Level of Care; and Munir Sheikh,  co-commissioner for the Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario.

This year’s Policy Forum considers these three reports. We ask what evidence-based policy analysis can contribute to creating the public services that Ontario citizens deserve.

Each panel will be chaired by a senior Ontario government official. The authors of these reports will present their main conclusions and recommendations, and a discussant will offer commentary. Ample time will be available for discussion and debate from the floor.

The day will conclude with our annual Donald Gow Memorial Lecture. Recognizing that the forces that are changing Ontario come in large part from outside Canada, our Gow Lecturer this year will be The Honorable John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Chris Cornish
Conference Coordinator
Telephone: 613-533-6217
Fax: 613-533-2135
Email: chris.cornish@queensu.ca