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Public Servants and Their Relationships with Politicians and the Media

On August 26 and 27, 2010, the inaugural Palmer Conference on Public Sector Leadership will take place at the University of Prince Edward Island.

This invitational, bilingual Conference will bring together a diverse group from across Canada to address issues of high priority to public sector leaders.

The theme for the 2010 Palmer Conference is ‘Public Servants and their Relationships with Politicians and the Media’.

Palmer Conference Info A - Z

Accommodation:

Andrew Hall, University of Prince Edward Island
1-877-734-7327
www.upei.ca/conference/new-residence

The Great George
1-800-361-1118
www.thegreatgeorge.com

The Islander Guest Rooms and Suites
1-800-268-6261
www.theislander.ca

Business Sessions

All business sessions will be held on the University of Prince Edward Island campus. Registration opens on August 26
at 1 pm on Schurman Market Street in McDougall Hall. The evening reception and dinner will be held in Schurman
Market Square, McDougall Hall. On August 27, registration moves to Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) Day Lounge,
adjacent to the AVC Learning Commons, where the business sessions will be held.

Chatham House Rule

The Palmer Conference will operate under the Chatham House Rule. When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under
the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the
affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.

Conference Registration Desk

The registration desk is located in McDougall Hall (Schurman Market Street) and will be staffed from 1 pm to 6 pm on
August 26. Registration will continue on August 27 at the AVC Day Lounge, starting at 7:30 am.
Service in both official languages will be available.

Dress

Dress throughout the conference is casual. August evening temperatures may be chilly and a light jacket is recommended.

Expenses

Transportation to and from Prince Edward Island, accommodation costs, meals not included in the program and all
personal expenses are the responsibility of the delegates.

Format

The conference will begin with a reception, keynote lecture and dinner on August 26. On August 27, there will be
three expert panels of political leaders, media and public servants, with fully engaged discussion with delegates. The
conference will conclude with comments by Jeremy Leonard, rapporteur and conference chair, Kevin Lynch. There
will be a short reception at the AVC immediately following the conference.

ID Badge

Conference participants will be provided with identification badges upon arrival at the registration desk and are
asked to wear them throughout the conference.

Internet Access

Wireless internet access is available on the UPEI campus.
username: upeiconfserv
password: upeiiskey

Local Activities

Extensive visitor information can be found at: www.tourismpei.com

Meals

Opening reception and dinner on August 26; and breakfast, lunch and nutrition breaks on August 27 will be provided.

Parking

Parking on the University campus is complimentary and a parking pass will be provided upon registration. We recommend
you arrive by the University Avenue entrance and turn right, to park in the reserved parking or metered areas.

Post-conference entertainment

The tentative performance at The Montgomery Theatre at North Rustico on Saturday, August 28th has been cancelled.

Registration Fees

A registration fee of $200 will be charged for each delegate. You may register one additional “up and coming“ public
sector leader from your organization for only $100.

Translation

The conference is fully bilingual. The registration desk will be staffed with bilingual personnel. Translation services
will be provided during the business sessions.

Weather

Daytime highs for this time of year are in the low to mid-20s. Cool breezes are the norm and evenings can be chilly.

Website

Information about the conference can be found at discoveryspace.upei.ca/palmer

Zone (Time)

Atlantic Daylight Time - one hour ahead of Ottawa.

Conference Program

2010 Palmer Conference on Public Sector Leadership

Public Servants and Their Relationships with Politicians and the Media

August 26 – 27, 2010

University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

Program

Thursday, August 26

Time

Event

Location

5 pm

Registration Opens

McDougall Hall

(Market Street)

5:30 pm

Reception & Dinner

Introductory Remarks

Kevin Lynch - Conference Chair

Vice Chair of BMO Financial Group

Former Clerk of the Privy Council

Welcome

The Honourable Robert Ghiz

Premier of Prince Edward Island

Keynote Speaker

John Manley

President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Council of Chief Executives

Emerging Challenges for Canadian Leaders in the 21st Century

Dinner M.C.

H. Wade MacLauchlan - President, University of PEI

McDougall Hall

(Schurman Market Square)

Friday, August 27

Time	Event	Location
7:30 am	Registration Continues	AVC (Day Lounge)
7:30 am	Breakfast	AVC (Day Lounge)
8:30 am	Panel A ~ Public Servant Perspective Moderator H. Wade MacLauchlan - President, University of PEI Invited Panelists Penny Ballem - City Manager, Vancouver Monique Collette - President, ACOA Joan Dawe – Former Deputy Minister Health and Community Services and Social Services Newfoundland and Laborador	AVC (Learning Commons)
10:00 am	Nutrition Break	AVC (Day Lounge)
10:30 am	Panel B ~ Elected Official Perspective Moderator David Emerson – Business, Political and Public Service Leader Invited Panelists Daniel Gagnier – Chair International Institute for Sustainable Development former Chief of Staff for Premier Jean Charest Peter J. Kelly – Mayor, Halifax Regional Municipality Janice MacKinnon – Professor University of Saskatchewan former Saskatchewan Minister of Finance	AVC (Learning Commons)
12:15 pm	Luncheon Moderator Bruce Carson - Executive Director, Canada School of Energy and Environment and Adjunct Professor, School of Public Policy, University of Calgary Keynote Speaker David Emerson – Senior Legal Advisor & Executive Chair BC Transmission Corporation former Federal Cabinet Minister former British Columbia Deputy Minister of Finance	McDougall Hall (Schurman Market Square)
2 pm	Panel C ~ Media Perspective Moderator Dale Eisler – Canadian Consul General, Denver, Colorado Invited Panelists Kady O’Malley – Ottawa Bureau, CBC L. Ian MacDonald - Montreal Gazette and Sun Media Group Paul Wells - MacLean's Magazine	AVC (Learning Commons)
3:30 pm	Concluding Remarks Jeremy Leonard Rapporteur, Institute for Research on Public Policy Kevin Lynch - Conference Chair Vice Chair of BMO Financial Group	AVC (Learning Commons)
4 pm	Closing Reception	AVC (Day Lounge)

Discussion Paper

Public Servants and Their Relationships with Politicians and the Media

Seasoned observers of government institutions are in broad agreement that the relationship between public servants and politicians has never been more strained than it is today. Part of this reflects a decades-long decline in the public’s trust in politicians and the public sector in general that all mature democracies have had to grapple with. But this general trend has been exacerbated in Canada. The Conservatives had been out of office for 13 years prior to their return to power, and (as is common in such situations) have had an uneasy – some would even say adversarial -- relationship with both the public service and the media. Furthermore, revelations of inappropriate conduct by a small number of public officials (most vividly illustrated by the sponsorship scandal and its fallout, but including others), has reinforced distrust of public institutions.

There are numerous recent examples of the tension between public servants and the elected officials to whom they report at all levels of government:

In a June 2010 CBC interview, CSIS head Richard Fadden revealed evidence of unnamed provincial and municipal politicians under excessive influence of foreign agents. He was subsequently criticized for making the remarks before the relevant investigation was complete and before the relevant cabinet ministers and the Prime Minister had been briefed on the findings.
Kevin Page, head of the fledgling Parliamentary Budget Office, has feuded publicly with the government about the accuracy of the Finance Minister’s 5-year budget forecasts, as well as the degree to which his reports should be made public. He also took the unprecedented step of publicly denouncing proposed budget cuts to his agency, which many media outlets took to be politically motivated.
In Quebec, former justice minister Marc Bellemare has alleged that Premier Jean Charest knowingly permitted provincial Liberal party fundraisers to influence selection of judges, leading Mr. Charest to file a libel lawsuit against Mr. Bellemare.
Shortly after coming to power in Saskatchewan, Brad Wall fired a large number of civil servants, many of whom had decades of experience and no political ties. At least one layoff was overturned by the Saskatchewan Public Service Commission.
In Montreal, allegations of bid-rigging, favouritism and large anticipated cost overruns in late 2009 on a contract for municipal water meters led to its cancellation and the resignation of two city managers, leaving the worthwhile goal of conservation cast aside.

The explosion of media outlets (including both increasingly widely read political blogs as well as traditional print and broadcast media) and increasing competition for readership and viewership has magnified the impact of these and other examples in which public servants and elected officials are at odds, making what once might have been small sideshows into full-blown debates that crowd out important public and private discussion of substantive issues.

In this maelstrom of mistrust and magnified public scrutiny, how can the public service fulfill its dual role of operationalizing the policy initiatives of the government in power in a professional and nonpartisan way and providing frank and unvarnished advice on the medium- and longer-term consequences of those policies? Do civil servants, increasingly in the public eye, need to be more thick-skinned? To what extent does a diverse and outspoken media help or hinder effective governance? Do politicians expect too much cooperation from other players when implementing their agenda?

Join us for a spirited discussion of these and other questions about the interplay between public servants, politicians and the media and how it affects policy making in Canada and public trust in government. Chaired by Kevin Lynch, who served as Clerk of the Privy Council from 2006 to 2009 to cap a dedicated 33-year career in Canada’s federal public service, the conference brings together a distinguished group of political figures, public servants and journalists to reflect on the current state of relations and what, if anything, must change to improve public trust and enable Canadian governments at all levels to more effectively carry out their respective missions.

Jeremy Leonard, Research Director at the Montreal-based Institute for Research on Public Policy, will serve as rapporteur for the 2010 Palmer Conference.

2010 Palmer Conference on Public Sector Leadership Participants

Palmer Conference Named in Honour of James S. Palmer, C.M., A.O.E., Q.C

James Palmer is a founding partner of the Calgary law firm Burnett Duckworth Palmer.His ancestors include two Prince Edward Island Premiers, a representative at the 1864 Charlottetown Conference, and several jurists. Mr. Palmer’s dedication and passion for public policy is demonstrated through the James S. and Barbara A. Palmer Chair in Public Policy at the University of Calgary.

Palmer Conference Host

H. Wade MacLauchlan C.M., President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Prince Edward Island

Palmer Conference Chair

Kevin Lynch, Vice Chair of BMO Financial Group, Former Clerk of the Privy Council

Palmer Conference Keynote Speakers

John Manley, President and Chief Executive Officer. Canadian Council of Chief Executives

David Emerson, Senior Legal Advisor and Executive Chair, BC Transmission Corporation

Palmer Conference Moderators

David Emerson, Business, Political and Public Service Leader

H. Wade MacLauchlan C.M., President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Prince Edward Island

Dale Eisler, Canadian Consul General, Denver, Colorado

Bruce Carson, Executive Director, Canada School of Energy and Environment & Adjunct Professor, School of Public Policy, University of Calgary

Palmer Conference Panelists

Penny Ballem, City Manager, Vancouver

Monique Collette, President, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Joan Dawe, Former Deputy Minister of Health and Community Services and Social Services, Newfoundland and Laborador

Daniel Gagnier, Chair, International Institute for Sustainable Development; former Chief of Staff for Premier Jean Charest

Peter J. Kelly, Mayor, Halifax Regional Municipality

Janice MacKinnon, Professor, University of Saskatchewan; former Saskatchewan Minister of Finance

Kady O’Malley, Ottawa Bureau, CBC

Jeremy Leonard, Rapporteur, Institute for Research on Public Policy

L. Ian MacDonald, Montreal Gazette and Sun Media Group

Paul Wells, MacLean's Magazine

Accommodation

Special Rates have been secured for Palmer Conference Participants at the following:

Please book prior to July 26, 2010 in order to receive these rates. Accommodation rates do not include applicable taxes.

Andrew Hall

University of Prince Edward Island

(902) 566-0442

1-877-734-7327

http://www.upei.ca/conference/new-residence

1 & 2 bedroom suites: $ 97.96 per night

3 bedroom suite: $ 125.21 per night

Reservations may be made online or by telephone.

Inns on Great George

(902) 892-0606

1-800-361-1118

www.thegreatgeorge.com

Inns on Great George – Single: $188 per night

Inns on Great George – Double: $198 per night

Please refer to the Palmer Conference to access this conference rate. It is available for telephone reservations only

Islander Guest Rooms

(902) 892-1217

1-800-268-6261

www.theislander.ca

Islander Guest Rooms & Suites – Single: $139 per night

Islander Guest Rooms & Suites – Double: $149 per night.

Please refer to the Palmer Conference to access this conference rate. It is available for telephone reservations only

Invitation

2010 Palmer Conference on Public Sector Leadership

Public Servants and Their Relationships with Politicians and the Media

It is my pleasure to invite you to be a delegate to the inaugural Palmer Conference on Public Sector Leadership, which will take place in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, from August 26-27, 2010. This invitational, bilingual Conference, hosted on the beautiful and historic University of Prince Edward Island campus, will bring together a diverse group of leaders from across Canada to address issues of high priority to the public sector. The theme for the 2010 Palmer Conference is ‘Public Servants and Their Relationships with Politicians and the Media’.

The Palmer Conference is unique in many respects. It will bring together participants from all levels of government, as well as influential leaders from other sectors. The Conference will be intimate in scale, limited to approximately 75 delegates, to promote a high level of participation and interaction, and encourage the development of on-going networks and professional relationships. This event is, first and foremost, designed to be a high caliber public sector leadership development opportunity. In keeping with this goal of public sector renewal, you may register one additional ‘up-and-coming’ public sector leader from your organization.

The 2010 Palmer Conference on Public Sector Leadership will have an outstanding cast. Kevin Lynch, former Clerk of the Privy Council, is this year’s Conference Chair; John Manley, President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Council of Chief Executives, has been invited to deliver the opening keynote address on August 26th; and former federal cabinet minister David Emerson will be the luncheon speaker on August 27th. The preliminary program provides more details on the invited panelists and moderators.

The Palmer Conference is named in honour of James S. Palmer, C.M., A.O.E., Q.C. James Palmer is a founding partner of the Calgary law firm Burnett Duckworth Palmer. His ancestors include two Prince Edward Island Premiers, a representative at the 1864 Charlottetown Conference, and several jurists. Mr. Palmer’s dedication and passion for public policy is demonstrated through the James S. and Barbara A. Palmer Chair in Public Policy at the University of Calgary.

I encourage you to register as soon as possible for the 2010 Palmer Conference on Public Sector Leadership, as space is limited. I need to hear back from you on or before July 26th or your seat will be released to another delegate. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the Conference, please feel free to contact me by my conference email palmer2010@upei.ca.

I look forward to seeing you in Charlottetown this August.

Sincerely,

H. Wade MacLauchlan, C.M.
President and Vice-Chancellor
University of Prince Edward Island