The Canadian Government is to launch public consultations on a digital identification framework for Federal Government services.
A new strategy document — Canada’s Digital Ambition 2022 — has been introduced to advance the previously-unveiled Digital Government Strategy. That program describes the Government’s digital transformation plans.
Now the strategy document, composed by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, aims to “consolidates previous priorities,” taking into account feedback from its various predecessors.
In the strategy, the Treasury Board said the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for Government services to be accessible and flexible in the digital age.
“The next step in making services more convenient to access is a Federal Digital Identity Program, integrated with pre-existing provincial platforms,” the Treasury Board said.
Canadian officials, including President of the Treasury Board, Mona Fortier made clear at the recent IdentityNorth summit that the country must step up its implementation of trustworthy digital IDs.
Meanwhile, one of the biggest Public Service unions in the Province of British Columbia has issued a strike notice.
The British Columbia General Employees Union (BCGEU) covers 33,000 staff in the Public Service Agency, including firefighters, correctional officers, administration staff, and workers at the BC Liquor and Cannabis stores.
President of the BCGEU, Stephanie Smith said members had made it clear that their priority was cost of living protection for their wages.
Nearly 95 per cent of affected BCGEU members voted in favour of a strike as inflation soared past eight per cent.
The most recent collective agreement between the union and the Public Service Agency expired on 1 April, with negotiations for a new agreement breaking down a few days later.
Ottawa, 14 August 2022
