Federal Public Servants Find It Increasingly Difficult to ‘Speak Truth to Power’: New Study

Federal Public Servants Find It Increasingly Difficult to ‘Speak Truth to Power’: New Study
The Canadian flag flies near the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 17, 2020. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Isaac Teo
Updated:

Canada’s public servants are having trouble telling their political masters the truth about what they think regarding topics that are politically sensitive or airing opinions that are unpopular, a new study says.

Released on May 11, the study, titled “Top of Mind,” examines the fears and hopes of public servants at all levels of government across the country. It was conducted by two think tanks, the Institute of Governance and the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government, based on interviews with 42 senior leaders and a survey of 2,353 employees in the same organizations in the public sector.