Wednesday, February 14, 2024
In a pre-budget submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, AMAPCEO advocated for a greater investment in public services and fair, consistent access to flexible work for public servants.
In making its recommendations, AMAPCEO cited the Treasury Board Secretariat’s mission statement, which calls for the delivery of “good government and excellent public services in the most effective and efficient way possible.”
The union argued that efficiency and effectiveness in the public service would be improved by implementing the following measures:
- Investing in excellent public services
- Establishing a fairer alternative work arrangement policy
- Ending the hiring freeze and improving efficiency in the OPS
- Ensuring transparency in government contracting
Pointing to the strong fiscal position of the province, AMAPCEO noted that Ontario has the fiscal capacity to deliver vital services to the public at the level they need, but that the government had thus far failed to act on that capacity. The union urged the government to listen to its public servants, especially its health care workers and teachers, and invest in the excellent services the people of Ontario need and deserve.
Building on this point, AMAPCEO emphasized that one of the most important actions the government could take is to end the hiring freeze currently in place, specifically the freeze on permanent, full-time positions. This would eliminate staffing churn and, in turn, improve the efficiency of the public service. Hiring, AMAPCEO pointed out, should be driven by the imperative to meet public need, not by political posturing.
Another way to strengthen public services, AMAPCEO noted, would be to establish a comprehensive, flexible alternative working arrangement (AWA) policy befitting a modern workplace. To underscore the importance of this recommendation, the union pointed to the Ontario Public Service’s own 2022 OPS Employee Experience Survey, in which 85.4 per cent of respondents indicated a preference for either hybrid or remote work to in-person work.
Finally, AMAPCEO reiterated a recommendation it had made several times before, for the government to, on a quarterly basis, proactively disclose all contracts valued at more than $10,000, according to the open contracting data standard (OCDS), a practice which has been adopted by more than 50 governments around the world. Proactive contract disclosure, the union noted, promotes greater value for money and greater efficiency, and serves as a mechanism to reveal corruption.