From McBek - Important for ANY Canada Student Loan Recipients unless you are in Quebec, Nunavut, or the North West Territories!- Mei
Can you signal boost this please? HRSDC lost at on of personal information and JUST released the fact that it happened on the 11th. All OSAP recipients between 2000 and 2006 should call the The National Student Loan Center to find out if they were effected.
The link can be found here http://news.gc.ca/web/article-eng.do?mthd=tp&crtr.page=1&nid=714639&crtr.tp1D=4
artbychristina submits:
The Atlantic had a write-up about this guy: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2012/04/ridiculously-photogenic-guy-your-viral-superstar-week/50824/
Mei sez:
I have to admit, seeing the photo in a larger context with more people makes his photogenicity (totally a word, SHUT UP CHROME’S SPELL CHECKER) all the more impressive. Seriously.
Superpower: Look awesome after a 10k*.
Thank you for indulging in my curiosity!
*for all I know it was 5 seconds into a 10k. But ANYWAY.
HI there… This is regarding the civil servants. My remarks were actually in response to “nomoremicrophones” when she/he quotes that “the other thing is: the public service is a giant brick wall that new governments run into head first.
In other words (my words) it is really difficult for a new government, especially a party that has not been in power for a while or ever, to turn the civil service to attend to new priorities or in new ways. And, I submit, it’s worth it and can be done.
Thanks
——-
Submitted by Doug Livingston
From me: My apologies for the misunderstanding! I’ve corrected the original post!
This can be a challenge and depends on the resolve of the elected members around particular issues. Clearly the executive branch (civil servants) has some expertise as professionals in the field. But it is the prerogative of the legislators (elected members) to provide general direction to government.
Two cases in point:
1. When Saskatchewan premier Tommy Douglas directed his leading civil servants in the Department of Health to map out the details of a public health care program in 1961 that would bring in medicare, they balked. He went back to them more than once asking for the plan. Finally he had to say “do it, or I’ll get someone else to do it”, and they came up with a plan.
2. I had a similar experience as an MLA in Yukon dealing with local land planning initiatives. I can’t say I had the degree of success that Mr. Douglas had because I didn’t receive the full support of my caucus. But I was persistent and we did make some difference.
So can this barrier be overcome? Yes. Is it easy? Not really. It takes great persistence and leadership for the “will of the people” to cause the civil servants to do things differently than they have always done it.
By the way, thanks for hosting this blog.
——
submitted by Doug Livingston - in response to this post, which is part of a conversation starting with this post.*
You’re most certainly welcome for this blog! Thank you for submitting and participating!
* I was wildly off with my original assessment of the response to this post, for which I apologize!
