Canadians are more sensitive, now more than ever, to this notion of trust, specifically in relation to how their data is used. I'd like to get your thoughts on theme one, this notion of “Enabling integrated services”.
At times, I think Canadians view government as “one organization”. That is, of course, not the case. It is several institutions, at times operating in silos, admittedly. I think we'd all agree that there is significant importance in ensuring that services are connected and easy to navigate.
I'm still relatively new to this committee, but I understand that, under the current Privacy Act, it can be difficult for federal institutions to share personal data seamlessly. I also understand that this leads to delays, duplications and, at times, frustrations.
As the government looks to modernize its operations, could you speak to the importance of ensuring there are integrated services while also ensuring that privacy protections remain fundamental?