From the outset, I would say that it is fairly predictable that federal government data are not necessarily directly useful. After all, people are closer to services provided locally, that is, by municipalities or cities. Recreational services, garbage collection and public transit, for example, are things for which cities are responsible. It is normal that, in their daily lives, citizens would rather get information on these types of things.
Further, I agree that, for data to be useful, they must be relevant and easily accessible to citizens. I say this while being aware that these data are extremely useful to administrators. It is important that the government have statistics, so that it can understand its own processes, and that it can understand how its various programs perform. This type of data is not of direct interest to citizens, but it is for the government.
If data is to be accessible and useful to citizens, it must be processed and it must be turned into information. This data must also be collected, used and applied within the framework of applications. These applications could be on a platform provided by government. This would allow for all kinds of questions and analyses, if need be, but also for applications in everyday life, as those mentioned a little earlier by Mr. Deslauriers. For example, these applications could relate to parking, that is, where parking spots are available in a neighbourhood. This is really something that's tangible. This information could be made accessible in real time.
So by using existing systems, we could extract data in real time and transfer them to applications which provide information to people who need it. For example, it could be information about parking, as in this situation, but it could also be information about registration for recreational activities. Any data contained in our systems could be used in applications provided by either a public organization, or by third parties supported by government.
With regard to the infamous programming marathons, Mr. Deslauriers did not talk about their futility, but the fact that their usefulness seems questionable. Indeed, they result in the development of applications which have a limited shelf life. But also, there is the issue of quality, since sometimes these applications are developed too quickly, and also the fact that once these applications have been created, people start to lose interest. So the data will have to be used in applications which will be of lasting usefulness. Of course, I am talking about those applications which will be deemed to be useful and effective.