The Canadian e-way
CANADA: This document explains the Canadian Government On-Line initiative and highlights current and future on-line services.
Government On-Line is the plan that supports the Prime Minister’s commitment to make the Government of Canada the most electronically connected government in the world to its citizens by 2004 and provide Canadians with electronic access to federal information and services1. The vision is to continually improve the quality of interaction between Canadians and their government by enabling Canadians to request and receive services and information when and where it is most convenient for them, wherever they live. Government On-Line will make it easier for citizens and businesses to find what they need through one-stop access points with services and information organized by theme – like the environment – or type of activity – such as services for seniors – rather than by government department.
The past few years have seen great progress and many innovations in the on-line delivery of federal services and information. Government is just starting to tap the potential of getting on-line. With the ever-increasing potential of new technologies and the growing demand for electronic service delivery, the need for a co-ordinated, forward-looking approach is clear. The Government On-Line initiative builds on what has already been accomplished to ensure that government works consistently and collaboratively, and with other partners, to create a world-renowned system of on-line service delivery.
Canadians are active participants in an increasingly digital world. We are recognizing its potential as citizens, as researchers, in business, and as advocates of change. Internet use in Canada is among the highest in the world – in fact, as of January 2000, 60% of Canadians said they had used the Internet in the past 3 months. More than 40% of Canadian households have at least one regular user (Statistics Canada, May 2000). At the current rate of growth, this figure could reach 80% in a few years3.
As Canadians go on-line, they expect governments to do the same. This message has come through clearly and consistently in consultations on the information highway with a variety of clients, and in research on service delivery preferences. A majority of Canadians – individuals and businesses – support the move to electronic service delivery, and the appetite for electronic government is rapidly increasing:
- Direct deposit has become the standard way for seniors to receive Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security payments – of which seven million are made each month.
- More than seven million tax returns were filed electronically in 2000.
- The Government of Canada’s main web site receives seven million hits each month.
From youth to small businesses, the rate of Internet usage continues to grow. With an entire generation of Canadians growing up on-line, the demand for electronic service delivery will continue to accelerate.
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