Northern Exposure: Assessing Citizenship, Democracy and the Great Canadian e-Government Expedition

Canadian federal e-government initiatives in the past decade have contributed to the radical redesign and downsizing of Canada’s social system, and in doing so, have exacerbated the democratic deficit. In 2005, the question is whether Canada’s internationally lauded ‘Government On-Line’ and ‘Connecting Canadians’ initiatives have provided the kind and quality of resources necessary to ensure that all citizens have the opportunity to participate in the new information and communications landscape, or whether some will be left out in the cold. Although the federal government has articulated a new national dream to connect all Canadians and provide a new level of e-service delivery, the digital equity agenda may prove to be a great delusion, with serious democratic implications. However, a small window of opportunity exists to create a new national dream that would reposition Canada’s e-government strategy within a human rights and social justice framework.