Federal Government Launches National Consultation on Digital Economy

Members of the ABQLA may be interested in participating in a new consultation on the digital economy being undertaken by the several ministries of the federal government.  Please see the included letter from Industry Minister Tony Clement for further details.

My colleagues, the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, and the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, and I are pleased to inform you that the Government of Canada has launched national consultations to help inform the development of a digital economy strategy.

Our government committed to developing this strategy in Budget 2010 (www.budget.gc.ca/2010/speech-discours/speech-discours-eng.html) and the Speech from the Throne (www.speech.gc.ca/eng/index.asp) because we understand the important role that the digital economy will play in building a strong economy for the future.  A more prosperous and competitive Canada will ensure a better quality of life for all Canadians.

We know that many of you have provided your thoughts in the past or have contributed valuable input on digital economy files.  We are now seeking your advice on how Canada can regain its leadership position in the digital economy.  We must find solutions to the specific issues facing Canada and build a made-in-Canada digital strategy that will improve our productivity and competitiveness.

This will not be an easy task and will require the concerted and cooperative efforts of the private sector, academia, governments, public sector and the Canadian public.  But the rewards and opportunities will be tremendous.  We have the will and talent to compete to win in the global digital economy and take our rightful place at the top.

We invite you to visit our website at www.digitaleconomy.gc.ca, where you can
read our discussion paper, Improving Canada’s Digital Advantage: Strategies for Sustainable Prosperity, and contribute to the discussion through our interactive online forum or by uploading a written submission.

The deadline for submissions is July 9, 2010.  If you have any questions, please contact my departmental officials at canada-digital@ic.gc.ca.

Ministers Moore and Finley and I look forward to hearing your views and reading your submissions in the weeks and months ahead.

Yours sincerely,
Tony Clement