A New Blueprint for Government: Reshaping Power, the Pmo, and the Public Service

2025 DONNER PRIZE FINALIST

Is the Canadian government contributing to its own underperformance? An insider’s guide to steering our nation toward greater efficiency

Canada is struggling. Our growth is anemic, our standard of living is stagnant, our housing is unaffordable, and our health care system is nearing a breaking point. To make matters worse, the government fails to deliver core services and avoid management fiascos like the ArriveCan and Phoenix scandals.

These failures are systemic and interconnected. What connects them is a fatal flaw in how the federal government operates, makes decisions, and takes action. Power has shifted from Cabinet to the Prime Minister and Prime Minister’s Office with political staff taking on a larger role relative to the Public Service, and parliament has lost its ability to call the elected government to account.

With 50 years of combined experience in leadership positions in government, authors Lynch and Mitchell offer an expert’s perspective on how to restore accountability and rebuild a culture of excellence by proposing a new blueprint for reshaping government. As Canadians face uncertainties at home and abroad, these practical and straightforward recommendations offer a path forward to ensure our nation’s prosperity.