Janna Wale

Policy Advisor within the Indigenous Research Stream

Canadian Climate Institute

Investing in our collective future: Diversifying the public service

Connected Conference Theme: Science, Knowledge, and Society

Historically, policy makers have had to relocate to larger, urban, city centers to participate in the policy process, which leads to uneven policy outcomes. Because larger urban centers are often southern and more expensive, the positions are less accessible to those who come from northern, rural, and remote contexts, particularly for those who are equity-deserving or are youth. As a result, policies that are created are created using one view-point, from one subset of the population. By decentralizing the government, through the creation of regional hubs and remote work, policy positions would be more accessible to folks that have been historically excluded from the policy process, since they would be able to remain in their home communities and contexts. The COVID 19 pandemic proved this policy is feasible, and it would be simple to implement and overall would contribute to cost savings within the government itself via fewer office spaces, and an overall reduction in GHG emissions.

Disclaimer: The French version of this text has been auto-translated and has not been approved by the author.