Canada appoints first digital govt minister

The Canadian government has appointed its inaugural Minister for Digital Government, to oversee the creation of more effective digital services for citizens.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has appointed Scott Brison to the new position, in addition to his current role as President of the Treasury Board of Canada.

The Treasury Board is the parent agency of the Canadian Digital Service, the agency established last year to lead the development of government digital services and improve technical skills across the civil service. The agency is comparable to Australia’s own Digital Transformation Agency.

Announcing the appointment as part of a wide ranging ministerial reshuffle, Trudeau said Brison will “continue his work to transform the government’s digital services so they are designed for the people who actually use them and better serve Canadians”.

Trudeau also announced that the post of Government CIO has been elevated to a Deputy Minister-level position that will support the Minster for Digital Government.

“This change is a reflection of the government’s commitment to redefine this role to better protect Canadians’ data and strengthen information technology in the federal government,” Trudeau said.

Current Government CIO Alex Benay was appointed to the role in March last year.

Pictured: Scott Brison. Courtesy Government of Canada.

Please follow us and share on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe for FREE to our weekly newsletter and quarterly magazine.