1. Surviving and Thriving in the Public Service: Ethical Principles Revisited Ethics consists of principle applied to practice What are the basic principles of public service ethics in a democracy? Democracy is government based on the principle of mutual respect –Everyone deserves to be treated with equal concern and respect –Every person is equally valued: no one may be used as a means to someone else’s end –Everyone deserves to be treated honestly in order to be treated with respect Mutual respect implies –Rule of law Public servants may act only with valid legal authorization In Westminster system, responsible government, meaning ministerial responsibility –Public service accountability –Public service neutrality –Equality Avoid conflicts of influence Prevent undue influence Democracy cannot survive or thrive unless it strives to be ethical

2. Codes of Ethics Years ago, considered unnecessary because all public servants understood the basic principles However, even if principles understood, they may be applied differently by different people Codes of ethics for public servants have been developing for past several decades. Most are similar, and reflect the IPAC principles Canada is considered a leader because –Codes tend to be more comprehensive –Independent ethics counsellors/commissioners (eg. new federal public service integrity officer) Federal auditor-general: ethics audits –In some depts, 15% of public servants would not report fraud –Led to position of integrity officer, ethics champions, and local ethics counsellors. –Some provincial and municipal governments also have ethics counsellors in departments Every day, we’re faced with ethical dilemmas – important to be able to consult others (eg. counsellors) to find a resolution

3. Ethics dilemmas I’ve faced Being invited to lunch by people hoping to influence polcy Submissions from those hoping to influency policy: useful but may lead to “capture” Rigidity of bureaucracy: “Sorry, there’s nothing I can do.” Potential conflict of interest situation Pressure to bend the law to suit budget priorities Reasoning through ethical dilemmas and behaving ethically provides tremendous personal satisfaction, and makes an important contribution to democracy IPAC principles: –Accountability –Courteous, equitable, efficient & effective public service –Public interest always comes before personal interests –Political neutrality –Political rights may be tempered by need to serve public interest –Avoid conflicts of interest –Respect confidentiality and privacy –Treat each other with respect: harassment is unacceptable