Author Archives: Tony Dean

By Tony Dean It was predictable that the noise about prorogation a few weeks ago would be short-lived. But it was a very effective channel-changer. The launch of high-profile campaigns to replace Dalton McGuinty as Pre ...

By Tony Dean Governments around the world are facing a firestorm as fiscal challenges combine with demographically-driven demands for more services. This is especially the case in the high-cost world of social services ...

By Tony Dean Don Drummond’s report made a breakthrough in exploring transformative approaches to the organization and delivery of public services. One of the report’s key themes is the importance of tackling fragmentat ...

By Tony Dean The Premier’s recent resignation announcement caught many people flat-footed but it also quickly triggered transition planning by Ontario’s public service. A change of leadership in a governing party can b ...

By Tony Dean Last week I wrote about Health Canada's off-again-on-again approval of  Novartis flu products. More information has surfaced about Ontario’s rapid response to changing directions from Ottawa. While Italy s ...

By Tony Dean Ontario public health officials are reportedly furious with Health Canada over a sudden about-face on the safety of the FluAd and Agriflu influenza drugs produced by Novartis. The federal government’s ques ...

By Tony Dean I walked through a very quiet legislative building on Wednesday and it was evident that the fire and brimstone about prorogation had vanished like the building’s fabled ghosts. The media’s constant search ...

By Tony Dean The most useful and high-impact public policy reports commissioned by governments wrestle with big, thorny and complex challenges and translate them into opportunities.  Their authors wrap their arms around ...

By Tony Dean Premier Dalton McGuinty’s double-barrelled announcement on Monday caught most people by surprise. Prorogation of the legislature has been a possibility for the past couple of weeks but very few people expec ...

By Tony Dean The burden on Ontarians suffering from mental illness and addictions is more than 1.5 times that of all cancers and more than seven times that of all infectious diseases, according to a report released this ...