Calculating the Value of Canada’s Open Data Portal: A Mini-Case Study
Okay, let’s geek out on some open data portal stats from data.gc.ca. I’ve got three parts to this review: First, an assessment on how to assess the value of data.gc.ca.…
public policy
TVO’s The Agenda: A Meritocracy Worth Fighting For – Akaash Maharaj Videocast
Throughout our history, Canada has grown through the toil of generations of Canadians who were inspired by the belief that our country is free of the rigid class systems of…
TVO’s The Agenda: A Meritocracy Worth Fighting For – Akaash Maharaj Videocast
Throughout our history, Canada has grown through the toil of generations of Canadians who were inspired by the belief that our country is free of the rigid class systems of…
Joining the Canadian Government’s Advisory Panel on Open Government
Some people have already noticed, so wanted to share the news here as well. Yesterday, the Canadian Government announced the Advisory Panel on Open Government to which I was asked…
More on Google Transit and how it is Reshaping a Public Service
Some of you know I’ve written a fair bit on Google transit and how it is reshaping public transit – this blog post in particular comes to mind. For more…
The Surveillance State – No Warrant Required
Yesterday a number of police organizations came out in support of bill C-30 – the online online surveillance bill proposed by Minister Vic Toews. You can read the Vancouver Police…
I Stand for My Rights & Privacy: The Coming Online Police State
“He can either stand with us or with the child pornographers.” This was Mr. Toews’s, the Minister of Justice, counterattack to a question in the house regarding concerns of letting…
The Exciting Launch of Represent.ca and What It Says About Open Data in Canada
Last week a group of volunteer programs from across Canada announced the launch of Represent.ca – a website that tries to map all of Canada’s boundaries. Confused? Don’t be. It’s…
Requests for Endorsements: My Application to Attend The Open Government Partnership
Dear friends, Below (first in english then in a rough french translation – my spoken is much better than my written so I’ve relied on Google translate) is my application…
TVO’s The Agenda: Resistance is Not Futile – Akaash Maharaj Videocast
In any democracy worthy of the name, it is not merely the right, but the responsibility of every citizen to resist unjust laws… but there is a contrast between making…
TVO’s The Agenda: Resistance is Not Futile – Akaash Maharaj Videocast
In any democracy worthy of the name, it is not merely the right, but the responsibility of every citizen to resist unjust laws… but there is a contrast between making…
Algorithmic Regulation Spreading Across Government?
I was very, very excited to learn that the City of Vancouver is exploring implementing a program started in San Francisco in which “smart” parking meters adjust their price to…
Public Servants Self-Organizing for Efficiency (and sanity) – Collaborative Management Day
Most of the time, when I engage with or speak to federal public servants, they are among the most eager to find ways to work around the bureaucracy in which…
Paying attention #nlpoli
In order to understand what is going on in the world around you, then you just need to pay attention. Paul Wells makes plain the value of careful reading –…
My Canadian Open Government Consultation Submission
Attached below is my submission to the Open Government Consultation conducted by Treasury Board over the last couple of weeks. There appear to be a remarkable number of submission that…
Ethical Oil and the Northern Gateway Pipeline Process
This piece is cross-posted from the Toronto Star’s Op-Ed Page. This week the “ethical oil” argument adopted by the federal government took an interesting twist. While billions from China pour…
Open Government Advocacy: The Danger of Letting Narrative Trump Fact
So I loath making this the first post of the new year, but here we go. Today Canada.com published a story “Tony Clement vows innovative new open government, but critics…
TVO’s The Agenda: Hope for the Holidays – Akaash Maharaj Videocast
We will be able to hold our heads high before the judgement of history if we can reply that in our season, we held on to hope, we put aside…
TVO’s The Agenda: Hope for the Holidays – Akaash Maharaj Videocast
We will be able to hold our heads high before the judgement of history if we can reply that in our season, we held on to hope, we put aside…
Access to Information, Open Data and the Problem with Convergence
In response to my post yesterday one reader sent me a very thoughtful commentary that included this line at the end: “Rather than compare FOI legislation and Open Gov Data…