FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Guardian: Perspectives on the Ministry of Finance of Ontario
Today’s Ontario Ministry of Finance is a robust, sophisticated and influential policy operation which resides at the centre of the decision-making arena in the province. In 1961, the Ministry, then known as the Treasury Department, was the province’s small bookkeeping service. During the Progressive Conservative governments of John Robarts and Leslie Frost, the Treasury Department expanded as the province embarked on ambitious programs.
The Guardian: Perspectives on the Ministry of Finance of Ontario, edited by Professor Patrice Dutil, outlines the evolution of the Ontario Ministry of Finance between 1961 and 2003. The volume includes essays from Canadian scholars and public service practitioners that profile the ministry as it raised revenue, developed capacity, constructed budgets, interacted with other organizations and built a modern Ontario. The Guardian illustrates the interplay of politicians, bureaucrats, ideas, institutions and the lessons learned from a ministry that has been the guardian of the public purse and a priority setter of government.
Key features of the volume include discussions on:
- Institutional change of the Department of Treasury/Ministry of Finance;
- Relationships between Treasurers/Ministers of Finance and their Premiers;
- The budget making process;
- The Department of Treasury/Ministry of Finance and its impact on infrastructure development and health care;
- The Department of Treasury/Ministry of Finance, intergovernmental affairs and national agenda setting.
Dr. Patrice Dutil is the Undergraduate Director and an associate professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University in Toronto. The Guardian is part of The IPAC Series in Public Management and Governance published by the University of Toronto Press. Dr. Dutil is the editor of the series.
The Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC), founded in 1947, is a dynamic association of public servants, academics, and others interested in public administration, with 17 regional groups across Canada. IPAC is a membership-based organization that creates knowledge networks and leads public administration research in Canada. Our mission is to promote excellence in public service. IPAC is also a major player in exporting successful Canadian public sector expertise around the world. Visit our website at www.ipac.ca .
The Guardian can be purchased for $65 online via the Institute of Public Administration of Canada’s website (http://www.ipac.ca/Store ) IPAC members can purchase the book at a discounted price of $52.
For more information contact:
Wendy A. Feldman, Director of Research
Institute of Public Administration of Canada
416-924-8787, ext. 228
wfeldman@ipac.ca
www.ipac.ca
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