Minister's Message

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Canadians and Canadian society are in the midst of a profound transformation driven by the advent of instantaneous communication and information transfer. New technologies like the Internet are fundamentally changing relationships, transactions, and expectations in our economy, communities, and personal lives. They have profound implications for government—offering new ways to provide better service to Canadians and tremendous potential to improve internal administration and operations.

Canadians are looking to government for services that are reliable and easy to access. They want their government to provide services in ways that are more efficient, effective, open, and transparent. As Minister of National Revenue, I am proud to be involved with a government organization that is in the lead in applying new and innovative approaches to meet these expectations.

The move from department to agency with the creation of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) in November 1999 was an important step. It means we are in a better position to take advantage of new technology to significantly improve the services we provide in a new era of federal-provincial co-operation. But sophisticated tools make very little difference without people who are trained and motivated to use them. It is equally important that agency status gives us the flexibility we need to support our people and design a new human resources regime tailored to the unique demands of our work.

The transition from department to agency, the increasing use of new technologies, and implementing a new approach to human resource management in the CCRA translate into a great deal of change. Change often means uncertainty. As we evolve, we cannot forget that we must always maintain the trust and confidence of Canadians. Therefore, we must minimize uncertainty, be very clear about what our priorities are and involve Canadians in determining them. The Corporate Business Plan sets out our goals and objectives, and clearly establishes how we intend to meet them. I am also pleased that our plan has benefited from extensive consultations with Canadians on the directions we are taking.

I look forward to working closely with the CCRA's new Board of Management and with the Commissioner and his officials to implement this plan. I am confident that it will guide us well in our efforts to provide Canadians with a customs and revenue administration that meets the highest standard of excellence.

The Honourable Martin Cauchon
Minister of National Revenue

Date modified:

2002-01-04