Digital Economy Strategy delay raises concern over government commitment

Is the Digital Economy Strategy (DES) still a strategy? Does the long delay in its release indicate a lessening in the newly elected Conservative government's commitment to boosting Canada's role in all things digital? These are just two of the questions that have been swirling around in policy circles as the S&T community waits for the long-awaited DES to emerge from the Ottawa bureaucracy into the light of day.

Initially announced in March/10 by former Industry minister Tony Clement at the Canada 3.0 conference in Stratford ON, the DES is intended to galvanize Canada's information and communications technology (ICT) sector and make Canada a world leader in critical niches. Given less than three months to make formal submissions, ICT stakeholders in industry and academia and other organizations were energized by the prospect of a holistic approach to digital technologies, intellectual property legislation and copyright protection would enhancing future productivity and competitiveness.

Then came the federal election, a downturn in the global economy and a change in Industry ministers that saw the DES champion (Clement) moved to the presidency of the Treasury Board. Given the government's aversion to official strategies (witness the silence on the Canadian Space Agency's long-overdue long-term space plan), speculation is growing that the DES may be sinking in the shifting sands of Ottawa politics.

Rumours that the DES was being downgraded from its status as a strategy or even killed as a forthcoming policy document don't appear to have much basis in reality. Less than a month after the Conservative majority victory in the May 2nd election, newly appointed Industry minister Christian Paradis reaffirmed the government's commitment to the DES in an address to the Canadian Telecom Summit.

"Our government considers a digital economy strategy to be one of its most important objectives. In fact, it was something we campaigned on during the election ... I am focused on sustaining the momentum," said Paradis.

In a more recent speech last week at the Wireless Canada Technology Showcase, Paradis was less explicitly in his support for the DES and did not mention the strategy by name. However, he restated that it was the government's "goal that Canada can be a leader in the digital economy".

"Our government is your partner in this digital revolution. I think everyone here would share our goal that Canada be a leader in the digital economy," said Paradis. "We envision a Canada where our digital infrastructure is on the leading edge and our businesses and consumers are early adopters. Where our workers have the skills to thrive in this digital economy, and our companies are the technology manufacturers and suppliers to the world."

The speech's omission of the DES prompted Michael Geist, law professor at the Univ of Ottawa to tweet, "Is Digital Economy Strategy dead?"

Those familiar with the process leading up to the DES say there are no indications that the government has abandoned or downgraded the DES.

"Everything I've heard from Paradis indicates that the government is still on their agenda … There's been a change in minister so it's going to be a bit of a waiting game. The R&D Review Panel may kick start things again," says Dr Kevin Tuer, managing director of the Waterloo-based Canadian Digital Media Network, one of the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research. "I don't know what they will call it as long as it's an action plan. The digital economy is a ferocious beast (and) indecision is the enemy. I'm cautiously optimistic."

Lynda Leonard, senior VP at the Information Technology Association of Canada, also says she's unaware of any government intention to downgrade or shelve the DES.

"In our discussions with Industry Canada, we've been given no indication that the strategy is not going forward," says Leonard, adding that the spring election and the overall climate of austerity within government may have contributed to the DES' release. "I don't think they're dragging their feet."

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