Open Government needs to create serious venues for addressing really tough and "NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT TO TALK ABOUT" issues facing Canadians. We need to bring these issues out into the open from their "neat little hiding places", where they've been swept under the rug so to speak. For example: There is a very large Compensation/Benefit Gap issue in Canada between Public and Private Sector workers. This tends to create a two-class system. Why is this issue not being addressed or openly discussed.
Study after study shows that public sector worker pay is 10% - 20% higher than private sector worker pay for the same type job. And the total compensation gap does not stop there. Public Sector workers all have defined benefit pension plans whereas the average private sector worker does not even have a pension. When we add in dental plans, prescription drug plans, number of sick days taken per year, vacation days available per year, the disparity becomes embarrassing. Public sector workers in Canada are retiring younger and younger on full pensions adjusted to inflation with benefits while private sector workers in Canada are working longer and longer past 65 with no pension and no benefits. This is insidiousness. Private sector worker tax dollars are taken to enable public sector workers to retire earlier and earlier while they (private sector workers) in turn have to work longer and longer. Something is very wrong with this picture. For there to be any kind of success with the "Open Government" initiative, the these kinds of tough issues and topics MUST be tabled and openly discussed in a moderated environment - objectively, factually and peacefully.
Milestones
1. Set up independent study group (not all from pubic sector and academia but rather selected on basis of population - i.e. ~35% of workers in Public Sector and ~65% in Private Sector so this is split of study group selection. The ~65% from private sector can't all be from near-government institutions like banks etc. Their selection must represent Canadian industry employment demographics).
2. Make available stats can information and assistant to this group
Deliverables
1. Group submit finding and submit recommendations/report after 18 months with monthly progress updates to Sponsor
2. Publish findings and set of remedial action recommendations for Canadians to review on website
3. Legislative action plan to eliminate Public Sector - Private Sector wage, pension and benefit gap for jobs of similar types / values