Political / Government Support for Telework Day

Federal
Jean Chrétien, Prime Minister of Canada
John Manley, Minister of Industry Canada
Jane Stewart, Minister of Human Resources Development Canada
David Anderson, Federal Minister of the Environment
Lucienne Robillard, President of the Treasury Board Canada
Ralph Goodale, Federal Natural Resources Minster'. Refused to support, which fits with his past inaction (see "Cut the commute").

Provinical
Mike Harris, Premier of Ontario
David Turnbull, Ontario Transport Minister
Brian Tobin, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador:
Clint Dunford, Alberta Minister of Human Resources and Employment

Municipal / Community
Bob Chiarelli, Chair, Region of Ottawa-Carleton
Mary Pitt, Mayor, Nepean, Ontario:

Jean Chrétien, Prime Minister of Canada: "I am pleased to extend my warmest greetings to the members of the Canadian Telework Association as you mark Telework Day '99.  This special event will provide you with an excellent opportunity to recognize the contribution teleworkers make to the Canadian workforce.  Today's labour market demands innovation on the part of all workers, as well as the ability to adapt to new technologies, products and services.  Celebrations such as this offer you the opportunity to review past successes and to identify current trends that will make you more competitive in the global marketplace.  Please accept my best wishes for every success in meeting the challenges of the future."

John Manley, Federal Minister of Industry Canada: "I am pleased to support (Canadian Telework Day). Innovation and knowledge will become the new raw materials of the 21st century economy. These will improve productivity and competitiveness in all sectors of our economy and society. By teleworking and by recognizing Telework Day, Canadians can demonstrate they are using Information Technology to compete and innovate in their daily lives."

(En Francais de l’honorable Jane Stewart Ministre de Développement des ressources humaines Canada: À l’occasion de la deuxième édition annuelle de la Journée canadienne du télétravail, je tiens à féliciter sincèrement toutes les personnes qui participent cette année aux activités. En tant que ministre de Développement des ressources humaines Canada, je me réjouis de voir à quel point le télétravail peut contribuer à créer des emplois, à moderniser notre marché du travail et à multiplier les options offertes aux travailleurs canadiens. Cette nouvelle formule de travail d’une grande souplesse aide les employeurs du Canada à devenir plus compétitifs dans une économie mondiale toujours plus exigeante et élargit l’éventail des possibilités offertes aux travailleurs à la recherche d’un équilibre entre leur vie professionnelle et leur vie personnelle et familiale. J’ajoute donc ma voix à celles de tous les partisans de la Journée canadienne du télétravail et je souhaite à toutes et à tous un immense succès dans la promotion de cet important concept.

David Anderson, Federal Minister of the Environment: "As Minister of the Environment, I am committed to working with Canadians to find creative and effective ways to save energy, pollute less and reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases. Telework is one of the many activities communities are encouraging to help improve the health of our environment.  While the application of the policy is subject to employee and management approval, I believe this innovative way of working can have a significant impact on our communities.  Community-based action, often led by a few pioneering individuals, continues to achieve significant results as we face a number of environmental challenges. Many communities are promoting telework and other commuting options because of their environmental benefits, from relieving traffic congestion to improving air quality.

Over 50 communities across Canada benefit from being members of Millenium Eco-Communities, an online network that enables people to share ideas and approaches for environmental protection.  I encourage you to log on to the website at http://www.ec.gc.ca to share your sustainable transportation experiences and learn what people in other communities are doing.  I commend the Canadian Telework Association for the remarkable work they do in advancing telework issues throughout Canada and the greater world community.

Lucienne Robillard, President of the Treasury Board Canada: "I am pleased to endorse the initiative of the Canadian Telework Association in increasing public awareness of telework. The Treasury Board, as Employer of the Public Service, is committed to providing policies and provisions designed to help employees balance their work, personal and family responsibilities. The federal public service has a telework policy. In keeping with our goal of creating a workplace of choice, telework assists in meeting both business and sustainable development objectives while satisfying the growing needs of employees to improve their overall quality of life."

En francais: Déclaration de la Présidente du Conseil du Trésor: "J'ai le plaisir d'appuyer l'initiative de l'Association canadienne du télétravail, dont l'objectif est de mieux informer le public sur le télétravail. En qualité d'employeur de la fonction publique, le Conseil du Trésor tient à instaurer des politiques et des mesures pour aider les employés(es) à concilier leurs obligations professionnelles, personnelles et familiales. La fonction publique fédérale est dotée d'une politique de télétravail. Conformément au but que s'est fixé le Conseil de créer un milieu de travail de choix, la politique de télétravail favorise l'atteinte des objectifs opérationnels et le développement durable tout en répondant aux besoins croissants des employés en contribuant à l'amélioration de leur qualité de vie."

Michael D. Harris, Premier of Ontario: "It is my pleasure, on behalf of the Government of Ontario, to extend greetings to everyone celebrating Canadian Telework Day.  I am happy to join businesses across Ontario and Canada in saluting over one million workers who have taken advantage of the telework option to provide efficient, professional services to companies while working from home.  Making use of the information highway, these workers provide highly-skilled service and greater flexibility while protecting our environment.  This special day is dedicated to recognizing the benefits of teleworking to the well-being of our economy. I commend the Canadian Telework Association for promoting this environmentally friendly way of doing business."

David Turnbull, Ontario Transport Minister: "I'd like to offer my best wishes for Canadian Telework Day '99. And congratulations to the association for the great success of its first ever Canadian Telework Day last year. We at the Ontario Ministry of Transportation recognize the many positive benefits of teleworking. As our economy expands and creates jobs, we need to continually seek out new technologies and new ways of working together to remain competitive. Not only does teleworking have the potential to make our economy more competitive and more productive, it also has the potential to reduce the volume of traffic on our roads and to decrease vehicle emissions. Less traffic supports our government's commitment to making Ontario's roads safer for all travelers.

Just as it makes teleworking possible, Information Technology is allowing the provincial government to plan and deliver our programs, products and services to the people of Ontario with more speed, convenience and efficiency. And at my ministry, IT is helping make Ontario's roads safer - for example, the COMPASS cameras of our advanced traffic management system are designed to manage traffic congestion on Highway 401 in Toronto. IT is also helping us to expand our delivery of products and services through the use of the Internet, telephone and self-service kiosks, to complement existing over-the-counter services. I salute you on this second Canadian Telework Day, and I invite everyone to visit our website to explore the information and services MTO offers to the public online."

Brian Tobin, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador: I am pleased to be a part of the second annual Canadian Telework Day, a concept that is helping to change the way we work. Here in Newfoundland and Labrador, and around the world, technology is advancing at a phenomenal rate. These developments are bringing positive changes to the way our society operates. Telework is one of these changes, and it has created new opportunities and more flexible work schedules for individuals.

As a province where at least every fourth household has a computer, where all of our schools have Internet access, and where our population is dispersed over a large geographic area, Newfoundland and Labrador has many reasons to capitalize on the benefits of teleworking. For instance, individuals are now able to be a part of a competitive environment without having to commute or even re-locate to a major centre. And corporations in remote locations are able to compete with virtually any firm from around the world. As our knowledge-based society experiences more technological change and innovation, telework will have continued growth and acceptance. This concept will also experience further growth as today’s technologically-advanced youth become tomorrow’s work force. I look forward to seeing the benefits teleworking will have for the people of this province. Congratulations on the second annual Canadian Telework Day and best of luck for a successful event.

Clint Dunford, Alberta Minister of Human Resources and Employment: "Today's advances in information and telecommunication technologies have made working from home easier and more efficient than ever. In Alberta, teleworking allows our knowledgeable workforce to compete in the global marketplace without geographical or time barriers. It provides new opportunities to innovate and explore alternative ways to balance work and family responsibilities. It offers people with disabilities a new way to take an active part in the world of work, and it helps us reap increasingly greater benefits from our human resources.  I am pleased to support the second Canadian Telework Day as an opportunity to recognize the contribution teleworkers make to Alberta's workforce.

Bob Chiarelli, Chair, Region of Ottawa-Carleton: Whereas the Canadian Telework Association (CTA) is a non-profit organization providing leadership and expertise toward the promotion of telework in Canada; and Whereas the CTA is coordinating National Telework Day in 1999 as an education and public awareness campaign to encourage more Canadians and their organizations to telework by informing them of the benefits of telework, telecommuting and new officing arrangements; and Whereas a number of major employers in Ottawa-Carleton actively support teleworkers as innovators and contributors to a knowledge-based economy; and Whereas the promotion of teleworking supports the development of advanced information technology products and services; and Whereas Ottawa-Carleton's Transportation Master Plan recognizes that an increase in teleworking within Ottawa-Carleton can reduce peak travel demands, the costs of providing transportation facilities and services, and the negative impacts of motorized travel such as the emission of greenhouse gases; Therefore, I Bob Chiarelli, Chair of the Region of Ottawa-Carleton, hereby proclaim October 27, 1999 as Canadian Telework Day in the Ottawa-Carleton Region.

Mary Pitt, Mayor of Nepean, Ontario: "On behalf of Members of Council, I would like to congratulate the Canadian Telework Association on its efforts to promote October 27th as Canadian Telework Day ‘99. As a city with more than 16,000 jobs in the high-tech sector, we can appreciate how today’s rapid advances in information and telecommunication technologies are dramatically changing the way communities live, work and play. Nepean is home to many companies, including our largest employer Nortel Networks, which are actively involved in formal and informal telework programs. The City of Nepean recognizes the valuable contribution that telework makes to our businesses and their employees, the environment and to our community as a whole. We are proud to support the efforts of the Canadian Telework Association and wish you much success on October 27, 1999."

[In addition to the above, see over 30 Politicians who support the 'concept' of telework]