Stay informed with the LNN Daily Newsletter
The flag flies on the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Task force of ex-CEOs, public servants to advise government on public service reform

Jul 23, 2026 | 9:02 AM

OTTAWA — Some former CEOs and senior public servants have assembled a task force to advise the federal government on how it can make better decisions and be more accountable in key areas.

The nine-member task force includes a former national security adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a former CEO of energy giant Trans Mountain Corporation, and former deputy ministers in several departments.

In a press release, the group says it’s going to consider reforms in three priority areas: digital government and AI, major projects and Arctic sovereignty.

It’s planning to give Ottawa independent advice on how to simplify decision-making, co-ordinate internally and modernize the public service.

The group says it has a yearlong mandate.

Its financial backers include the Clean Economy Fund, the Hewitt Foundation, the Ivey Foundation and the Jarislowsky Foundation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2026.

The Canadian Press staff