Thinking Broader and Doing Staff Better

The Canadian government's handling of climate change is part of a pattern.  Domestic political calculations here in Canada - rather than any high-minded sense of Canada's international obligations - seems to drive the Harper government's foreign policy decisions.

That would be because Team Harper is trying to maintain an empire, not nurture a democracy.

But one way or another the episode stands to change the way governments conducts their backroom business - forcing their operatives to either seek even more clandestine means to manage crisis or to stick to arrangements that can withstand the light of day.  It would be nice but probably overly optimistic to hope that they choose for the latter.

Alternative, more transparent and ultimately more efficient models designed with government in mind already exist.  In fact, a changed model is absolutely necessary for the success of open government and open data.