Civil Service Act 1918 - Circumstances Leading To The Act

Circumstances Leading To The Act

In 1911, a number of members of the Ontario business community made a proposal to the then leader of the opposition, Robert Borden. In the proposal, they agreed to support Borden in the upcoming election if he instituted reforms in the civil service.

Those who lobbied for the reforms made the argument that until then the Canadian civil service has been inefficient largely as a result of patronage. Under a patronage system, the civil service had a tendency to go through a larger turnover than otherwise, as it is largely replaced following the formation of every new government. The direct result of this is a more limited expertise on the part of those occupying important government positions, decreasing productivity and efficiency in government.

Specifically the Ontario business community argued that this inefficient organization of the civil service reduced the international comparative advantage of Canada, having negative implications on the financial interests of Canadian businesses. They saw a more professional and skilled civil service as being conducive with these interests.