Period Piece

John Lawrence Manion joined the federal public service in 1953 and held numerous roles until his retirement as principal of the Canadian Centre for Management Development, in 1991. Since then, the annual Manion Lecture has addressed “pressing public policy and public management issues that affect the professional roles and responsibilities of public servants in a way that challenges orthodoxies, speaks to the future, and broadens horizons.” On December 10, 2020, the veteran political commentator Jeffrey Simpson delivered the Manion Lecture via webcast, from which the following is adapted.

It is an honour to deliver the annual Manion Lecture. The circumstances of its delivery are perforce unique — thank you, COVID‑19 — but the name attached to this speech remains the same. I did not know Jack Manion, but I’ve heard much about him. And it’s universally the description of someone who might be called the public...