Finance departments have often been portrayed as guardians of the public purse. In The Guardian, a multidisciplinary group of contributors examines the Ministry of Finance of Ontario since the Second World War. During the last sixty years the Ministry was transformed from a relatively small 'Treasury' to a sophisticated policy machine. What started as a modest bookkeeping operation evolved into a key bureaucratic and policy agency as the government of Ontario assumed a leadership position in developing the province.

These essays reveal Ontario's 'finance' as a dynamic policy issue shaped by the personalities of premiers and ministers, the energies of public servants at all levels, and a critical dialogue between political and administrative worlds. Drawing on different methodologies, this collection profiles a ministry as policy entrepreneur, spender, revenue generator, capacity builder, budget director, program manager, and intergovernmental agent. The Guardian fills a significant gap in public administration literature and in so doing describes how Ontario's Ministry of Finance defined its role as 'guardian.'

About the Author
Patrice Dutil is an associate professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University.

Awards
Short-listed for Legislative Assembly of Ontario Speaker's Book Award 2012 (Canada).



Book Information
ISBN 9781442642546
Author Patrice Dutil
Format Hardback
Page Count 400
Imprint University of Toronto Press
Publisher University of Toronto Press
Weight(grams) 700g
Dimensions(mm) 238mm * 160mm * 31mm