Discovering the Public Interest

The public interest is a vital part of being a successful democratic nation. Unfortunately, consensus surrounding the issue of what constitutes the public interest has never been found. Canada, striving to be a world leader in democracy, struggles with this issue everyday in the creation of regulations and policies. Ideas expressed in academic literature, regulatory decisions, and views of the public were looked at in an effort to establish an accountability framework. This framework is to be used by government and regulators in the decision-making process.

One of the main themes that came out of the research was the public’s need for participation and for decision-making to follow due process. It must be transparent, legal, and all those affected must have the opportunity to be involved. For the regulation to be supported and successful, all individuals must be trusting of the regulators and understand all the issues and their roles surrounding the new parameters. The decision-making process must allow for contribution from all citizens involved.

Because Canada is such a diverse nation with many different interests, it is sometimes difficult for the public to agree on an issue. To consider regulations to be in the public interest, they must be supported by majority of the population with minorities still being protected. When the nation seems to be divided or when minorities are involved, often there is a need to strike a balance that all individuals can support. There must also be a balance struck between all the different actors in a society, including the business sector and government for a regulation to be in the public interest. Citizens understand that businesses have a right to make a profit but they must keep in mind the social and environmental impacts of their actions. It’s a constant battle of “innovation v. health and safety v. environmental protection v. economic growth” (11).

Another concern that must be addressed for a decision to have public support is the cost of implementing such regulations. There must