From Renters to Owners: LibreOffice and the Future of Canada’s Digital Infrastructure

“If code is law, then open source is democracy.” ~ Lawrence Lessig

“Relying on proprietary software is like renting a house you can never own. You’re always paying, but you never truly control the space.” ~ Cory Doctorow

“Governments have a moral obligation to use public funds to support software that the public can use, modify, and share.” ~ Richard Stallman

“Open source is not just about saving money, it’s about preserving national autonomy in a digital world.” ~ Evgeny Morozov

I came across this blog post from the LibreOffice website, and it's such an outstanding idea for most countries to do the same... to free themselves from American multinational proprietary rental software. For well over 10 years I've been using OpenOffice and LibreOffice instead of Microsoft products and everything is compatible, and much more user-friendly, more secure, and more stable than Microsoft Office.

Across all levels of government in Canada, federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal, there’s mounting pressure to rethink the reliance on expensive proprietary software like Microsoft Office 365. Denmark's recent move to replace Microsoft with LibreOffice in its Ministry of Finance provides a compelling precedent for Canada to consider. Office 365 is costly and operates on a subscription model, forcing governments into never-ending payments without ownership of the software. These ongoing licensing costs continuously strain public budgets costing millions of dollars and often result in vendor lock-in, making it difficult for institutions to break free from long-term financial and technological dependence.

LibreOffice, on the other hand, is a free, open-source alternative that eliminates licensing fees and gives users full control over how the software is used and customized. LibreOffice is extremely user friendly, more user-friendly than Microsoft Office 365. Switching over to LibreOffice would be a step toward digital self-reliance, allowing Canadian governments to manage sensitive information without relying on American tech multinational corporations. This shift would reinforce the principle that public data should be governed on Canadian terms. In fact, the federal government of Canada is paying a cost of $134 million per year for a 7-year period which amounts to almost $1 billion!

Beyond the economic argument, moving to LibreOffice aligns with values of innovation, national security, and ethical public service. Unlike Office 365, which builds no lasting public assets, LibreOffice fosters sustainability, transparency, and community development. Open-source investment can help strengthen Canada’s tech infrastructure from within, particularly supporting Indigenous and remote communities that face disproportionate funding barriers with high-cost American proprietary systems.

Moreover, the open and modifiable nature of LibreOffice means security vulnerabilities can be addressed swiftly and transparently. From an ethical standpoint, it’s hard to justify continually pouring Canadian taxpayer dollars into a software lease from America when capable, cost-free alternatives are readily available. LibreOffice can be freely distributed across public and private schools, colleges and universities, small, medium, and large businesses, and households, maximizing the return on public investment. Such a transition isn’t about updating software, it's a deeper commitment to responsible spending, digital independence, and equitable access to technology for all Canadians.

Danish Ministry switching from Microsoft Office/365 to LibreOffice