Official Language Policies at the Federal Level in Canada: Costs and Benefits in 2006

This study examines and measures the costs and benefits of federal bilingualism in the government of Canada’s official languages policies in 2006/07. The paper is divided into three main parts: the first presents the legal framework under which the federal government and federally regulated entities make decisions as to the internal and external usage of both official languages, the second presents the costs of these policies, and the third presents the benefits of these policies.

By Fraser Institute, Canada.

Governance Policy Resource.

Taxes versus the Necessities of Life: The Canadian Consumer Tax Index, 2009

The Canadian tax system is complex and no single number can give a complete idea of who pays how much. That said, the Fraser Institute annually calculates the most comprehensive and easily understood indicator of the overall tax bill of the average Canadian family: Tax Freedom Day. This Alert examines what has happened to the tax bill of the average Canadian family over the past 47 years. To do so, we have constructed an index of the tax bill of the average Canada family, the Canadian Consumer Tax Index, for the period from 1961 to 2008.

By Fraser Institute, Canada.

Governance Policy Resource.

Critical Topics in Global Warming

The issue of global warming is the subject of two parallel debates: one scientific, focused on the analyses of complex and conflicting data; the other political, addressing what is the proper response of government to a hypothetical risk. Proponents of an immediate and sweeping regulatory response insist that the scientific debate has long been settled. But a fair reading of the science, as presented in the Fraser Institute’s Independent Summary for Policymakers (ISPM), proves otherwise. The supplements to that report go deeper into some of the key topics and provide even more evidence that popularized notions about the causes and consequences of global warming are more fiction than fact.

By Fraser Institute, Canada.

Governance Policy Resource.

Canadian Indian policy a dismal failure and should be changed to focus on individuals, not traditional bands

Canada's current Indian policy is deeply flawed and will be unable to change and progress until the country moves away from the concept of Indians as a collective and parallel society and embraces the idea of Indians as individuals, argues Gordon Gibson in a new book published by the Fraser Institute.

By Fraser Institute, Canada.

Governance Policy Resource.

Defining the Federal Government’s Role in Social Policy: The Spending Power and Other Instruments

Limiting the use of the federal spending power in areas of provincial jurisdiction, particularly social policy, was on the agenda of most of the constitutional negotiations that began in the late 1960s. The issue was of particular interest to Quebec, but a number of other provincial governments also resented some of the ways the spending power had been used over time. Although all governments agreed to certain limits in the Meech Lake and Charlottetown accords, the rejection of the latter in 1992 ended attempts to provide for constitutional limits on the spending power.

By IRPP, Canada.

Governance Policy Resource.

Breaking Down Barriers to Labour Market Integration of Newcomers in Toronto

Immigrants have been settling in Canada for centuries. The pace of their integration into Canadian society has depended on many factors, but one constant has been their ability to earn a living. This can be most challenging for immigrants who arrive as adults and are ready and willing to enter the labour force immediately. Their experience differs from those of other adult immigrants who do not join the labour force and immigrants who arrive as children and are educated and socialized within the Canadian school system before entering the labour force.

By IRPP, Canada.

Governance Policy Resource.

Social Housing and the Role of Aboriginal Organizations in Canadian Cities

Since as early as 1970, Aboriginal housing organizations have been operating in urban areas. They have combatted disproportionate housing hardship, fought discrimination in the private and public housing sectors, and delivered housing in the most culturally appropriate ways possible within the parameters of state social housing programs.

By IRPP, Canada.

Governance Policy Resource.

Building a brigde to the futureFUTURE

In this exclusive to Policy Options, the Liberal leader underlines his party's role as the "party of the centre" in Canada, and stresses its "ability to build bridges and unite Canadians from every province." Looking ahead, he sees climate change as the "main focus of our endeavour." He adds: "if humanity does not develop a sustainable way of living on this planet soon, we will quickly reach the tipping point for environmental, economic and social catastrophe."

By IRPP, Canada

Governance Policy Resource.

Doug Bland Assesses Rick Hillier's Legacy in Policy Options article

“As General Rick Hillier steps down as Chief of Defence Staff, Doug Bland notes that no previous CDS has commanded such close attention from the prime minister or played as central a role in the direction of Canada's defence and foreign policies. He is the first of a new breed of post-Cold War senior officers, and it is a safe bet that his successor will continue his deep involvement in policy development.

By IRPP, Canada.

Governance Policy Resource.

Naphta Nonsense

“Beggar thy neighbour” may not be good policy, but it is predictable in hard economic times, especially in election cycles. Thus, both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, debating in the Rust-Belt state of Ohio, promised to reopen NAFTA and even cancel it if the Canadians and Mexicans didn’t agree to renegotiate. But then came “NAFTA-gate,” a silly episode in which the Harper government was accused of trying to derail the Obama campaign for the benefit of John McCain, followed by the leak of a low-level diplomatic note by Canadian consular officials, advising Ottawa to pay no heed to Obama’s rhetoric, which hurt Obama’s prospects on the eve of the Ohio vote. Robin Sears backgrounds an episode of spring fever. . .

By IRPP, Canada.

Governance Policy Resource.