Reading Time: 2 minutesDisponible en français. The purpose of the Official Languages Act (OLA) is to ensure respect for English and French as the official languages of Canada. Pursuant to the OLA and to regulations and current policies, federal institutions are guided by certain fundamental principles that… Read More ›
Reading Time: 3 minutesDisponible en français. The federal budget outlines the government’s revenue estimates and expenditure priorities for the fiscal year. It is a key component of the parliamentary financial cycle. The outlook for budgetary revenues and expenses can be found in tables… Read More ›
Reading Time: 5 minutesDisponible en français. Some 160 years ago, Canada’s Fathers of Confederation hit upon a phrase that has come to define Parliament’s lawmaking authority in relation to the provinces. The phrase “peace, order and good government” is found in the opening… Read More ›
Reading Time: 6 minutesDisponible en français. Women’s right to full and equal participation in the public and political life of their country is recognized by the 1979 United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The proportion or number… Read More ›
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDisponible en français. This HillStudy consists of a series of questions and answers intended to provide a better understanding of economic statistics and federal government finances. It covers such topics as the following: production: gross domestic product (GDP); inflation: consumer price index; nominal and real… Read More ›
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDisponible en français. The COVID‑19 pandemic drove many legislatures around the world to adopt or expand their use of digital technologies in order to continue exercising their core functions of legislating, studying issues of public policy, scrutinizing governments and representing… Read More ›
Reading Time: 2 minutesDisponible en français. At the federal level, there are several sequential stages that must be completed for a policy proposal to be transformed from an idea into a law. The process involves all three components of the legislative branch (the Sovereign, the Senate and… Read More ›
Reading Time: 4 minutesDisponible en français. In today’s complex world, the blurred lines between domestic and foreign policy regularly draw Canadian parliamentarians onto the world stage. Increasingly, they speak directly with their international counterparts on issues of global and national importance. In Canada,… Read More ›
Reading Time: 3 minutesDisponible en français. One of Parliament’s fundamental roles is to review and approve the government’s taxation and spending plans. To fulfill this role, parliamentarians follow the parliamentary financial cycle, which consists of a continuous loop of activities that take place… Read More ›
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDisponible en français. Officers of Parliament support both houses in their accountability and scrutiny functions by carrying out independent oversight responsibilities assigned to them by statute. These officers are responsible directly to Parliament rather than to the government or a federal… Read More ›