Reading Time: 2 minutesDisponible en français. Trafficking in persons is an increasingly pressing issue in global migration policy, particularly in the wake of the COVID‑19 pandemic that has exacerbated many contributing factors. The United Nations describes trafficking in persons as “the recruitment, transportation,… Read More ›
Reading Time: 6 minutesDisponible en français. Launched in 2016, the Investing in Canada Plan is a long-term federal infrastructure plan involving the investment of $188 billion over 12 years. Of this total, $96 billion is new funding, and $92 billion is from existing infrastructure programs. Although the… Read More ›
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDisponible en français. The year 2021 marks 100 years since Drs. Banting and Best first isolated insulin at the University of Toronto. The discovery soon changed the lives of people with diabetes worldwide. Several advances have been made since that… Read More ›
Reading Time: 5 minutesDisponible en français. One hundred years ago, on 6 December 1921, Agnes Campbell Macphail became the first woman elected to the House of Commons and the first woman parliamentarian in the Parliament of Canada. This HillNote provides an overview of selected notable firsts… Read More ›
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDisponible en français. Understanding economic statistics and federal government finances can be complex. Through 23 questions and answers, this HillStudy explores key economic and financial concepts, including production: gross domestic product (GDP); inflation: consumer price index; nominal and real GDP; raw… 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… Read More ›
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDisponible en français. Canada’s founding document, the Constitution Act, 1867, established the country as a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. Executive authority resides with the Sovereign or that person’s representative (i.e., the Governor General of Canada). The Constitution assigns the Governor General a wide range… Read More ›
Reading Time: 5 minutesDisponible en français. The Supreme Court of Canada was created by statute in 1875. This HillNote describes the evolution of the membership and nomination process for Supreme Court justices over the years. Role of the Supreme Court The Supreme Court… Read More ›
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDisponible en français. In 2013–2014 and again since June 2020, some Canadian political figures have used the terms “national languages” and “official languages” interchangeably to refer to English and French when discussing the federal language regime. However, these two terms are not equivalent. “Official” status requires the government to… Read More ›