Institute for Research on Public Policy

Informed observers and policy makers are well aware that in recent years social welfare systems on both sides of the Atlantic have been subject to growing scrutiny, debate and controversy, especially due to high unemployment rates and extreme interest rates experienced during the last recession as well as important demographic changes such as the increase of women into the labour market and the aging population. The papers included in the colloquium discuss the situation of social welfare policy in three stages: historical developments and forces for change; the influence of the political process on social security developments; and, the nature of policy responses to demographic change.

Proceedings of a Canada/UK Colloquium, October 17-18, 1986, Ottawa/Meech Lake

The Future of Social Welfare Systems in Canada and the United Kingdom

The service sector is steadily growing as services that previously were undertaken within the family unit, now show up in social accounts as health care, education and public sector services. Technological changes make possible a process of intermediation in service activities, a separation in space or time of the recipient of services from the original producer, and the increase of v̀alue-added' services. This conference met to discuss implications of the growing service sector, with the larger goal of identifying frameworks for policies to support an efficient and expanding system for production and exchange of services domestically and internationally.

Theory, Measurement, and Policy : Proceedings of a Service Sector Roundtable, June 2-4, 1987, Toronto, Ontario

Traded and Non-traded Services

Queen's University (Kingston, Ont.). Institute of Intergovernmental Relations

Current tensions in intergovernmental fiscal arrangements are thus important impediment to improving the health care system. At the same time, the failure of provinces to correct health care problems acts a serious irritant in intergovernmental relations, creating a vicious cycle where deficiencies in intergovernmental fiscal relations make health care reform difficult while failures to effect health care reform increase conflict between the provinces and the federal government. This collection of essays analyses key issues in federal-provincial health care relations, particularly the fiscal component. The authors look at why there is a role for the federal government in health care and consider the critical issues in recent intergovernmental political battles over this role. The issues of whether the vertical federal-provincial fiscal imbalance is myth or reality, how much the federal government does and should contribute financially to provincial health care programs, and methods for settling disputes, such as those over user fees, are discussed. The authors also provide concrete proposals for reconstructing the federal-provincial partnership. Contributors include Keith Banting (Queen's University), Robin Boadway (Queen's University), David Cameron (University of Toronto), Harvey Lazar, Jennifer McCrea-Logie, France St-Hilaire, and Jean-François Tremblay.

Reconstructing the Federal-provincial Partnership

Money, Politics and Health Care

Document discusses the evolution of political education in Canada, noting the gaps in current theory and practice. Discusses the content of the politically-relevant subjects that people learn, and the way in which people understand the political process; political education's elements of indoctrination and enlightenment; education at the secondary school level and accompanying levels of political knowledge among students; and the media's role in educating the public, especially details about policy issues. The document presents summaries of papers from a conference held in February 1987, and makes recommendations.

Political Education in Canada

Québec (Province). Assemblée nationale. Commission sur l'avenir politique et constitutionnel du Québec

Quebec Debates Its Future

Canada, Adieu?

Managing Public Enterprises

Provides extensive legal analysis of key issues associated with understanding the policy implications of the Agreement. Topics discussed include dispute resolution procedures and the effects of the review mechanism that applies to the trade laws of both countries; technical aspects of the free trade area and some of the specific issues involved in the elaboration of national treatment; Canadian constitutional dimensions and the issues involved in implementation of the Agreement; and the broader implications for Canada's sovereignty.

Understanding the Free Trade Agreement

International Perspectives

Resource Policy

McGill University. North American Studies Program

The papers collected in this document cover the following topics: the debate over free trade, the Free Trade Agreement for Canada and the United States, the costs of free trade for Canada, why Canadian artists oppose the Agreement, an exploration of the pros and cons of the Agreement, and the history of free trade between the two countries.

Historical, Political, and Economic Dimensions

Canadian-American Free Trade (the Sequel)

This document contains a series of papers. One paper examines how various types of interest groups in Quebec have invoked the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in recent litigation. The other papers looks at the effects of rights talk concerning debating policy; group representation in Canadian politics; constitutional rights and interest advocacy: litigating educational reform in Canada and the United States; advocacy organizations and legislative politics; the role of litigation and the Charter in interest advocacy; and interest advocacy through parliamentary channels.

The Charter, Interest Advocacy and Representation

Equity & Community

Thomas J. Courchene

What happens when the world changes in ways that make Canada's physical capital, natural resources, and geography – once the ultimate competitive advantages – less important than knowledge, information, technological know-how, and human capital? What happens to Canadians? In A State of Minds Thomas Courchene examines the political structures that link local, provincial, and federal governments and challenges many longstanding beliefs about how society should be organised and financed. While focusing on Canadian competitiveness in a global economy, Courchene shows us how an open federal state like Canada can achieve both economic prosperity and social justice. Always provocative, Courchene blends compelling analysis and reasoned insight with a prescription for change: To stay ahead of the competitive curve and protect the Canadian way of life, Canada must become a "state of minds."

Toward a Human Capital Future for Canadians

A State of Minds

Frank Cassidy

Norman Dale

Study of how a resolution of issues that give rise to and result from comprehensive claims by native peoples might affect the economic, political and environmental dimensions of natural resources-centred activities. The natural resource sectors examined are: fishery, forestry, and non-renewable resources.

The Implications of Comprehensive Claims Settlements for Natural Resources in British Columbia

After Native Claims?

This volume is a compilation of papers reflecting many of the issues related to telecommunications that are being debated today and are likely to continue to be addressed in the next few years. The papers examine the ways in which economic and technological forces are changing the regulation of telecommunications and the characteristics of the industry itself. After an introduction on issues such as the information highway, industry consolidation, market integration, and constraints on new policies, the papers cover such topics as the changes in Canadian telecommunications and their economics, the role of telecommunications in productivity and competition, the business network concept as an alternative governance structure, competition policy, convergence of technologies, separation of infrastructure from services, European telecommunications policy, and the historical context in which Canada has handled earlier transformations of a technological nature.

Perspectives on the New Economics and Regulation of Telecommunications

This publication focuses on the current 'Uruguay Round' of GATT negotiations. In particular the Forum discussed those issues of highest priority to Pacific countries. This volume contains the major addresses, panel discussions, background papers on specific issues, and panel presentations of a group of professional economists reflecting their identification of the elements of consensus that emerged during the Forum discussions.

Institute for Research on Public Policy

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