Parliamentary Information and Research Service Publications

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Publication Categories

*For information on legislation prior to the 39th Parliament, please consult LegisInfo.

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Aboriginal Issues

• The Aboriginal Fisheries and The Sparrow Decision (October 1993)
• Aboriginal Fishing Rights: Supreme Court Decisions (October 1996)
• Aboriginal Peoples and the 1995 Quebec Referendum: A Survey of the Issues (February 1996)
• Aboriginal Roundtable to Kelowna Accord: Aboriginal Policy Negotiations, 2004-2005 (4 May 2006)
• Aboriginal Self-Government [In Brief] (1 August 2000)
• Aboriginal Self-Government (17 June 1999)
• Aboriginal Title: The Supreme Court of Canada Decision in Delgamuukw v. British Columbia (February 2000)
• Indian Status and Band Membership Issues (February 2003)
• The Nisga'a Final Agreement (24 September 2001)
• The Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples [In Brief] (2 August 2000)
• Settling Land Claims [In Brief] (1 September 1999)
• Suicide among Aboriginal People: Royal Commission Report (23 February 1995)

Agriculture/Agri-Food

• Canada's Domestic Agricultural Supports and the World Trade Organization (20 September 2005)
• Canadian Feed Policy and BSE (11 July 2005)
• Chronology of BSE-Related Events and Government Initiatives (6 September 2006)
• Food Labelling - The Case of Dairy Products: Economic, Legislative and Trade Aspects (6 October 2005)
• Imports of Butteroil/Sugar Blends (9 August 2005)
• Intellectual Property Rights in Plants and the Farmer's Privilege (11 October 2005)
• Mad Cow Disease and Canada's Cattle Industry (12 July 2005)
• The Terminator Technology [In Brief] (22 March 2006)

Business and Corporate Issues

• Canada Business Corporations Act: Directors' Residency Requirements and other Residency Issues (7 December 1999)
• Canada Business Corporations Act: Shareholder Communications (18 January 2000)
• Canada Business Corporations Act: Unanimous Shareholder Agreements (20 January 2000)
• Canadian Response to the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002: New Directions for Corporate Governance (4 October 2005)
• Directors' Liability (29 February 2000)
• Dual-Class Share Structures and Best Practices in Corporate Governance (18 August 2005)
• Financial Assistance under the Canada Business Corporations Act (26 January 2000)
• Reforming Canadian Securities Regulation (19 September 2005)
• Take-Over Bids (25 January 2000)

Competition/Consumer

• Bankruptcy Law Update (18 May 1999)
• International Food Standards (2 August 2006)

Copyright/Patents/Trademark

• The Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations (4 May 2006)

Crime: Prevention and Responses

• Bill C-9: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (conditional sentence of imprisonment) (12 May 2006)
• Bill C-10: An act to amend the Criminal Code (minimum penalties for offences involving firearms) and to make a consequential amendment to another Act (10 May 2006)
• Bill C-19: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (Street Racing) and to make a Consequential Amendment to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (4 July 2006)
• Bill C-21, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Firearms Act (non-registration of firearms that are neither prohibited nor restricted) (10 August 2006)
• Bill C-23: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (criminal procedure, language of the accused, sentencing and other amendments (5 Septembre 2006)
• The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (24 January 2000)
• Conditional Sentences (21 December 2005)
• Dangerous Offender and Long-Term Offender Regime (4 April 2006)
• Hate Propaganda (24 January 2000)
• Insider Trading (22 December 1999)
• Illegal Drugs and Drug Trafficking (February 2003)
• Mandatory Minimum Sentences [In Brief] (18 January 2006)
• The Possible Establishment of a Federal Director of Public Prosecutions in Canada (2 March 2006)
• Telecommunications and Lawful Access: I. The Legislative Situation in Canada (21 February 2006)
• Telecommunications and Lawful Access: II. The Legislative Situation in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia (28 February 2006)
• War Criminals: The Deschênes Commission (16 October 1998)
• Wrongful Convictions in the Criminal Justice System (January 1992)
• The Young Offenders Act (25 January 2000)

Culture and Communications

• The Arts and Canada's Cultural Policy (15 October 1999)
• Canadian Multiculturalism (16 March 2006)
• Cultural Exemptions in Canada's Major International Trade Agreements and Investment Relationships [In Brief] (12 October 1999)
• Linguistic and Cultural Diversity in the Context of Economic Integration of the Americas (August 1997)
• Satellite Radio (8 March 2006)
• UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions [In Brief] (17 February 2006)

Debt/Deficit/Budget

• Balance Sheets and Budget Surpluses:  An Analysis, 1997-1998 — 2003-2004 (16 September 2005)

Defence and Security

• Arms Control and Disarmament (15 February 1999)
• Bill C-7: An Act to amend the National Defence Act (13 June 2006)
• Civilian Oversight of the RCMP's National Security Functions (11 January 2006)
• The Communications Security Establishment: Canada's Most Secret Intelligence Agency (September 1993)
• Defence Policy Review (4 February 1994)
• International Conflicts: Parliament, The National Defence Act, and the Decision to Participate (August 1992)
• International Deployment of Canadian Forces: Parliament's Role (14 September 2004)
• Security Sector Reform: Defence Diplomacy [In Brief] (17 May 2006)
• The USA PATRIOT Act and Canada's Anti-Terrorism Act: Key Differences in Legislative Approach
  (31 March 2006)
• The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative: Balancing Security and Economic Interests (23 May 2006)

Economic Issues

• A Closer Look at Ontario's "$23-Billion Gap" (10 May 2005)
• Ecological Fiscal Reform [In Brief] (17 March 2006)
• Energy Resources: Boon or Curse for the Canadian Economy? (31 March 2006)

Education

• Canada Student Loans Program (11 January 2006)

Elections, Referendum and Polling

• Bill C-16: An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (29 June 2006)
• Canada's Electoral Process: Frequently Asked Questions (5 April 2006)
• The Canadian Electoral System (May 2004)
• Electoral Reform Initiatives in Canadian Provinces (12 June 2006)
• Electoral Rights: Charter of Rights and Freedoms (30 September 2002)
• Electoral Systems (May 1993)
• Political Financing and Campaign Regulation (23 February 2006)
• Public Opinion Polling in Canada (January 1994)
• Referendums: The Canadian Experience in an International Context (January 1992)
• Referendums in Canada: The Effect of Populist Decision-Making on Representative Democracy (August 1993)

Energy

• Carbon Capture and Storage: Technology, Capacity and Limitations (10 March 2006)
• Clean Coal? [In Brief] (19 December 2005)
• Daylight Saving Time and Energy Conservation [In Brief] (29 July 2005)
• The Economics of Carbon Capture and Storage [In Brief] (13 March 2006)
• Federal Taxes on Gasoline and Heating Fuels [In Brief] (16 September 2005)
• Ontario's Electricity System: Is There Light at the End of the Tunnel? (22 September 2005)
• Peak Oil: Two Views [In Brief] (13 March 2006)

Environment and Sustainable Development

• Carbon Capture and Storage: Technology, Capacity and Limitations (10 March 2006)
• Clean Coal? [In Brief] (19 December 2005)
• Climate Change: Credit Trading and the Kyoto Protocol (22 December 2005)
• Climate Change: The 11^th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention (22 December 2005)
• Ecological Fiscal Reform [In Brief] (17 March 2006)
• The Effects of Smog on the Health of Canadians (October 1998)
• The European Carbon Market: A Successful Launch; The Canadian Carbon Market: Still Under Construction (25 January 2006)
• International Management of Chemicals (6 September 2006)
• The Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (23 January 2006)
• Protecting Wild Species at Risk in Canada (24 October 2000)
• Sustainable Development: Conditions, Principles and Issues (July 1997)
• Sustainable Development in the Federal Government: I. The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (20 July 2005)
• Virtual Elimination of Pollution from Toxic Substances (26 July 2006)

Family, Children and Youth

• Divorce Law in Canada (22 February 2006)

Federal-Provincial and Constitution

• Australia's Equalization System (31 March 2005)
• The Canadian Social Union: Questions About the Division of Powers and Fiscal Federalism (January 2001)
• Constitutional Activity from Patriation to Charlottetown (1980-1992) (November 1995)
• Distinct Society: Origins, Interpretations, Implications (December 1995)
• Equalization: Implications of Recent Changes (4 January 2006)
• The Foundations of Canadian Federalism (December 1988)
• Municipalities, the Constitution, and the Canadian Federal System (May 2006)
• National Standards and Social Programs: What the Federal Government Can Do (September 1997)
• Quebec's Constitutional Veto: The Legal and Historical Context (May 1992)
• The Spending Power: Scope and Limitations (October 1991)

Financial Institutions

• Payday Loan Companies in Canada: Determining Public Interest (26 January 2006)

Fisheries

• Marine Protected Areas: An Essential Element of the Fisheries Management Toolbox (24 April 2006)
• World Fisheries: The Current Crisis (January 1997)

Foreign Affairs and International Law

• Canadian Arctic Sovereignty (26 January 2006)
• Chiapas and After: The Mexican Crisis and Implications for Canada (February 1994)
• Developed and Developing Countries: Promoting Equitable Development (July 1993)
• Emerging Powers in the Global System: Challenges for Canada (March 2006)
• Hemispheric Affairs in Transition: Developing Canadian Roles (September 1997)
• Illegal Drugs and Drug Trafficking (February 2003)
• International Humanitarian Responses to Crises and Conflicts: Current Challenges (January 1995)
• International Organizations in Europe (Canadian Involvement (15 February 2006)
• Land Mines (25 September 2003)
• The OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) in 2006 (9 February 2006)
• Reform of the United Nations (24 February 2006)
• Sanctions: The Economic Weapon in the New World Order (January 1996)

Government and Public Administration

• The Accountability Act and the Parliamentary Budget Officer (29 June 2006)
• Appropriations and the Business of Supply (1 May 2004)
• Bill C-2: The Federal Accountability Act (28 August 2006)
• Bill C-17:  An Act to amend the Judges Act and certain other Acts in relation to courts (28 August 2006)
• Committees and Estimates: Powers, Performance and Possible Strategies (22 March 2006)
• Crown Corporation Governance and Accountability Framework: A Review of Recently Proposed Reforms (16 March 2006)
• The Ethics Commissioner (16 February 2006)
• The Evolution of Federal Government Finances, 1983-2003 (8 June 2005)
• Federal Commercialization in Canada (20 December 2005)
• Federal Government Spending: A Priori and A Posteriori Control Mechanisms (7 February 2006)
• Federal and Provincial Access to Information Legislation:  An Overview (May 2005)
• Federal Public Service Renewal - The La Relève Initiative (November 1998)
• Foundations: An Update (4 April 2005)
• The Gomery Commission Report, Phase 2 - An Overview (16 February 2006)
• Government and Canada's 39^th Parliament: Questions and Answers (7 December 2005)
• Governor in Council Appointments:  Recent Changes and Suggestions for Reform (17 May 2006)
• Grants and Contributions [In Brief] (7 February 2006)
• Management, Resources and Results Structure Policy (23 August 2005)
• Ministerial Staff: Issues of Accountability and Ethics (12 April 2006)
• Moving Public Servants to the Regions (31 March 2006)
• Notes on Bill C-293: An Act respecting the provision of development assistance abroad
  (Development Assistance Accountability Act) (20 September 2006)
• Parliamentary Committee Review of Estimates Documents and Auditor General's Reports in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom (24 August 2005)
• Parliamentary Committee Review of Regulations (30 January 2006)
• Political Financing and Campaign Regulation (23 February 2006)
• The Possible Establishment of a Federal Director of Public Prosecutions in Canada (2 March 2006)
• Procurement, Contracting and Advertising Management in the Federal Government: Latest Developments (6 February 2006)
• Shared Services: Lower Costs, Improved Services and a Change in Culture (23 September 2005)

Health

• Autism Spectrum Disorders:  Potential Causes (23 February 2006)
• Bill C-5: Public Health Agency of Canada Act (26 April 2006)
• The Canada Health Act: Overview and Options (16 June 2003)
• Childhood Autism in Canada: Some Issues Relating to Behavioural Intervention (26 January 2006)
• Duplicate Private Health Care Insurance: Potential Implications for Quebec and Canada (20 March 2006)
• The Obesity Epidemic in Canada (15 July 2005)
• The Effects of Smog on the Health of Canadians (October 1998)
• Health Care at the Supreme Court of Canada I: Auton (Guardian ad litem of) v. British Columbia (Attorney General) (4 August 2005)
• Health Care at the Supreme Court of Canada II: Chaoulli v. Quebec (Attorney General) (5 October 2005)
• HIV/AIDS - Past, Present and Future (31 August 2006)
• Influenza Pandemic (7 December 2005)
• International Food Standards (2 August 2006)
• Molecular Farming (4 July 2005)
• Private Health Care Funding and Delivery Under the Canada Health Act (28 December 2005)
• Reproductive Technologies: Surrogacy, and Egg and Sperm Donation (9 February 2006)
• The Role of the Courts in the Recognition of Language Rights (14 February 2006)
• Substance Abuse Issues and Public Policy in Canada: I. Canada's Federal Drug Strategy (13 April 2006)
• Substance Abuse Issues and Public Policy in Canada: II. Parliamentary Action (1987-2005) (13 April 2006)
• Substance Abuse Issues and Public Policy in Canada: III. What, When, Who and Why? (20 April 2006)
• Substance Abuse and Public Policy (23 January 2001)
• Tobacco and Health: Government Responses (16 December 1998)
• Trans Fats: The Health Burden (16 August 2005)
• The Wait Times Issue: A Snapshot (6 February 2006)

Human Rights and Freedoms

• Access to Information and Privacy Rights: Changes Introduced by the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Public Safety Act, 2002 (24 February 2006)
• Canada's Legal Age of Consent to Sexual Activity (12 April 2001)
• Charter Equality Rights: Interpretation of Section 15 in Supreme Court of Canada Decisions (January 2005)
• Freedom of Religion and Religious Symbols in the Public Sphere (14 March 2006)
• Human Rights in the Context of Economic Integration of the Americas (July 1997)
• Human Rights, Global Markets: Some Issues and Challenges for Canadian Foreign Policy (April 1996)
• Human Trafficking [In Brief] (9 January 2006)
• The Notwithstanding Clause of the Charter (May 2005)
• The Right to Privacy and Parliament [In Brief] (22 February 2006)
• Sexual Orientation and Legal Rights (28 July 2005)
• Sexual Orientation and Legal Rights: A Chronological Overview (26 September 2005)
• Telecommunications and Lawful Access: I. The Legislative Situation in Canada (21 February 2006)
• Telecommunications and Lawful Access: II. The Legislative Situation in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia (28 February 2006)
• Trafficking in Persons (31 July 2006)

Immigration and Citizenship

• Bill C-14: An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (adoption) (29 May 2006)
• Canada's Immigration Program (October 2004)
• Canada's Refugee Status Determination System (October 2002)
• Immigration: The Canada-Quebec Accord (May 2004)
• Immigration: Constitutional Issues (October 1992)

Labour and Employment

• Employment Insurance Premiums: In Search of a Genuine Rate-setting Process (5 December 2005)
• Outsourcing: Is It to Blame for Lost Jobs? (21 February 2006)
• The Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act and Proposed Amendments (9 February 2006)

Legislative Summaries - 39th Parliament, 1st Session

*For information on legislation prior to the 39th Parliament, please consult LegisInfo.

• Bill C-2: The Federal Accountability Act (28 August 2006)
• Bill C-3: International Bridges and Tunnels Act (8 May 2006)
• Bill C-5: Public Health Agency of Canada (26 April 2006)
• Bill C-6: An Act to amend the Aeronautics Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts (22 September 2006)
• Bill C-7: An Act to amend the National Defence Act (13 June 2006)
• Bill C-9: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (conditional sentence of imprisonment) (12 May 2006)
• Bill C-10: An act to amend the Criminal Code (minimum penalties for offences involving firearms) and to make a consequential amendment to another Act (10 May 2006)
• Bill C-11: Transportation Amendment Act (26 May 2006)
• Bill C-14: An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (adoption) (29 May 2006)
• Bill C-16: An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (29 June 2006)
• Bill C-17:  An Act to amend the Judges Act and certain other Acts in relation to courts (28 August 2006)
• Bill C-19: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (Street Racing) and to make a Consequential Amendment to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (4 July 2006)
• Bill C-21, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Firearms Act (non-registration of firearms that are neither prohibited nor restricted) (10 August 2006)
• Bill C-23: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (criminal procedure, language of the accused, sentencing and other amendments (5 Septembre 2006)

Natural Resources

• Energy Resources: Boon or Curse for the Canadian Economy? (31 March 2006)
• Freshwater Management in Canada: IV. Groundwater (6 February 2006)
• Sustainable Forest Management in Canada: Clear Policy - Questionable Practice (19 July 2005)

Official Languages

• Section 41 of the Official Languages Act: Scope, Evolution and Implementation Framework (17 September 2001)
• Official Languages and Parliament (10 July 2006)
• Official Languages in the Public Service: From 1973 to the Present (10 August 2006)

Parliament and the Legislative Process

• The Access to Information Act and Recent Proposals for Reform (6 February 2006)
• Access to Information Legislation in Canada and Four Other Countries (6 April 2006)
• The Accountability of Deputy Ministers Before Parliament (28 March 2006)
• Conflict of Interest: Selected Issues (October 1998)
• Conflict of Interest Codes for Parliamentarians: A Long Road (10 March 2006)
• Conflict-of-Interest Rules for Federal Legislators (19 December 2003)
• The Evolution of Private Members' Business in the Canadian House of Commons (22 September 2005)
• The Federal Lobbyists Registration System (8 March 2006)
• Government and Canada's 39^th Parliament: Questions and Answers (7 December 2005)
• House of Commons Procedure: Its Reform (21 February 2002)
• Making the Most of Parliament - Report on a Roundtable Discussion for Members of the 39^thParliament
  (May 2006)
• Oaths of Allegiance and the Canadian House of Commons (September 2005)
• The Opposition in a Parliamentary System (December 1988)
• The Parliament We Want - Parliamentarians' Views on Parliamentary Reform (December 2003)
• The Right to Privacy and Parliament [In Brief] (22 February 2006)
• The Roles of the Member of Parliament in Canada: Are they Changing? (31 May 2002)
• The Role of Parliamentary Secretaries (27 April 2006)
• Senate Committees: Role and Effectiveness (June 1994)
• Senate Reform Proposals in Comparative Perspective (November 1992)
• Strategies for Effective Members in an Effective Parliament Report on Four Seminars for New Members
  of the 38^th Parliament (June 2005)
• Television and the House of Commons (September 2005)
• Women in Parliament (20 February 2006)

Science, Research and Technology

• Forensic DNA Analysis: Technology and Application (September 1997)
• Molecular Farming (4 July 2005)
• Science and Technology: The New Federal Policy (April 1996)
• Scientific Research and Experimental Development: Tax Policy (27 July 2006)
• The Terminator Technology [In Brief] (22 March 2006)

Social Security Issues

• Homelessness (January 1999)
• Scaling the Welfare Wall: Earned Income Tax Credits [In Brief] (31 March 2006)
• The Social Security Debate in the United States (18 August 2005)

Taxation

• The Budgetary Burden of Taxes, Child Care and Housing (21 December 2004)
• Capital Cost Allowance [In Brief] (3 April 2006)
• Charitable Purpose, Advocacy and the Income Tax Act (28 February 2006)
• Federal Taxes on Gasoline and Heating Fuels [In Brief] (16 September 2005)
• Financial Transactions Taxes: The International Experience and the Lessons for Canada (June 1996)
• Financial Transactions Taxes: Pros, Cons, Design Issues and Revenue Estimates (June 1996)
• Individual Income Tax Returns: Taxpayers Pay While the Government Saves [In Brief] (22 August 2005)
• Scaling the Welfare Wall: Earned Income Tax Credits [In Brief] (31 March 2006)
• Scientific Research and Experimental Development: Tax Policy (27 July 2006)
• Tax Pre-paid Savings Plans (27 July 2005)
• Transferring GST Tax Room to the Provinces - A Solution to the Fiscal Imbalance? [In Brief] (1 April 2006)

Trade and Commerce

• Beyond NAFTA to a Canada-Europe Transatlantic Marketplace: Issues and Prospects (November 1996)
• Canada's Domestic Agricultural Supports and the World Trade Organization (20 septembre 2005)
• E-Commerce: Towards the Business Organization of the Future [In Brief] (22 November 1999)
• E-Commerce: Towards New Markets [In Brief] (22 November 1999)
• Food Labelling - The Case of Dairy Products: Economic, Legislative and Trade Aspects (6 October 2005)
• Strengthening Parliamentary Oversight of International Trade Policies and Negotiations: Recent Developments in Canada and Internationally (9 February 2006)

Transport

• Bill C-3: International Bridges and Tunnels Act (8 May 2006)
• Bill C-6: An Act to amend the Aeronautics Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts (22 September 2006)
• Bill C-11: Transportation Amendment Act (26 May 2006)
• The Current State of Transportation in Canada: Road, Rail, Water and Air (28 September 2005)
• Federal Participation in Highway Construction and Policy in Canada (20 February 2006)
• A National Highway System (September 1998)
• Rail Shipper Protection Under the Canada Transportation Act (26 January 2006)
• Taxes and Surcharges on Airline Tickets (22 February 2006)
• Transportation Amendment Acts: Notable Differences Between Bill C-44 and Its Predecessor, Bill C-26 (27 April 2005)
• Trends in Containerization and Capacity at Canadian Ports (30 January 2006)