version
française

Federal Government Departments and Agencies
involved with social programs

[Agriculture and Agri-Food to Finance]

Updated June 13, 2009

[Go to Page 2 - Fisheries to Veterans Affairs]

[ Go to Canadian Social Research Links Home Page ]

The Federal Government section of Canadian Social Research Links comprises several separate pages of links :
- Federal Government Links - sites of general interest (to social researchers), e.g., government information or research sites; also includes links to directories of federal programs and services for specific target groups like youth and seniors
- Federal Departments and Agencies (two pages) - links to the websites of almost two dozen federal departments and agencies involved with social programs (includes links to selected content on each of those sites)
*** Page 1. Agriculture and Agri-Food to Finance
*** Page 2 Fisheries and Oceans to Veterans Affairs
- Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) - info about Old Age Security, the Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance and other social programs - and where I worked...
- Health Links - Canada/International - info about Health Canada and related stuff from the U.S. and elsewhere in the world
- Employment Insurance in Canada - selected reports and other related links

Federal Budget information:
===> Go to the Canadian Go vernment Budgets Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/budgets.htm

What's new from Finance Canada:

Statement of G8 Finance Ministers
Lecce, Italy
13 June 2009
"We, the G8 Finance Ministers, remain focused on addressing the ongoing global economic and financial crisis. We have taken forceful and coordinated action to stabilize the financial sector and provide stimulus to restore economic growth. There are signs of stabilization in our economies, including a recovery of stock markets, a decline in interest rate spreads, improved business and consumer confidence, but the situation remains uncertain and significant risks remain to economic and financial stability..."

Related link:

International Activities
- includes several dozen links to news releases, statements, working group reports, etc. from meetings with the following bodies:
* Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
* G-7
* G-8
* G-20
* International Monetary Fund (IMF)
* Western Hemisphere Finance Ministers

Release of The Fiscal Monitor
Ottawa, May 29, 2009
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today released The Fiscal Monitor for March 2009.
Highlights:
* March 2009: budgetary deficit of $3.6 billion
* April 2008 to March 2009: budgetary deficit of $2.2 billion

Related link:

International Internet Preservation Consortium
In July 2003 the national libraries of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, The British Library (UK), The Library of Congress (USA) and the Internet Archive (USA) acknowledged the importance of international collaboration for preserving Internet content for future generations. This group of 12 institutions chartered the IIPC to fund and participate in projects and working groups to accomplish the Consortium’s goals. The initial agreement was in effect for three years, during which time the membership was limited to the charter institutions. Since then, membership has expanded to include additional libraries, archives, museums and cultural heritage institutions involved in Web archiving. For a complete list visit our members page.

Federal Government Departments and Agencies involved with social programs

This file was getting too large, so I created two smaller files by arbitrarily splitting the original page into two. The complete list of federal departments involved with social programs (a personal selection...) appears below, but you'll have to click over to the other page to see content from departments whose names don't have a blue hyperlink.

All of the links in this box will take you further down this page. You can select a department by clicking on its name below, or you can scroll down the page to see all of them.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - Auditor-General's Office - Canada Border Services Agency - Canada Revenue Agency - Canadian Transportation Agency - Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation - Canadian Heritage - Canadian International Development Agency - Citizenship and Immigration Canada - Finance Canada

- Go to the second page of federal government department links for these departments:
- Fisheries and Oceans - Foreign Affairs and International Trade - Parliamentary Internet (House of Commons, Senate) - Indian and Northern Affairs Canada - Industry Canada - Justice - National Crime Prevention Centre - Prime Minister's Office - Privy Council Office- Statistics Canada - Status of Women - Supreme Court - Treasury Board Secretariat -Veterans Affairs Canada

- Go to Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) Links --- separate page

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

HOME PAGE

Food Security Bureau

Canada's Action Plan for Food Security (PDF file - 8.5MB, 60 pages)
1998

Auditor-General's Office

HOME PAGE

What's New

Reports and Publications
- incl. links to : Latest Audit Reports - Reports to Parliament - Reports to Northern Legislative Assemblies - Other Audits - Audit Methodology

Reports to Parliament by Topic:
(selected topics below - click the link above to access all topics)
* Human Rights
* Income Security
* Housing

NOTE: you can also view all reports of the Auditor General by Federal Institution or by Year (back to 1981)

Media Centre
- incl. links to : News Releases - Media Statements - Statements to House of Commons Committees - Statements to Senate Committees - Statements to Territorial Legislative Assembly Committees - Speeches

Selected reports:

New from the Office of the Auditor General of Canada:

2008 December Report of the Auditor General of Canada
February 5, 2009
* Matters of Special Importance—2008
* Chapter 1—A Study of Federal Transfers to Provinces and Territories (See below*)
* Chapter 2—Governance of Small Federal Entities
* Chapter 3—Contracting for Professional Services—Public Works and Government Services Canada
* Chapter 4—Managing Risks to Canada's Plant Resources—Canadian Food Inspection Agency
* Chapter 5—Managing Information Technology Investments—Canada Revenue Agency
* Chapter 6—Use of New Human Resources Authorities—Canada Revenue Agency
* Chapter 7—Economy and Efficiency of Services—Correctional Service Canada
* Chapter 8—Reporting on Health Indicators—Health Canada (See below**)
Appendices
* Appendix A—Auditor General Act
* Appendix B—Reports of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts to the House of Commons, 2007–08
* Appendix C—Report on the audit of the President of the Treasury Board's report, Tabling of Crown Corporations Reports in Parliament
* Appendix D—Costs of Crown corporation audits conducted by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada

News Releases (one per chapter)

-----

* Chapter 1:
A Study of Federal Transfers to the Provinces and Territories
December 2008
"(...) The federal government uses a number of mechanisms to transfer funds to the provinces and territories for general areas of spending such as health or for specific purposes such as improving infrastructure. In 2006–07, these federal transfers amounted to approximately $50 billion, or just under 23 percent of federal spending. Our study examined the three main mechanisms used by the federal government to transfer funds to the provinces and territories. We also looked at the nature and extent of conditions attached to these transfers."

News Release:
Auditor General’s study sheds light on how
the federal government transfers funds to provinces and territories
(Chapter 1—A Study of Federal Transfers to the Provinces and Territories - December 2008 Report of the Auditor General)
February 5, 2009
Auditor General Sheila Fraser’s Report, tabled today in the House of Commons, contains a study [see the link immediately below] of the three main mechanisms used by the federal government to transfer funds to the provinces and territories. In 2006–07, these transfers amounted to about $50 billion, just under 23 percent of federal spending. They are major sources of funds for services provided to Canadians in areas such as health and post-secondary education.

---

**Chapter 8:
Reporting on Health Indicators—Health Canada
In 2000, the Government of Canada and provincial and territorial governments reached an historic agreement on health that set out a vision, principles, and an action plan for health system renewal. The First Ministers' commitments on health also called for improvements in accountability and reporting to Canadians and directed federal, provincial, and territorial health ministers to develop indicators that could be compared across jurisdictions and over time to measure progress on renewal. All jurisdictions later committed to public reporting every two years on a number of health indicators—for example, wait times and patient satisfaction with health services. First Ministers' agreements in 2003 and 2004 further reiterated reporting requirements.

News Release:
Report on health indicators is of limited value to Canadians
(Chapter 8—Reporting on Health Indicators—Health Canada - December 2008 Report of the Auditor General)
February 5, 2009
Health Canada has published health indicator reports as a result of commitments made by First Ministers in 2000, 2003, and 2004, says the Auditor General of Canada, Sheila Fraser, in her Report tabled today in the House of Commons. However, these reports do not meet the broader intent of providing Canadians with information on the progress of health care renewal.

---

Source:
Reports to Parliament [ earlier reports in 2008 ] - [ reports for previous years back to 1981 ]
[ Office of the Auditor General of Canada ]

---

Related links:

AG says that feds hand out big bucks with no control
February 5, 2009
Ottawa has little control over billions of dollars in federal finances which are regularly transferred to the provinces for specialized programs like housing and transportation, Canada's auditor general said. Sheila Fraser's latest report to Parliament, released Thursday, states that Ottawa uses trusts to funnel money to the provinces, but once the money is sent, the provinces are free to spend it as they see fit.
- incl. links to four related articles.
Source:
CTV News

Feds hand out billions with little control over where it's spent: auditor
February 5, 2009
OTTAWA — The federal governments hands billions of dollars to the provinces and territories for various programs, but lacks any way to ensure the money is actually spent on those programs, the auditor general reported Thursday. In one of her regular reports to Parliament, Sheila Fraser said Ottawa often uses trusts to earmark money for things such as housing or transit. However once that money is handed over to the provinces and territories, she said Ottawa has no say in where or how it's spent.
Source:
Canadian Press

--------------------------------

2008 May Report of the Auditor General of Canada
May 6, 2008
The latest Report of the Auditor General of Canada was tabled in the House of Commons today.
[NOTE: click the link above to access all of the chapters below; only the intro and chapter 4 (+ news release) are hyperlinked below.]
* A Message from the Auditor General of Canada
* Chapter 1—Management of Fees in Selected Departments and Agencies
* Chapter 2—Support for Overseas Deployments—National Defence
* Chapter 3—Oversight of Air Transportation Safety—Transport Canada
* Chapter 4—First Nations Child and Family Services Program—Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
[ Related news release:
Funding for child welfare on reserves does not fulfill federal obligations - May 2008 ]
* Chapter 5—Surveillance of Infectious Diseases—Public Health Agency of Canada
* Chapter 6—Conservation of Federal Official Residences
* Chapter 7—Detention and Removal of Individuals—Canada Border Services Agency
* Chapter 8—Special Examinations of Crown Corporations—An Overview

Related news releases (one news release per chapter)

October 2007 Report of the Auditor General of Canada
Matters of Special Importance
Chapter 1 — Safeguarding Government Information and Assets in Contracting
Chapter 2 — Management and Control Practices in Three Small Entities
Chapter 3 — Inuvialuit Final Agreement
Chapter 4 — Military Health Care—National Defence
Chapter 5 — Keeping the Border Open and Secure—Canada Border Services Agency
Chapter 6 — Management of the 2006 Census—Statistics Canada
Chapter 7 — Technical Training and Learning—Canada Revenue Agency
NOTE: on the same page as the October 2007 report, you'll also find links to AGO reports released in May and February 2007.

May 2007 Report of the Auditor General of Canada
NOTE: Below you'll find the titles of all seven chapters, but I've only provided links to chapter 2;
click on the link above for links to all chapters and their corresponding news releases in HTML and PDF format.
- also includes links to the February 2007 Auditor-General's Status Report

Chapter 1. Use of Acquisition and Travel Cards
Chapter 2. Federal Loans and Grants for Post-Secondary Education—Human Resources and Social Development Canada and Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation
(Excerpts)
"The federal government has said that Canada's international competitiveness depends on having an educated and skilled labour force. To improve access to higher education is the main objective of both the Canada Student Loans Program and the Foundation. To this end, HRSDC loaned $1.9 billion to some 350,000 post-secondary students in 2005–06 and awarded 78,500 grants amounting to about $129 million. In 2006 the Foundation awarded about $298 million in Millennium Bursaries to some 100,000 students and over $40 million in Access Bursaries to more than 20,000 students. "
"Financial assistance programs for post-secondary students are managed well"
Chapter 3. Human Resources Management—Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
Chapter 4. Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization—Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Chapter 5. Managing the Delivery of Legal Services to Government—Department of Justice Canada
Chapter 6. Modernizing the NORAD System in Canada—National Defence
Chapter 7. Management of Forensic Laboratory Services—Royal Canadian Mounted Police

2006 November Report of the Auditor General of Canada
Matters of Special Importance—2006
An Overview of the Federal Government's Expenditure Management System
Chapter 1—Expenditure Management System at the Government Centre
Chapter 2—Expenditure Management System in Departments
Chapter 3—Large Information Technology Projects
Chapter 4—Proper Conduct of Public Business—Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Agencies
Chapter 5—Relocating Members of the Canadian Forces, RCMP, and Federal Public Service
Chapter 6 : Old Age Security - Human Resources and Social Development Canada and Service Canada
"(...)Human Resources and Social Development Canada and Service Canada have improved seniors' access to program benefits by simplifying the application process and by implementing initiatives to increase the take-up of GIS. However, the organizations lack adequate information on these and other aspects of their service to clients, and do not give Parliament a complete picture of program performance.
Chapter 7—Federal Participation in the British Columbia Treaty Process—Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
Chapter 8—Allocating Funds to Regulatory Programs—Health Canada
Chapter 9—Pension and Insurance Administration—Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Chapter 10—Award and Management of a Health Benefits Contract—Public Works and Government Services Canada and Health Canada
Chapter 11—Protection of Public Assets—Office of the Correctional Investigator
Chapter 12—Role of Federally Appointed Board Members—Sustainable Development Technology Canada

----------------------

2006 Report of the Auditor General of Canada - May 2006
- go to the link above to download small PDF files for each of the following chapters
NOTE: because of the social program focus of Canadian Social Research Links, the only chapter that's hyperlinked below is Chapter 5, because it deals with First Nations, which is one of the thematic pages of this site
A Message from the Auditor General of Canada
Chapter 1 — Managing Government: Financial Information
Chapter 2 — National Defence—Military Recruiting and Retention
Chapter 3 — National Defence—NATO Flying Training in Canada
Chapter 4 — Canadian Firearms Program
Chapter 5 — Management of Programs for First Nations
Chapter 6 — Management of Voted Grants and Contributions
Chapter 7 — Acquisition of Leased Office Space
Chapter 8 — Canada Revenue Agency—Collection of Tax Debts
Government Decisions Limited Parliament's Control of Public Spending

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)

HOME PAGE
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) ensures the security and prosperity of Canada by managing the access of people and goods to and from Canada.

Canada Revenue Agency

HOME PAGE

What's new

Site Map

Income Statistics and GST/HST Statistics
*The annual Income Statistics reports use tables of data to create a profile of Canadian taxpayers.
- incl. links to : * Final Statistics - Sample Data * Interim Statistics - Universe Data * Locality code statistics.
* The annual Compendium of GST/HST Statistics provides detailed profiles of goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) registrants.

----------

Child and Family Benefits Page
- Information about the Canada Child Tax Benefit and the National Child Benefit.
- Also includes information concerning related provincial and territorial programs administered by the Canada Revenue Agency: Alberta Family Employment Tax Credit - BC Family Bonus - New Brunswick Child Tax Benefit - Newfoundland and Labrador Child Benefit - Northwest Territories Child Benefit - Nova Scotia Child Benefit - Nunavut Child Benefit - Saskatchewan Child Benefit - Yukon Child Benefit.
- From the website of the Canada Revenue Agency - formerly Revenue Canada

Child and Family Benefits Calculator
Calculate how much your family is entitled to receive under the Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) and related provincial/territorial programs

Canada Child Tax Benefit FAQs : Calculation and payment information

Historical Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) payment amounts:

- incl. basic benefit - supplement for 3rd and following child(ren) - supplement for children under age seven - base threshold - benefit reduction rates, one child - benefit reduction rates, two or more children - NCBS amount for first child - NCBS amount for second child - NCBS amount for each additional child - NCBS threshold - NCBS phase-out rate, one child - NCBS phase-out rate, two children - NCBS phase-out rate, three or more children - Child Disability Amount (CDB) - CDB base threshold, one child - CDB phase-out rate, one child - CDB phase-out rate, two children - CDB phase-out rate, three or more children

* Tax Years 1998 to 2002
* Tax Years 2003 to 2007

Source:
Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB)
[ Child and Family Benefits - includes links to : * Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) * Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) * GST/HST credit ]

The Canada Child Tax Benefit may include:

* the National Child Benefit Supplement (NCBS)
* the Child Disability Benefit (CDB)

Provincial and territorial child benefit and credit programs
that are related to the Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB):
* Alberta Family Employment Tax Credit * BC Family Bonus (and British Columbia Earned Income Benefit) * New Brunswick Child Tax Benefit * Nova Scotia Child Benefit * Newfoundland and Labrador Child Benefit (and Mother Baby Nutrition Supplement) * Northwest Territories Child Benefit * Nunavut Child Benefit * Ontario Child Benefit * Yukon Child Benefit
[NOTE: residents of Québec must apply to the Régie des rentes for the child assistance payment.]

Source:
Canada Revenue Agency

People with disabilities
"...easy access to publications and forms dealing with tax credits, benefits, and services for people with disabilities"

Working Income Tax Benefit (WITB)
The Working Income Tax Benefit (WITB) is a refundable tax credit intended to provide tax relief for eligible working low-income individuals and families who are already in the workforce and to encourage other Canadians to enter the workforce.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is Canada’s national housing agency. Established as a government-owned corporation in 1946 to address Canada’s post-war housing shortage, the agency has grown into a major national institution. CMHC is Canada’s premier provider of mortgage loan insurance, mortgage-backed securities, housing policy and programs, and housing research

Site map - on one page, everything that's on this enormous website...

CMHC for Consumers --- incl. links to : Buying a Home * Mortgage Loan Insurance * Renting a Home * Maintaining a Home * Renovating a Home * Programs & Financial Assistance (residential rehabilitation, emergency repair, home adaptation for seniors, etc.)

CMHC for Housing Industry Professionals and Community Groups --- CMHC contributes to the well-being of the housing sector by offering : Best practices in housing construction and design * Housing market trends and demographics * A wide variety of programs & financial assistance * Affordable housing strategies.

CMHC for Housing Finance Clients and International Clients --- CMHC is your proven business partner and strives to provide our housing finance clients with : Innovative mortgage loan insurance products & services * Effective default management and claims payment * Offering housing solutions to help countries around the world build better housing systems * Assisting Canadian companies to export goods and services.

Aboriginal --- Browse by Topic : On-Reserve, Off-Reserve and Northern Housing

CMHC Research Report Listings by Subject
- links to PDF files consisting of collections of reports that you can order from CMHC organized by subject, including Affordable Housing - Cooperative Housing - Healthy Housing - Homeless - Housing and Women - Housing for Older Canadians - Housing for Persons with Disabilities - Housing Rehabilitation - Self-Help Housing - Social Housing - more...

Federal, Provincial and Territorial Agreements on Affordable Housing

Sample reports:

National Rental Vacancy Rate Decreases in 2008
News Release
OTTAWA, December 11, 2008 — The average rental apartment vacancy rate in Canada's 34 major centres decreased to 2.2 per cent in October 2008 from 2.6 per cent in October 2007, according to the Rental Market Survey released today by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Note: Scroll halfway down the above news release for links to the following 2008 CMHC rental market reports:
1. Rental Market Reports — Major Centres (incl. more coverage of the secondary rental market in selected centres)
2. Rental Market Report — Provincial Highlights — summary of rental market statistics for urban centres with a population of over 10,000 in each province and two of the three territories
3. Rental Market Report — Canada Highlights — at-a-glance rental market information for Canada's 34 major centres
4. Rental Market Statistics Report — a sourcebook of statistical tables with national, provincial and local rental housing market data.
- the news release also contains tables of vacancy rates, availability rates and rents.

Rental Market Survey 2008 (PDF - 1.2MB, 11 pages)
NOTE: I can't provide a direct link to the rental market survey because the CMHC website is built using software that doesn't allow direct linking to reports.
To access the survey, go to Canadian Housing Statistics and click on CHS: Rental Market Survey (2nd report in the list).
- the rental market survey includes data for Major Centres / Provinces with detailed data for each market area. Tables contain data on availability rates, average rents or vacancies, by bedroom size (bachelor, one, two bedroom units, etc.) and by building type (i.e. row homes and apartments)

Source:
Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC)
<Boo to CMHC for making their site so user-not-friendly.>

Canada's New Government Commits $526 Million
to Combat Homelessness and Extend Funding for Renovation Programs
December 19, 2006
Today, the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, announced $526 million for the new Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS), a strategy aimed at combating homelessness in communities across Canada and extending CMHC's renovation programs. The new Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) will be funded at $270 million over two years.

NOTE: for links to more info on affordable housing and homelessness, see the Canadian Social Research Links Homelessness and Housing page.

Canadian Heritage

HOME PAGE
"Canadian Heritage is responsible for national policies and programs that promote Canadian content, foster cultural participation, active citizenship and participation in Canada's civic life, and strengthen connections among Canadians."
- incl. links to : A to Z Index - Arts and Culture - Citizenship and Identity - Diversity and Multiculturalism - International - Sport - Youth - The Department - About us - What's new - Application Forms - Funding Programs - Legislation - Organizational View - Publications - Regional Offices - Agencies and Corporations

What's New
Aboriginal Peoples' Program
Community Partnerships Program

Human Rights in Canada
- incl. links to : Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - Guide to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - Canada's Reports to UN Human Rights - Conventions and Related Official Documents - Special Themes: Tools for Researchers [Aboriginal Peoples, Persons with Disabilities] - Did you know? - Grants and Contributions Program

Human Rights Program
- Links to other Human Rights websites - excellent collection - 70+ links!
- Racism. Stop it!

Minister's Speech at the Association for Canadian Studies Conference on "Canadian Rights and Freedoms: 20 Years Under the Charter"
Ottawa, April 18, 2002
"I believe that the duty to preserve fundamental rights and freedoms in Canada is not exclusive to the courts. It is first and foremost the responsibility of all citizens, Parliament and the Government." (Minister Martin Cauchon)
Source : Department of Justice

Canada and the International Human Rights System - links to : Canada and the International Human Rights System: an Introduction - Canada's Reports on United Nations Conventions and Other Official Documents - Special themes: Tools for Researchers- World Conference Against Racism - Glossary of UN Terms - Other On-line Sources of Human Rights Information
Here are a few samples of the reports and covenants you'll find on this site...
Core Document to accompany all of Canada's Reports. Basic reference document on Canada's political system for use by United Nations Human Rights Committees reviewing Canada's reports.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Adopted and proclaimed by the UN general Assembly on December 10, 1948. Complete text.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) - Ratified by Canada in May 1976. Complete text of the Covenant, of the first optional protocol and of the views of the Committee on the merit of communications against Canada and Canada's Fourth Report and the UN Committee conclusions on this report.

The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESC). Ratified by Canada in May 1976. Complete text of the Covenant, Canada's Third Report and the UN Committee conclusions on this report.

The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). Ratified by Canada in October 1970. Complete text of the Convention, Canada's two most recent reports and the UN Committee conclusions on these reports.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Ratified by Canada in December 1991. Complete text of the Convention, Canada's first report and the UN Committee conclusions on this report.

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Ratified by Canada in December 1981. Complete text of the Convention, Canada's fourth report and the UN
Committee's conclusions on this report.

Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT).Ratified by Canada in June 1987. Complete text of the Convention.

Canadian International Development Agency

HOME PAGE
CIDA’s aim is to reduce poverty, promote human rights, and increase sustainable development. CIDA was established in 1968 to administer the bulk of Canada’s official development assistance (ODA) program. The measure of its success lies in its contribution to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Canada’s broader international policy objectives.

Canada and the Millennium Development Goals

Canadian Transportation Agency

HOME PAGE

Accessible Transportation

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

HOME PAGE

Publications - Browse this list for dozens of key CIC publications, from policy manuals and operating memoranda, to legislation and information pamphlets

The Canadian Immigration System: An Overview (PDF file - 283K, 21 pages)
March 2007
Workshop on German and European Migration and Immigration Policy from
a Transatlantic Perspective : Challenge for the 21st Century
By Geneviève Bouchard
- Powerpoint presentation, includes historical info, current situation, stats, policy challenges, potential solutions
Source:
Institute for Research on Public Policy

Sample content from the CIC website:

Citizenship and Immigration Minister tables the
2006 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration
OTTAWA, October 31, 2006 — The Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, today tabled the 2006 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration. The report outlines Canada’s initiatives over the past year to attract and welcome newcomers, and provides a projection of the number of people expected to become permanent residents in 2007.
- incl. a backgrounder with highlights

Complete report:

Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, 2006
This report is divided into seven sections.
Section 1 presents an overview of the current context of Canada’s immigration program, a review of some of the key challenges facing CIC and the initiatives the Department has developed in response. This section also provides a summary of Canada’s immigration levels plan for 2007.
Section 2 focuses on CIC’s partnerships with the provinces and territories. It outlines the bilateral agreements currently in force between the federal and provincial/territorial governments and describes major joint initiatives.
Section 3 summarizes activities and initiatives in relation to the selection of permanent and temporary residents. It also provides key statistics relating to permanent and temporary residents admitted in 2005.
Section 4 outlines Canada’s commitment to its humanitarian traditions and to the protection of refugees and others in need of protection and resettlement, including a statistical overview of the refugees and protected persons admitted in 2005.
Section 5 addresses settlement and resettlement programs, special initiatives to facilitate the economic and social integration of newcomers, and activities relating to the promotion of Canadian citizenship.
Section 6 describes CIC’s policy framework for GBA, reports on key GBA activities, and provides a statistical overview of gender differences in relation to key immigration statistics.
Section 7 offers concluding remarks.

Facts and Figures 2005
Immigration Overview:
Permanent and Temporary Residents
August 18, 2006
[PDF version - 2.3MB, 122 pages]
"Facts and Figures 2005: Immigration Overview—Permanent and Temporary Residents presents the annual intake of permanent residents by category of immigration and of temporary residents by primary status from 1980 to 2005. It also presents the annual December 1 stock of temporary residents in Canada during the same period. The main body of the publication consists of a series of statistical tables and charts covering the ten-year period from 1996 to 2005. The publication is divided into two separate sections, each depicting selected characteristics for the permanent resident population or the temporary resident population during this ten-year period."

Government Welcomes Employment Insurance Premium Reduction for 2006
News Release
November 10, 2005
"Minister of Finance Ralph Goodale and Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Belinda Stronach are pleased with the Employment Insurance (EI) Commission’s setting of the EI premium rate at $1.87 for 2006, a reduction from its current level of $1.95 per $100 of insurable earnings."

Source:
Finance Canada

Immigration Minister Tables the 2005 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration
"OTTAWA, October 31, 2005 — The Honourable Joe Volpe, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced that Canada reached its targeted annual immigration levels for the fifth consecutive year, attracting 235,824 new permanent residents in 2004. The details on the immigration levels reached, as well as the Department’s activities in 2004 to attract and welcome newcomers, are outlined in the Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration tabled today."

Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration — 2005
HTML
PDF (236 K)

Departmental Performance Report for the period ending March 31, 2005
HTML
PDF (791 K)

Facts and Figures 2004
Immigration Overview:
Permanent and Temporary Residents
August 4, 2005
"Facts and Figures 2004: Immigration Overview – Permanent and Temporary Residents presents the annual intake of permanent and temporary residents to Canada from 1980 to 2004, as well as the annual December 1 stock of temporary residents in Canada during this period. The main body of the publication consists of a series of statistical tables and charts covering the ten-year period from 1995 to 2004. The publication is divided into two separate sections, each depicting selected characteristics for the permanent resident population or the temporary resident population during this ten-year period."
Source:
Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Notes for an Address by the Honourable Judy Sgro, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration at the Annual General Meeting of COSTI - Canada's Immigration Program: Charting a New Course, Toronto
March 15, 2004

The Monitor - Winter 2004
"The Monitor is an on-line newsletter posted quarterly by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. It features timely statistics on citizenship and immigration trends."
In This Issue…
Permanent Residents - Year-to-date totals, source countries and intended destination in Canada.
("Canada welcomed 63,127 new permanent residents (principal applicants, spouses and dependants) in the third quarter of 2003 (see table 1), an increase of almost 20% in comparison with the same quarter of 2002. This brought the year-to-date total to 167,598, representing 76% of the lower end of the 220,000 to 245,000 range established in the Immigration Plan for 2003.")
Foreign Workers - Skill levels, source countries and intended destination for foreign workers entering Canada during the third quarter of 2003.
Foreign Students - Levels of study, source countries and intended destination for foreign students enrolled in educational programs of more than six months.
Citizenship - Top source countries for people granted Canadian citizenship during the third quarter of 2003.
The First Six Months in Canada: The Importance of Family and Friends
- Feature Article : Initial findings from the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada describing first steps towards settlement in Canada in terms of housing, health services, training and employment.

Previous Issues of The Monitor - links to 3 earlier issues in 2003

Permanent Resident Card : Status Report
February 6, 2004
"Citizenship and Immigration Canada is pleased to report that the implementation of the permanent resident (PR) card is proceeding according to schedule, with more than 900 000 cards produced to date. The PR card replaces the paper IMM 1000 Record of Landing document and is the proof-of-status document required by permanent residents seeking to re-enter Canada on a commercial carrier (airplane, boat, train or bus). A permanent resident is someone who has been allowed to enter Canada as an immigrant but who has not become a Canadian citizen."

From Citizenship and Immigration Canada :
October 10, 2003
Citizenship and Immigration Canada: Launching Canada's Debate on Better Identity Cards and Biometrics - Op-ed by the Honourable Denis Coderre, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
October 8, 2003
Citizenship and Immigration Canada: Notes for an Address by the Honourable Denis Coderre, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to the "Forum on Biometrics: Applications and Implications for Citizenship and Immigration"
October 7, 2003
Citizenship and Immigration Canada: Support for Biometrics to Counter Identity Fraud Remains Strong Among Canadians
Minister Announces Forum on Document Integrity and Biometrics
The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada will host a Forum entitled Biometrics: Implications and Applications for Citizenship and Immigration on October 7 and 8, 2003, in Ottawa. "The Forum will bring together some 100 experts, scholars, non-governmental organizations, private-sector associations, and public policy and opinion leaders. They will consider the relative advantages and disadvantages of improving the integrity and security of existing documents or other options such as a national identity card. (...) The Forum will complement the work of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, which is currently examining the issue of a national identity card.
The Forum will be open to the media, and Canadians can consult the Forum's web site or call the following toll-free numbers (1-800-275-5129 and TTY-1-800-465-7735) for additional information."
English Forum:
Biometrics: Implications and Applications for Citizenship and Immigration
French Forum:
Biométrie : incidences et applications pour la citoyenneté et l'immigration
Related Links:
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration
- scroll to the bottom of this page to see the reports of this Committee during the current session of Parliament, including a one-pager inviting comments on a national identity card
Interim Privacy Commissioner questions merit of a national ID card
(September 18, 2003)
Source:
[ Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada ]
National Identity Cards in Canada:
The Next Step in the Fight Against Terrorism?
- from Mapleleafweb
Canadian Bar Association (CBA) Cautions Against Use of National ID Cards
News Release
October 2, 2003
"The Canadian Bar Association says Canadians should be wary of government proposals to introduce a national identity card without first having a thorough, national debate on what Canada’s national identity policy should be."

CBA Submission on National Identity Card Proposal (PDF file - 230K, 25 pages)
- Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration
Source: Canadian Bar association

Ministers agree that immigration is key to Canada's future :
Federal-Provincial-Territorial Meeting of Ministers responsible for Immigration
Victoria, British Columbia - January 21-22, 2004
"Victoria, January 22, 2004 -- Federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for immigration reaffirmed today the importance of attracting skilled and knowledgeable immigrants to address Canada’s demographic changes and labour market needs."
Source:
Canadian Intergovernmental
Conference Secretariat

Related Links (Citizenship and Immigration Canada)
- links to 10 files with related content, including information about federal-provincial-territorial agreements on immigration, the 2001 census and various statistics concerning immigration.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada: Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Immigration in Victoria on January 21 and 22
Media Advisory
January 16, 2004
"The federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for immigration will meet in Victoria on January 21-22, 2004. The ministers will address many issues of mutual interest, including strategies that could facilitate greater regional distribution of the benefits of immigration."

Facts and Figures 2002
Immigration Overview
July 2003
- incl. links to an extensive collection of recent and historical immigration statistics, plus immigration profiles for the major immigration centres ( Montréal - Toronto - Vancouver) and statistics for family class, refugee class, business class, skilled workers, provincial nominees and other class.

The Monitor - Summer 2003
June 26, 2003
- an on-line quarterly newsletter from Citizenship and Immigration Canada. It features timely statistics on key movements in Canada.
"In This Issue...

New Immigrants : See how many people immigrated to Canada in the first quarter of 2003. Read about countries of origin and destinations in Canada.
Foreign Workers : Find statistics on foreign workers' countries of origin and skill levels. Read about changes in recorded foreign-worker flows to various parts of Canada.
Foreign Students : See how the implementation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act has affected recorded foreign-student flows. Find countries of origin and levels of study.
Citizenship : Read about citizenship grants in the first quarter of 2003.
Feature Article:
Immigrants in Canada: Census 2001 Highlights --- Find out about Canada's immigrant population at thetime of the 2001 Census, including the latest data on numbers, age, and languages spoken at home. See statistics on immigrants' employment and earnings.
Full Report (PDF Version - 1.4MB, 15 pages)

The Monitor - Spring 2003 (first issue) - incl. links to : Foreign Student Trends 1990-2001 - Immigration Levels for 2002 - Measurement of Foreign Worker Flows - Recent U.S. Foreign Worker Trends - Measurement of Foreign Student Flows - Citizenship Grants in 2002

Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA)
"The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act will become law on June 28, 2002. This modern and balanced legislation replaces the 25-year-old Immigration Act. It recognizes the many contributions that immigrants and refugees make to Canada; encourages workers with flexible skills to choose Canada; and helps families reunite more quickly..."
- incl. links to : How the Act Affects You - Becoming the Law: The Latest News - The New Act and Regulations: Key Reference Material - Background Information (history of IRPA from its beginning as "Bill C-11" to today).

Gender-based Analysis Chart for Bill C-11, Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
February 25, 2002
"...key elements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and their potential differential impacts on men and women, and outlines the follow-up activities required to monitor developments over time."
Source : Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Canada Affirms Commitment to Immigration: Minister
Caplan Tables Immigration Levels for 2002
News release
October 31, 2001

Pursuing Canada's Commitment to Immigration: The Immigration Plan for 2002
October 2001
Publication

Minister Tables Immigration Levels
Press Release
February 8, 2001
- includes a detailed backgrounder on the multi-year planning process

Finance Canada

HOME PAGE

Site map- All on one page

What's New

Structure and Role of the Department

Transfers to Provinces and Territories
Since April 2004, federal transfer payments to provinces and territories for health services are made under the Canada Health Transfer, while those for post-secondary education and social assistance and services are made under the Canada Social Transfer.
For information about : Federal Transfers to Provinces and Territories - Canada Health Transfer - Canada Social Transfer - Equalization - Federal Support for Early Childhood Development Early Learning and Childcare - much more, go to the Canadian Social Research Links Canada Assistance Plan/Canada Health and Social Transfer /Canada Social Transfer Resources page.

Selected Finance Canada site content:
(in reverse chronological order)

Finance Ministers Indicate Canada Pension Plan is Financially Sound
May 25, 2009
Federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Finance, as joint stewards of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), today announced the results of the program's triennial review at the close of their annual spring meetings at Meech Lake. The review confirms that the CPP, a key pillar of Canada's retirement income system, remains on a sound financial footing. "The CPP is well positioned to weather the current market turbulence," said the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance. "Canadians can count on an affordable CPP today and for the future." The CPP provides over 3.6 million retired Canadians with benefits of up to $909 per month.

Related links:

Consultation on pensions in Canada
"Strengthening the Legislative and Regulatory Framework for Private Pension Plans
Subject to the Pension Benefit Standards Act, 1985"
- launched January 2009
- closing date for input: May 31, 2009
- incl. links to two consultation documents from the Department of Finance

Responses/Submissions from the public
- links to dozens of responses (to the consultations documents) submitted to the consultation
by union representatives, pension plan representatives and employer pension representatives.

Ottawa plans to ease pension rules
Revamp will let early pensioners keep their jobs
May 26, 2009
Source:
Calgary Herald

---

From the
Toronto Star:

$7M bonus as CPP loses $24B
May 29, 2009
OTTAWA–Four top executives of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board pocketed nearly $7 million in bonuses this year despite losing $24 billion of taxpayers' money in bad investments, according to the board's annual report released yesterday.

Reform pensions now, expert says
Canada should admit millions of its citizens will never get the retirement
May 29, 2009

Patchy pensions leave too many exposed
May 27, 2009
By Carol Goar
(...) Today, Canada has a half-built pension system. It serves a fortunate minority relatively well, but leaves many workers facing a bleak retirement. No one is utterly destitute. All seniors are entitled to a monthly old age security payment. And those who belonged to the workforce receive a Canada Pension Plan. But these public programs are designed to provide a modest base on which to build a private retirement income. And millions of workers simply can't. The lucky ones – 38.5 per cent of working Canadians – have a company pension. But their luck is running out...
[ more columns by Carol Goar ]
Source:
Toronto Star

-----------------------------

Government Implements Pension Measures
News Release
March 27 2009
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today released regulations to provide temporary solvency funding relief for federally regulated defined benefit pension plans. The measures cover plans established for employees working in areas that fall under federal jurisdiction. These plans currently represent 7 per cent of all private pension plans in Canada, accounting for approximately 12 per cent of pension assets.
Related documents:
* Solvency Funding Relief Regulations
* Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement
(Click the above news release link to access these documents)

-----------------------------

Canadians Can Track Progress of Economic Action Plan
Website helps hold governments and parliamentarians accountable
News Release
Ottawa, March 11, 2009
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance today unveiled ActionPlan.gc.ca, a comprehensive new Government of Canada website that will allow Canadians to hold governments and public officials accountable for action on the economy. (...) ActionPlan.gc.ca includes details of Canada's Economic Action Plan, with links to specifics of initiatives and projects as they are announced. It also explains the roots of the global financial crisis and Canada's relative performance. The website will help Canadians to assess how well parliamentarians, provincial and territorial governments, businesses and others are contributing to positive action on the economy. The website will be updated regularly.

ActionPlan.gc.ca
- incl. links to:
* THE CHALLENGE * WHAT HAS BEEN DONE * THE PLAN * THE ROLLOUT * WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

Canada's Economic Action Plan:
First Quarterly Report
News Release
March 10, 2009
Today the Harper Government released its first quarterly report on the progress of Canada’s Economic Action Plan – the Government’s broad and aggressive response to the global recession

Complete report
Foreword
Report in Brief
Chapter 1: Canada's Economic Action Plan
Chapter 2: Accountability Framework
Chapter 3: Working With Domestic and International Partners
Chapter 4: Progress Achieved to Date
Chapter 5: Conclusion and Next Steps

Related links:

Minister of Finance Launches National Consultations on Private Pensions
News Release
February 23, 2009

Budget 2009: Canada's Economic Action Plan - January 27, 2009

Minister of Finance Releases Discussion Paper on Private Pensions
News Release
January 9, 2009

Strengthening the Legislative and Regulatory Framework
for Private Pension Plans Subject to the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985
[ PDF version - 107K, 23 pages ]
January 2009
- incl. contact information for anyone wishing to submit any comments on the discussion paper

The closing date for these consultations was April 17.

Source:
Department of Finance Canada

---

Budget 2009: Canada’s Economic Action Plan
January 27, 2009
-----------------------
NOTE : all links to the 2009 federal Budget appear on
the 2009 Canadian Government Budgets Links page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/budgets.htm

---

Tax Expenditures and Evaluations 2008 (PDF - 534K, 48 pages)
2008 (PDF file dated 12-08)
Tax Expenditures and Evaluations, is published on an annual basis. It provides estimates and projections for broadly defined tax expenditures as well as evaluations and descriptive papers addressing specific tax measures. This year’s edition includes an analytical paper entitled “Considerations in Setting Canada’s Corporate Income Tax Rate." [Excerpt from the Preface]
Source:
Government of Canada Tax Expenditures
Source of information for the analysis of the Canadian tax system. Provides information on the federal income tax system (corporate and personal) as well as the goods and services tax (GST).
- includes links to all editions of this report - including the 2008 report and one for each year going back to 1995 (but no link to a report for 1996).

---

January 2, 2009
Government helps Canadians maximize their savings with the new Tax-Free Savings Account
January 2, 2009
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State (Agriculture), and Mr. Peter Aceto, President and CEO of ING DIRECT Canada, today welcomed the availability of the new Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) introduced by the Government of Canada in the 2008 Budget.

---

Tax-Free Savings Account (Govt. of Canada website)
- incl. links to : * Home * TFSA and you * TFSA calculator * TFSA vs RRSP * TFSA and the economy * TFSA and seniors * Income-tested benefits * Things to know * More information

---

December 31, 2008
Canada’s Government Provides Individuals, Families and Businesses Important New Tax Relief for 2009
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty today took the opportunity to inform Canadians of new tax relief measures that will benefit them in 2009.
(...)
The following measures come into effect in 2009:
* The introduction of the Tax-Free Savings Account, which will allow Canadians to set money aside in eligible investments and watch those savings grow tax-free throughout their lifetimes;
* The reduction of the general corporate income tax rate to 19 per cent from 19.5 per cent. Overall, the general corporate income tax rate is being reduced from 22.12 per cent (including the corporate surtax) in 2007 to 15 per cent by 2012;
* The extension of accelerated capital cost allowance treatment for three years for investment in manufacturing or processing machinery and equipment; and
* As part of the fifth Protocol to the Canada-U.S. Tax Treaty, the reduction in the rate of withholding tax on interest payments from Canada to non-arm’s length U.S. lenders from 7 per cent to 4 per cent. The withholding tax on non-arm’s-length interest paid between Canada and the United States will be completely eliminated as of 2010.

* Backgrounder – Summary of Federal Tax Relief for 2008 and 2009

---

Government Launches National Consultation on Budget Actions to Protect Canada’s Economy
December 11, 2008

Related link:

Budget 2008 (February 26, 2008)

- Go to the Canadian Government Budgets Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/budgets.htm

November 14, 2008
Government of Canada Holds Employment Insurance Premium Rate at Lowest Level in 15 Years
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, and the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, today welcomed the Canada Employment Insurance Commission’s decision to hold the Employment Insurance (EI) premium rate for 2009 unchanged at $1.73, its lowest level in 15 years.

Finance Ministers Discuss Progress in Implementing Advantage Canada
News Release
May 30, 2008
(...) Over the past two years, the Government has acted on Advantage Canada by:
* Reducing the federal debt by over $38 billion;
* Lowering taxes for Canadians in 2007–08 and the following five years by $200 billion;
* Cutting corporate income taxes so that Canada will have the lowest statutory tax rate in the Group of Seven (G7) by 2012 and the lowest overall tax rate on new business investment in the G7 by 2010;
* Restoring fiscal balance between the federal government and the provinces and territories;
* Enhancing infrastructure funding and placing it on a long-term footing with investments of $33 billion;
* Investing in education and training, including long-term support of post-secondary education and a modernized Canada Student Loans Program; and
* Streamlining Canada’s immigration system to better respond to the needs of the Canadian labour market.

Related link:

Advantage Canada
(...) Advantage Canada is a strategic, long-term economic plan designed to improve our country’s economic prosperity both today and in the future.
Executive Summary
Complete report:
HTML version - table of contents and links to each section of the report
PDF version (996K, 82 pages)

Canada’s Government Delivers Broad-Based Tax Relief for Individuals, Families and Businesses
News Release
October 30, 2007
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today presented the Government’s 2007 Economic Statement, which proposes broad-based tax relief for all Canadians, including a further reduction of the goods and services tax (GST).

Economic Statement 2007: Strong Leadership. A Better Canada
October 30, 2007
Table of contents:
* Overview * Speech * Introduction
* Chapters:
1. Recent Economic Developments and Prospects
2. Fiscal Projections
3. Broad-Based Tax Reductions for Canadians
Annex
Tax Measures: Supplementary Information and Notices of Ways and Means Motions
* Notices of Ways and Means Motions

Overview
"...bold new steps to build a better Canada:
* Reducing taxes further for Canadians, including a further reduction in the goods and services tax (GST).
* Establishing a new era of declining business taxation.
* Reducing the federal debt by $10 billion this year."

Related links:

Government proposes $60B in tax cuts, with further GST drop
October 30, 2007
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has tabled a motion that calls for $60 billion in tax cuts over the next five years, including a further cut in the GST to five per cent, effective Jan. 1. News of the GST cut came in an economic statement delivered Tuesday afternoon by Flaherty. Normally, the statement contains little more than an update on the government's fiscal position. Not this time.
Source:
CBC

Flaherty offers little to working families
October 30, 2007
Ottawa — Finance Minister Flaherty is once again promising billions more in tax cuts which will provide little lasting benefit to working families, says CUPE National President Paul Moist.
Source:
Canadian Union of Public Employees

Related Web/News/Blog links:

Google Search Results Links - always current results!
Using the following search terms (without the quote marks):
"Economic Statement 2007, Canada"
- Web search results page
- News search results page
- Blog Search Results page
Source:
Google.ca

----------------------------------------------------------

Canada’s New Government Introduces Draft Legislative
Proposals to Implement the Registered Disability Savings Plan
October 2, 2007
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, and the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, today released draft legislative proposals to implement the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) announced in Budget 2007.
(...)
RDSPs are being introduced in response to the recommendations of the Minister of Finance’s Expert Panel on Financial Security for Children with Severe Disabilities, which tabled its report in December 2006.
(...)
Under the new measure, individuals who qualify for the disability tax credit, or their parents or other legal guardian, will be able to establish an RDSP. RDSPs will be eligible to receive payments of the new Canada Disability Savings Grants (CDSGs) and, for low- and modest-income beneficiaries, Canada Disability Savings Bonds (CDSBs).
(...)
Interested parties are invited to provide comments in writing on the draft legislative proposals. Comments can be sent jointly to the Tax Policy Branch, Department of Finance and the Office of Disability Issues, Human Resources and Social Development Canada at 140 O’Connor Street, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0G5 on or before October 23, 2007. Following this consultation period, the Government intends to introduce legislation, including regulations under the Canada Disability Savings Act, to implement the program as quickly as possible.

Related link:

The Working Income Tax Benefit (WITB) and Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP):
With the Legislation unveiled, it is time to be heard
By John Stapleton
October 6, 2007
"(...) The Budget bills are important and they deserve discussion and comment. A very small window has been created to allow Canadians to respond. Download the Budget documents and the explanations. Read them carefully and make a submission by October 23, 2007. It is a unique opportunity for your voice to be heard by Members of Parliament, their staff and by the Public Service.

------------------------------------------------------------

Beginning Today Canada’s New Government Is Providing
Funding to the Provinces and Territories to Restore Fiscal Balance
News Release
June 28, 2007
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, confirmed that with the passage of Bill C-52, $39 billion in new funding over the next seven years will start flowing to the provinces and territories today.

Some context?

The following link takes you to Finance Canada's detailed and up-to-date presentation on federal transfers to provinces and territories for health and social programs; the whole section is worth exploring, but the link to the Equalization section is active so you can access information on how equalization works and the changes implemented by the 2007 federal budget.

Federal Transfers to Provinces and Territories
- incl. links to info about : Major Federal Transfers - Federal Transfers to Provinces and Territories - The Canada Health Transfer and the Canada Social Transfer - Equalization and Territorial Formula Financing - Other Transfers - Fiscal Balance - Multimedia - Related Links - Archive

Source:
Department of Finance Canada

Related links:

Equalization: Atlantic discord and federal fumbling
June 29
"(...) A serious, independent re-assessment of Canada’s financial arrangements – away from the heat of the present skirmishes – is urgently needed."
Source:
The ChronicleHerald.ca (Halifax)

Google News Search Results : "Equalization Program"

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Making a Strong Canadian Economy Even Stronger
News Release
June 20, 2007
Statement by the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, on behalf of Canada’s New Government at the conclusion of meetings with his provincial and territorial counterparts.

June 12, 2007
Budget Implementation Bill Is Passed in the House of Commons
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, is pleased that key measures proposed in Budget 2007 were passed today by the House of Commons.
- incl. a summary of Budget 2007 measures

Canada’s New Government Funds Key Priorities for Canadians Through Targeted Tax Relief
March 1, 2007
The Department of Finance today released its annual Tax Expenditures and Evaluations report. The report provides details of the economic and social priorities that the Government of Canada funds through targeted federal tax credits and tax reductions. The revenue estimates and projections in the report reflect the substantial tax relief proposed in the Tax Fairness Plan and announced in Budget 2006. In the last year, this amounts to 29 new tax initiatives

IMF Report:

Canada: 2007Article IV Consultation - Staff Report;
and Public Information Notice on the Executive Board Discussion (PDF file - 1.1MB, 35
February 13, 2007

IMF Executive Board Concludes 2007
Article IV Consultation with Canada
Public Information Notice No. 07/18
February 13, 2007
On January 12, 2007, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation with Canada.

February 7, 2007
Canada’s New Government Launches Nationwide Pre-Budget Consultations
"The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today launched online consultations, giving Canadians from coast to coast to coast an opportunity to participate in the development of Budget 2007. Canada’s New Government held federal online consultations for the first time during the development of last year’s budget."11
- includes an invitation by the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, to Pre-Budget Web Consultations

Related Link:

Online Pre-Budget Consultations for Budget 2007
NOTE this consultation ends at midnight on February 28, 2007.

Remarks by the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance
January 30

--------------------------------------------------------------

Canada’s New Government Is Providing Real Tax Relief for Canadians
News Release
December 22, 2006
Canadian families, students, workers and seniors will be able to keep more of their hard-earned money in 2006 and 2007. Canada’s New Government is providing substantial and immediate tax relief in every way the government collects taxes.
- includes a summary of all federal tax relief measures for 2006 and 2007

--------------------------------------------------------------

Canada's New Government Establishes
Program Eligibility for the Children's Fitness Tax Credit
News Release
December 19, 2006
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today released guidelines on the Children's Fitness Tax Credit, which is scheduled to become effective on January 1, 2007.The Minister confirmed that as recommended by the Expert Panel for the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit, the definition of eligible programs will support children’s participation in all programs that significantly contribute to their fitness. In addition, the Minister indicated that substantial additional support would be provided to children eligible for the disability tax credit to recognize the unique barriers they face in becoming more active.
- includes a backgrounder with more detailed info

Minister Flaherty Announces New
Collaborative Steps With Provincial and Territorial Finance Ministers
News Release
December 15, 2006
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, issued the following statement today at the conclusion of his meeting with provincial and territorial counterparts: “We had a productive meeting, a healthy exchange of views, and made considerable progress on the issues before us. There was a great deal of support for the priorities set out in the Advantage Canada plan.

Canada's New Government Receives Recommendations
on Savings Measures to Help Children With Severe Disabilities
News Release
December 12, 2006
"(..) Government must better enable parents to set aside funds today to financially support a child with a severe disability, when they are no longer able to provide support."

Complete report:

A New Beginning -
The Report of the Minister of Finance's Expert Panel on Financial Security for Children with Severe Disabilities
December 2006
HTML version
PDF version (325K, 82 pages)
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements * Introduction * The Mandate of the Panel * The Composition of the Panel * The Constitutional Constraints * The Fiscal Policy Framework * Plan Concepts * Plan Definitions and Details * Federal-Provincial Issues * Costing the Plan * Future Directions * Recommendations * Appendices (incl. the July 31/06 news release announcing the appointment of a "Panel to Help Children with Severe Disabilities" and the Terms of Reference for the Panel)

Related Link:

Report recommends tax break for parents of disabled children
December 13, 2006
Parents of severely disabled children should be able to set aside up to $200,000 tax free for their care, in the same manner that parents can now create savings plans for the higher education of their children, a panel set up by the federal Finance Minister to investigate the issue has concluded. In a report presented yesterday to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, the group also calls on Ottawa to provide parents of children with severe disabilities with cash grants of at least $1,000 annually over 20 years, and to double those payments to low-income families.
Source:
The Globe and Mail

Canada's New Government Reduces
Debt Burden to Lowest Level in Quarter Century
News Release
November 28, 2006
"The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today tabled in Parliament the Debt Management Report for 2005–06, which reports that Canada’s New Government has eliminated $13.2 billion in federal debt. 'This achievement will yield interest savings of approximately $650 million each and every year,' said Minister Flaherty. 'That’s money that can be used to provide priority programs or further reduce the tax burden on Canadian families and businesses.' The Government has reduced its debt to $481.5 billion from its peak of $562.9 billion in 1996–97, a reduction of $81.4 billion. Canada’s net debt burden is the lowest in the G7 and is well below the average of countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development."

Complete report:

Debt Management Report for 2005–06
HTML
PDF version - 1.02MB, 91 pages
Outlines the key elements of current federal debt management strategy and describes various strategic and operational aspects of the government's debt program and cash management activities over the past year

Debt Management reports for Earlier Fiscal years - back to 1997

November 24, 2006
Online Consultations on the Advantage Canada Plan
"Invitation by the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, to Participate in Advantage Canada Consultations:
To Canadians in every part of this country, I would like to say that I’m looking forward to seeing your ideas on how we can best implement Advantage Canada, our new long-term Plan to build a strong economy for Canadians and secure a better quality of life now and for future generations."

-------------------------------------------------

Canada’s New Government Announces Tax Fairness Plan
October 31, 2006
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance today announced a Tax Fairness Plan for Canadians. The plan will restore balance and fairness to the federal tax system by creating a level playing field between income trusts and corporations.

Related Link:

Backgrounder - Effective Spending
"Canadians want to know their hard-earned tax dollars are invested responsibly in effective programs that meet their priorities."
NOTE: this is where you'll find the official breakdown of the spending cuts, but it's still lacking in some of the specifics...
Source:
Treasury Board Secretariat

*********************************
Response to Cuts:
a Coalition of Canadian non-profits building a Communities Agenda
"Welcome to the site of the coalition of Canadian non-profit agencies building a communities agenda for Canada. Here you will find information and events in response to the Federal Government's announcement of cuts to programs. We want to hear from you! Send us stories of how your organisation and your community is affected to nchaland@ccednet-rcdec.ca"
- the list of coalition members so far includes the Canadian Community Economic Development Network - the Learning Enrichment Foundation - le Chantier de l’économie sociale - the Toronto Student Adult Association - Literacy Nova Scotia - the Canadian Women’s Community Economic Development Council - the Community Social Planning Council of Toronto
*********************************

Government's real priorities revealed
Media Statement
September 26, 2006
"OTTAWA, Sept. 26 /CNW/ - We are deeply concerned about the gutting of the only federal agency that addresses critical questions pertaining to equality and about what it suggests about what this government's true intentions are for equality matters in Canada. Announced Monday, the 5 million dollar cut to Status of Women Canada (SWC) is a serious attack on the lone federal department engaged in the development of gender responsive policy and in the fulfillment of Canada's human rights obligations to women at the international, domestic, and inter-governmental levels.
We now see the government's real priorities revealed. (...)"
Signed:
Canadian Council for Muslim Women
Canadian Federation of University Women
Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action
Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women
Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
DAWN Ontario: DisAbled Women's Network
MATCH International
Womenspace (website no longer accessible - March 2009)
YWCA Canada

-------------------------

Cuts to Status of Women and Court Challenges Program
Undermine Government’s Commitment to Women’s Equality
"(...) During the last federal election campaign, Stephen Harper promised to “take concrete and immediate measures…to ensure that Canada fully upholds its commitments to women.” These cuts are not consistent with Mr. Harper’s election promise,” said Shelagh Day, Co-Chair of the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA)."
Source:
Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action

-------------------------

An important message from CPRN President Sharon Manson Singer
September 26
"You may have heard by now that CPRN is one of the casualties of the government’s search for one billion dollars in savings. It means that our new grant of $3 million a year will not be continued past the current year. We had no advance warning of this decision, nor was there any consultation..."
Source:
Canadian Policy Research Networks

-------------------------

If I had 13.2 billion dollars...
September 25, 2006
(With apologies to the Bare Naked Ladies)
OTTAWA - “If I had 13.2 billion dollars I’d restore funding to post secondary education, because an investment now secures a brighter future later. I would stop paying lip service to the environment and come clean with some good green..."
By Paul Moist, National President
Source:
Canadian Union of Public Employees

Also from CUPE:

Current federal government cuts will seem like "small potatoes"
Oct 5, 2006
- incl. a good summary of the cuts that CUPE thinks will most severely affect Canada's communities, as well as a link to an editorial by Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives economist Ellen Russell, who argues that "between the Tories promised tax cuts ($9.9 billion in the first budget), increases in defence spending ($4 billion) and other initiatives, the government is actually short $17 billion."

----------------------------------------------------------

Google Web Search Results:
"Canada, federal government, spending cuts"
Google News Search Results:
"Canada, federal government, spending cuts"
Source:
Google.ca

----------------------------------------------------------

Canada’s New* Government
Continues to Deliver on Its Tax Relief Plan
News release
August 31, 2006
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today announced that Canada’s new Government is keeping its promise to Canadians by delivering on its Tax Relief Plan. The measures below are part of the Government’s plan to deliver over $20 billion in tax cuts over the next two years, which is more than the last four budgets of the previous government combined. These measures were part of the income tax measures that were proposed in Budget 2006 but not included in the Budget Implementation Act, 2006, which received Royal Assent on June 22, 2006.
These measures are:
* The new Canada Employment Credit.
* The new Textbook Tax Credit.
* The new tax credit for public transit passes.
* The new deduction for tradespeople’s tool expenses.
* A complete exemption for scholarship income received in connection with enrolment at an institution which qualifies the student for the education tax credit.
* A doubling, to $2,000 from $1,000, of the amount on which the pension income credit is calculated.
* An extension of the $500,000 lifetime capital gains exemption, and various intergenerational rollovers, to fishers.
* The new Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit.
* A reduction of the current 12 per cent small business tax rate to 11.5 per cent for 2008 and to 11 per cent thereafter.
* An increase, to $400,000 from $300,000, of the amount that a small business can earn at the small business tax rate, effective January 1, 2007.
* A reduction of the minimum tax on financial institutions.

Related Link:

Canada: Selected Issues (PDF file - 648K, 24 pages)
IMF Country Report No. 06/229
June 2006
"background documentation for the periodic consultation with the member country"
- incl. Regional Dimensions of the Canadian Economy- Canadian Inflation Targeting and Macroeconomic Volatility in Retrospect and Prospect - Conclusion and Policy Implications - Efficiency Gains from Reducing the GST Versus Personal Income Taxation in Canada - more..

Source:
Canada and the IMF
[ International Monetary fund ]
"The IMF is an organization of 184 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty."

2006 Indexation Adjustment for Personal Income Tax System
News Release
December 9, 2005
"All personal income tax amounts will be adjusted by 2.2 per cent in 2006 to ensure that inflation does not cause people to pay more income tax.
Restoration of full indexation of the personal income tax system was announced in Budget 2000 and took effect that same year. Since that time, personal income tax amounts have been indexed to inflation every year using Consumer Price Index data, as reported by Statistics Canada."
- includes Backgrounder : How Tax Parameters Are Indexed

The Economic and Fiscal Update
November 14, 2005
Everything you wanted to know about the Economic and Fiscal Update, including:

Economic and Fiscal Update: Strong Growth, Healthy Finances and a New Plan to Promote Long-Term Prosperity
News Release

Flash presentation of Update 2005
- includes 2005 Tax Savings Calculator (Flash v.8 plugin required)

Overview
HTML version
PDF version (157K, 10 pages)

Speech
HTML version
PDF version (89K, 16 pages)

Complete report:

The Economic and Fiscal Update
Background Material to the Presentation (PDF file - 1.9MB, 214 pages)
November 2005

Table of Contents
- select individual chapters or annexes to read in HTML format:
1. Overview
2. Economic Developments and Prospects
3. Canada’s Fiscal Progress
4. Private Sector Five-Year Economic and Fiscal Projections
5. A Plan for Growth and Prosperity
Annexes
1. Risks and Uncertainties in Fiscal Projections
2. Perspective: Long-Term Track Record of Fiscal Forecasting
2.b Details on Differences by Fiscal Year
3. National Accounts–Public Accounts Reconciliation
4. Detailed Descriptions of Tax Measures

Google Web Search Results : "Economic and Fiscal Update, Canada"
Google News search Results : "Economic and Fiscal Update, Canada"
Source:
Google.ca

Also from Finance Canada:

Minister of Finance Tables Notice of Ways and Means Motion for Remaining Budget 2005 Income Tax Measures
November 17, 2005
- Includes a Backgrounder and Notice of Ways and Means Motion to Implement Certain Provisions of the Budget Tabled in Parliament on February 23, 2005.

Minister of Finance Proposes Amendments Concerning the Income Tax Treatment of Certain Expenditures
November 17, 2005
- Includes Backgrounder and Notice of Ways and Means Motion to Amend the Income Tax Act

Proposed GST/HST Amendments Relating to the Financial Services Sector
November 17, 2005
- Includes Legislative Proposals, Draft Regulations and Explanatory Notes Relating to the Excise Tax Act

Treasury Evaluation Program Framework
Describes the objectives and process of the Treasury Evaluation Program (TEP) of the Department of Finance.

Immediate Income Tax Relief: Notice of Ways and Means Motion Tabled to Implement Update 2005 Measures
November 14, 2005
- Includes Notice of Ways and Means Motion and Explanatory Notes

Economic and Fiscal Update: Strong Growth, Healthy Finances and a New Plan to Promote Long-Term Prosperity
November 14, 2005
- includes The Economic and Fiscal Update 2005

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The Economy in Brief - September 2005
"Overview
* In the second quarter of 2005 real gross domestic product (GDP) grew 3.2%, following a 2.1% increase in the first quarter.
* Final domestic demand remained solid, rising 2.9% following a gain of 6.2% in the first quarter. Residential investment rebounded from a first-quarter decline.
* Increased domestic demand was met through domestic production as real imports fell 3.5% after an 11.0% jump in the first quarter. Real exports rose 0.8% following a 5.5% gain in the first quarter.
* The current account registered its 24th consecutive quarterly surplus. It widened by over $5 billion to $18.7 billion or 1.4% of nominal GDP.
* Since the end of 2004 the Canadian economy has created over 137,000 net new jobs, all of them full-time. The unemployment rate remained at 6.8% in August, near its lowest level since 1976."

Source:
Economy in Brief 2005
- includes similar analyses for March and June of 2005 - [ earlier years, back to 1996 ]

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Minister of Finance Releases Draft Legislative Proposals Implementing Remaining Budget 2005 Income Tax Measures
August 15, 2005
"Minister of Finance Ralph Goodale today released a package of draft amendments to the Income Tax Act to implement measures originally proposed in Budget 2005.
These measures include:
* Introducing a new tax credit for adoption expenses such as adoption agency and legal fees.
* Improving the disability tax credit and making it more widely available.
* Further changes to improve the tax treatment of persons with disabilities and those who care for them, for example, by doubling the amount of disability-related and medical expenses that can be claimed by a caregiver, and expanding the list of expenses eligible for the medical expense tax credit and the disability supports deduction.
* Helping agricultural cooperative corporations through a new tax deferral in respect of certain patronage dividends."

-----------------------

Review of Canadian Federal Fiscal Forecasting
Processes and Systems
By Tim O’Neill
June 2005
HTML version
PDF version (764K, 169 pages)

-----------------------

The Economy in Brief - December 2004
December 23, 2004
Source:
The Economy in Brief 2004
[ Department of Finance Canada ]

-----------------------

Minister of Finance Welcomes Positive IMF Report on Canada
News Release
December 20, 2004
"Minister of Finance Ralph Goodale welcomed the annual Statement of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Mission on Canada, which was released today. The report lauds Canada, especially its fiscal performance, which it describes as the best among the Group of Seven (G-7) industrialized countries. 'This report is a further vindication of the sacrifices made by Canadians to get our nation’s finances back on track over the past decade,' said Minister Goodale."
Source:
Department of Finance Canada

Related Link:

2005 Article IV Consultation with Canada
Preliminary Conclusions of the IMF Mission
December 1, 2004
"Describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the conclusion of certain missions (official staff visits, in most cases to member countries). Missions are undertaken as part of regular (usually annual) consultations under Article IV of the IMF's Articles of Agreement, in the context of a request to use IMF resources (borrow from the IMF), as part of discussions of staff monitored programs, and as part of other staff reviews of economic developments."
[The IMF will release its full report on Canada next year.]

Two observations of relevance to social researchers among these preliminary findings:

"The Employment Insurance system remains an uneasy combination of unemployment insurance and social assistance. Funding the latter function through general revenues would be more efficient and transparent, and every effort should be made to reinforce the insurance principle of the program through experience rating of employers and employees. Care will be needed to resist further eroding the mid-1990s reforms and to ensure that the premium rate can be set at a low rate that balances the system over the cycle and avoids the need for annual adjustments.

Reforms in other social programs could help increase labor utilization and efficiency. Even with recent gains in labor participation, there remains room to further improve labor supply by reducing incentives for early retirement in the public pension system—such as by amending benefit calculations and curbing excessive use of disability benefits—and by lowering "welfare walls" in the social transfer system*."

Source:
International Monetary Fund

*NOTE: "lowering welfare walls in the social transfer system" can of course be interpreted differently, depending on who's doing the interpreting.

Organizations like the IMF, the World Bank and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development view the welfare wall within an economic framework, i.e., the disincentives that prevent people from leaving welfare. These disincentives include a range of non-cash benefits, generally health-related, that are available to households on welfare but not to low-wage workers' families. (It should be noted - but it often isn't in 'Canada-wide' reports - that this non-cash coverage for welfare households varies considerably among the provinces and territories, each of which is responsible for the design and delivery of its welfare program.) The IMF, World Bank and OECD would reduce the welfare wall to "make work more attractive than welfare" or "to make work pay more than welfare" by reducing or freezing welfare benefits and making it more difficult for households to qualify for welfare in the first place.

On the other hand, we have the social advocacy community - Canadian *and* international - reminding us that the welfare wall grew over the years not because welfare benefits were so generous, but because minimum wages and other employment standards have taken a nosedive since the 1970s. Social justice groups suggest that a better way to reduce that welfare wall would be to improve minimum wages and working conditions, including the extension of special health coverage to everyone in the low-wage sector of the Canadian economy. An increase in welfare dependency isn't generally traceable to an overly-generous system - it's a symptom of dysfunction in the low end of the labour market. It's like saying, "Yeah, the health care system is strained because of the demand, so we'll have to trim back on the health system" (vs. fixing the problems that are causing the increase in demand).
It's the labour market, Stupid.
[End of rant. For now.]

-----------------------

Speech by the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Finance, to the
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal Challenge and Opportunity in the Canadian Federation
December 14, 2004
Montréal, Quebec

-----------------------

Minister of Finance Tables Debt Management Report for 2003-04
News Release
December 8, 2004
"Minister of Finance Ralph Goodale today tabled in the House of Commons and the Senate the Government of Canada’s Debt Management Report for fiscal year 2003–04. The report notes that the federal government has reduced its debt to $501.5 billion on a full accrual accounting basis, down $61.4 billion from its peak in 1996–97."
Complete report:
Debt Management Report 2003–2004
HTML version
PDF version (470K, 85 pages)

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Minister of Finance Tables a Notice of Ways and Means Motion to
Implement Budget 2004 Measures
News Release
December 6, 2004
"Minister of Finance Ralph Goodale today tabled in the House of Commons a detailed Notice of Ways and Means Motion to implement measures proposed in Budget 2004. Among others, these measures include:
* introducing income tax relief for Canadian Forces personnel and police deployed to international high-risk operational missions—including additional missions announced on April 14, 2004;
* improving tax fairness for persons with disabilities and those who care for them;
* accelerating to 2005 from 2006 the increase in the small business deduction limit to $300,000;
* extending the carry-forward period for business losses to 10 years;
* eliminating the deductibility of fines and penalties;
* introducing a new regulatory regime for registered charities; and
* reducing the Air Travellers Security Charge."

- incl. links to the following related documents:
* Notice of Ways and Means Motion to implement certain
provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 23, 2004
* Explanatory Notes on Relating to the Air Travellers Security Charge,
the First Nations Good and Services Tax, Income Tax and Other Related Measures

Economic and Fiscal Update: Stronger Growth and Balanced Budgets for Canada
News Release
November 16, 2004
"Stronger economic growth, balanced budgets and improved management of taxpayer dollars were the main messages delivered today by Minister of Finance Ralph Goodale in his first Economic and Fiscal Update presentation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance."

-----------------------

The Economic and Fiscal Update 2004
- incl. links to : Overview Pamphlet - Speech - Powerpoint slide presentation used by the Minister
Annexes:
Foreword
1. Canada's Fiscal Progress.
2 - Economic Developments and Prospects.
3 - Private Sector Five-Year Economic and Fiscal Projections.
4 - Private Sector Five-Year Fiscal Projections: National Accounts – Public Accounts Reconciliation.

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Google.ca News Search Results: "Economic and Fiscal Update, Canada"
Source:
Google.ca
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Tax Expenditures: Notes to the Estimates/Projections (2004)
November 4, 2004
Sets out the approach used in developing the estimates and projections contained in the main report, and also provides a description and presents the objective of each tax expenditure.

Tax Expenditures and Evaluations - 2004
November 4, 2004
Provides estimates and projections for broadly defined tax expenditures.

Department of Finance Releases Transfer Estimates
News Release
October 12, 2004
"The Department of Finance today issued revised estimates of transfers to the provinces for 2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004–05. These transfers include equalization, the Canada Health Transfer, the Canada Social Transfer and the Health Reform Transfer. Revised estimates were also issued for the Territorial Formula Financing (TFF) program."

Government of Canada Records Seventh Consecutive Surplus
News Release
October 13, 2004
"Minister of Finance Ralph Goodale announced today that the Government of Canada recorded a surplus of $9.1 billion for fiscal year 2003–04. Consistent with generally accepted accounting principles, the $9.1 billion has been applied to reduce Canada’s federal debt. This marks the seventh consecutive annual surplus, the first time such a record has been achieved in Canada’s history."

Related documents:

Annual Financial Report of the Government of Canada - Fiscal Year 2003–2004
Fiscal Reference Tables - October 2004

Statement prepared for the International Monetary and Financial Committee of the International Monetary Fund
The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Finance of Canada
October 2, 2004

Statement prepared for the Development Committee of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund
The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Finance of Canada
October 2, 2004

NOTE: For more links to info about the 2004 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group Boards of Governors,
go to the Globalization Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/global.htm

Minister of Finance Tables Debt Management Strategy for 2004-05
News Release
March 30, 2004
"Minister of Finance Ralph Goodale today tabled in the House of Commons and the Senate the Government of Canada’s Debt Management Strategy for fiscal year 2004-05. The document provides details on federal borrowing and investment policies for the coming fiscal year."

Related document:
Debt Management Strategy - 2004-2005

The Fiscal Balance in Canada: The Facts
Revised March 9, 2004
"The argument by provincial governments that the money is in Ottawa while the needs are in the provinces does not withstand the test of facts, or take into account the reality that sound fiscal management by the federal government through balanced budgets or better benefits all Canadians."
NOTE: Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Council of the Federation or the Medicare Debate Links page for the view from the provinces and territories on fiscal balance

Federal-Provincial Relations and Social Policy Branch
Economic and Fiscal Update: Balanced Books Despite Slower Growth
News Release
November 3, 2003
"The Government is on track to keep its books balanced or better despite the economic shocks that battered the Canadian economy in 2003, John Manley, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, said today in his latest Economic and Fiscal Update."

Economic and Fiscal Update 2003
- incl. links to Overview and Presentation (both appear below) - Powerpoint slide presentation used by the Minister - Annexes (1. Canadian Economic and Fiscal Progress: The Last Ten Years. 2. Canada’s Recent Economic Developments and Outlook. 3. Private Sector Five-Year Economic and Fiscal Projections.) - News Release

Overview
HTML version
PDF version - 516K, 8 pages

Minister's Speech
HTML version
PDF version - 309K, 100 pages --- includes all three annexes noted above

International Monetary Fund Praises Canadian Economic and Fiscal Policies
News Release
March 10, 2004
"Minister of Finance Ralph Goodale welcomed the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) strong endorsement of Canada’s economic, fiscal and monetary policies, contained in its most recent report released today."

Minister of Finance Tables Notice of Ways and Means Motion in Respect of the 100-Per-Cent GST Rebate for Municipalities
News Release
March 9, 2004
"Municipalities—large and small—need stable, reliable and predictable funding to deliver a better quality of life for all Canadians," said Minister Goodale. "As announced in the Speech from the Throne on February 2, 2004, the full rebate will provide municipalities with an additional benefit of roughly $7 billion over the next 10 years, including $580 million in the first year alone."

Minister Introduces An Act Respecting Equalization and
Authorizing the Minister of Finance to Make Certain Payments Related to Health
News Release
February 12, 2004
"Minister of Finance Ralph Goodale introduced legislation in the House of Commons today to protect the continuity of payments to Canada’s Equalization-receiving provinces and to allow for the payment of $2 billion to the provinces and territories for health care from 2003–04 revenues, as announced at the January meeting of first ministers."

Speech by the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Finance, to the Toronto Board of Trade
January 27, 2004
Toronto, Ontario
"(...) There may have been a time when business could concern itself solely with managing its own affairs. But no longer. Today’s reality requires businesses to be engaged in the public life of this country not only on taxes and regulations, but also with respect to the social issues and the international considerations which are inextricably connected."

Government Takes Action to Control Spending (includes a detailed backgrounder)
December 16, 2003
- freeze on major capital projects
- freeze on reclassifications
- freeze on the size of the public service
- review of all Government of Canada spending by the Cabinet's Expenditure Review Committee.
Sources:
Department of Finance Canada
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Related Link:

Investing in Canada's Health Care System (from the 2003 Federal Budget)
[Excerpt]
"Effective April 1, 2004, the federal government will create two new transfers:
A Canada Health Transfer in support of health.
A Canada Social Transfer in support of post-secondary education, social assistance and social services, including early childhood development.
The existing CHST (cash and tax transfer) will be apportioned between the Canada Health Transfer and Canada Social Transfer. The percentage of cash and tax points apportioned to the Canada Health Transfer will reflect the percentage of health spending within overall provincial spending in the health and social sectors supported by federal transfers. The remaining cash and tax points will be allocated to the Canada Social Transfer in support of post-secondary education, social assistance and social services, including early childhood development.
Current estimates are that health represents 62 per cent of programs supported by federal transfers, while the proportion related to post-secondary education and social assistance is 38 per cent. The precise apportionment will be determined when legislation is tabled." (Emphasis added)

Department of Finance Releases Tax Expenditure Report
News Release
September 11, 2003
Tax Expenditures and Evaluations 2003
"The Department of Finance released today its annual tax expenditure report, entitled Tax Expenditures and Evaluations—2003. The report provides estimates and projections of all federal tax expenditures. Tax expenditures, such as credits and deductions, are designed to meet economic, social and other goals of the government generally by reducing the amount of federal tax otherwise payable by individuals and businesses.
Projections in this year’s report have been adjusted to account for recent tax changes, such as:
- increases to the National Child Benefit supplement;
- the introduction of the Child Disability Benefit; and
- increases to registered pension plan (RPP) and registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) limits."
Complete report - [HTML] table of contents, incl. links to individual sections of the report

Employment Insurance Premium Rate-Setting Mechanism
Public Consultation
Feb-Jun/03
Source:
Consulting with Canadians - "Good planning starts with listening."
[Finance Canada]

Federal-Provincial Review of The Canada Pension Plan
News Release
January 9, 2003
"The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is financially sound and is on track to provide retirement pensions in the future, federal and provincial ministers of finance announced today following the conclusion of their financial review of the CPP."
Backgrounder

Minister of Finance to Consult on Disability Tax Credit Proposals
News Release
November 29, 2002
"...proposals to amend the Income Tax Act released on August 30, 2002 regarding the disability tax credit (DTC) are no longer under consideration and new consultations are being launched to develop revised proposals. (...) Minister Manley said that the purpose of the review is not reduce the Government’s support for persons with disabilities, but rather to ensure that support continues to be provided to those most in need. The DTC recognizes that people with a severe and prolonged impairment incur disability-related expenses that reduce their ability to pay tax. The credit reduces an individual’s federal income tax by up to almost $1,000 a year. In total, the DTC provides $400 million a year in federal tax assistance to about 450,000 eligible Canadians.
Written submissions will be accepted until January 17, 2003."
Source : Finance Canada

Departmental Performance Report 2001-2002 - Department of Finance
- includes information on transfers to the provinces and territories, e.g., a graph showing the increase in CHST cash and tax points from 1994-95 to 2005-2006, including the $21.1 billion increase over five years announced in September 2000.
PDF version - 494K, 71 pages
Online version - table of contents + links to individual sections of the report
Strategic Outcome Information - Dept. of Finance
Source: Treasury Board Secretariat

Federal Government Departments and Agencies involved with social programs

Federal Government Departments and Agencies
involved with social programs