Federal Government
General Links

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 Social 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

See these related Canadian Social Research Links pages also:
- Medicare Debate Links page for more links to health care reform information
- Early Learning and Child Care page for Early Childhood Development information
- Unofficial Social Union Links page for National Child Benefit and Social Union info

Canada's Economic Action Plan (this link takes you to the 2009 budgets page of this site)

Canada News Centre
CATEGORIES * News Releases * Media Advisories * Warnings and Advisories * Speeches and Statements * Reports
VIEWS * National News * News by Region * News by Audience * News Centre Archives
RESOURCES * Media Contacts * Government Initiatives * Weather * Canada Gazette * Hansard Index * What's New (Canada Site) * Info Source * Laws in Canada * Population Affiliation Report * Provincial and Territorial News
Source:
Government of Canada

Search the Government of Canada Pages - includes links to all existing federal organizations' search engines

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Federal Government Electronic Directory Services - telephone/organizational directory of all federal public servants. It works - just type in the surname, given name, telephone number, title or organization of someone in the federal civil service.

A - Z Index of Government of Canada programs and services

NOTE REGARDING LINKS TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WEBSITE CONTENT
(June 1, 2009)

Federal government websites are presently being updated to implement the "Common Look and Feel Standards for the Internet (CLF 2.0)."
You'll find many broken links on this site (but not on the page you're reading now, which I've just updated), and some federal department websites haven't even been updated to reflect the new standards yet.

Until the re-jigging of federal content links is completed, please use the search engine of the relevant department or Google.ca's search engine to find the new location of the content .

===> [ more info on "CLF 2.0" (Actually, it's more rant than info...) ]<===

Canadian Government Information on the Internet
by Anita Cannon, the Depository Services Program and Contributors
Effective September 1, 2001, the DSP has become part of Communication Canada
- incl. links to : Major Sites - Federal Information (By subject) - Provincial Information (By province) - Municipal information - Distribution / Discussion Lists - Library Catalogues - Electronic journals.

Guides to Government Information
Help Sheets:
- incl. links to government collections, overviews of how the Canada Gazette works, finding and using Canadian parliamentary information, a guide to Canadian federal bills, statutes & regulations, how a Government bill becomes law, Canadian Information by Subject (National Library of Canada), provincial government publishing authorities and much more...
Source:
Depository Services Program (Govt. of Canada)

Links to Canadian Government and
Other Government Information and Accountability Sites on the Internet
40+ links organized under the following categories:
* General Canadian Government Websites * Finding Canadian Laws, Bills, Budgets and Policies * Canadian Police and Prosecutors * Canadian Courts, Tribunals and Commissions * Laws from Countries Around the World * Canadian Governments' General Democratic Reform / Accountability Websites * Canadian Government Public Consultation Websites * Canadian Election Laws and Election System Reform * Donations to Canadian and U.S. Political Parties / Candidates * Ethics Laws, Rules and Enforcement Systems * Canadian Federal Government Cabinet Appointments * Canadian and U.S. Lobbying Laws and Registries * Canadian Government Access to Information Websites * Canadian Federal Government Spending Websites * Canadian Federal Political Parties * Other General Websites for Canadian Governments and Politics
Source:
Democracy Watch
Democracy Watch is Canada's leading citizen group advocating democratic reform, government accountability and corporate responsibility, and the most successful national citizen advocacy group in Canada over the past 13 years in winning systemic changes to key laws.

September 2006 Cuts to Women's Programs

What's New from Finance Canada:

News Releases:

Canada's New Government cuts wasteful programs,
refocuses spending on priorities, achieves major debt reduction as promised
September 25, 2006

Canada's New Government Is Getting Things Done by Providing Additional Funding for Transit, Housing and Education
September 25, 2006
- includes the following backgrounder:
One-Time Funding to Provinces and Territories --- "The 2005–06 Annual Financial Report of the Government of Canada confirmed the availability of funds to provide for $3.3 billion in federal financial support to help provinces and territories deal with immediate pressures in post-secondary education, affordable housing and public transit, as well as over $320 million in support for international initiatives.

Notice of Ways and Means Motion Tabled
September 25, 2006 - includes a Notice of Ways and Means Motion to amend the Excise Tax Act and a Detailed Proposals on the Elimination of the GST Visitor Rebate Program.

Canada's New Government cuts wasteful programs, refocuses spending on priorities, achieves major debt reduction as promised
September 25, 2006 - includes backgrounders.

Annual Financial Report of the Government of Canada Fiscal Year 2005?2006
September 25, 2006
Reviews the government's spending and revenue performance over the past fiscal year, and discusses the factors affecting these results

Fiscal Reference Tables - September 2006
September 25, 2006
Provides historical information on federal public finances and on broad fiscal indicators at the provincial level as well as international fiscal comparisons.

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Related Link (from Treasury Board Secretariat):

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 a detailed breakdown of the spending cuts.

Here are the "Lowlights" of the cuts --- the biggest losers in the social envelope:
[Cuts/savings shown below are for a two-year period]

Status of Women
- Status of Women Canada Administrative Savings: $5 million

Health
- Elimination of Health Canada's Policy Research Program: $7.5 million
- “Health Portfolio” efficiencies: $28 million (not sure what this is)

Social Development Partnerships
- Efficiencies in the administration of CMHC programs: $45 million (any clue what this will affect?)
- Reduction in Low Priority Grants and Contributions Related to Social Development Partnership Program: $13.8 million
- Elimination of Funding for Canadian Policy Research Networks: $3 million

Others

- Elimination of Funding for the Law Commission of Canada: $4.1 million
- Elimination of Court Challenges Program: $5.6 million

(These "lowlights" were prepared by Pedro Barata - merci, Pedro!)

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Related links from sources other than government:

Government cuts to 66 programs announced in September 2006
Last Updated September 27, 2006
Source:
CBC

Law Commission of Canada responds to
the Federal Government's decision to eliminate funding
September 26, 2006
Yesterday, the President of the Law Commission of Canada, Yves Le Bouthillier, was informed by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, the Honourable Vic Toews, of the government’s decision to eliminate the funding of the Law Commission. "It was my duty to relay this information to the ten staff members as well as the four commissioners", remarked the President. In the days to come, the Law Commission will communicate the news to the members of its Advisory Council, composed of twenty-one Canadians who represent the rich diversity of this country as well as its numerous partners that have contributed both financial and intellectual resources to the Commission’s work.
Source:
Law Commission of Canada
NOTE : this link is now dead, but I wanted to leave the text in for info...

Related link:

Law Commission of Canada abandoned by Conservative government
The Law Commission of Canada was informed on the 25th of September, 2006, of the federal government’s decision to eliminate the Commission’s funding

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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

Mapleleafweb
Maple Leaf Web is a non-profit, non-partisan Canadian political education web-site that aims to provide educators, students and the attentive public with a credible source for political education and information.

* Federalism in Canada: Basic Framework and Operation

* Fiscal Imbalance Debate: Origins and Perspectives

* Canada's Electoral System: Introduction to Federal and Provincial Elections

* Local Government in Canada: Organization & Basic Institutions

Speech from the Throne (SFT)
- this link takes you to the latest SFT and related resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Complete Text of the Speech from the Throne - also includes * What is a Speech from the Throne (SFT) * Frequently Asked Questions * Previous SFTs available on the Web

Google.ca Web Search Results: "Canada, throne speech"
Google.ca News Search Results: "Canada, throne speech"

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Speech from the Throne
January 26, 2009
In these uncertain times, when the world is threatened by a struggling economy, it is imperative that we work together, that we stand beside one another and that we strive for greater solidarity.
(ZZZZZZZZZZ...)

Frequently Asked Questions

Google.ca Web Search Results:
"Canada, throne speech"
Google.ca News Search Results:
"Canada, throne speech"

Related link:

Canadians could face 'several difficult years': throne speech
Tories 'will spend what is necessary' to boost economy, Jean says
January 26, 2009
The Conservative government is presenting a six-point economic stimulus plan in this week's budget and "will spend what is necessary" to rescue Canada's sagging economy during the global financial crisis, says the throne speech delivered Monday.
- incl. links to related sites and multimedia coverage (see the right-hand margin of the page)
Source:
CBC.ca

From Public Works and Government Services Canada:

Public Accounts of Canada (all editions, from the latest right back to 1995)
The Public Accounts of Canada, which include the Financial Statements of the Government of Canada (see Volume I, Section 1), are tabled in the House of Commons annually.

General Information on the Public Accounts of Canada

Public Accounts of Canada, 2007-2008
The Public Accounts of Canada for 2007, which include the Financial Statements of the Government of Canada (see Volume I, Section 2), were tabled in the House of Commons on October 17, 2007.

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From Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat:

Supplementary Estimates, 2007-2008 (All depts.)

Supplementary Estimates, 2007-2008 - HRSDC

Supplementary Estimates, 2007-2008 - Finance Canada

Other Reports of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

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Sample content from Public Accounts:

2005 Public Accounts of Canada
September 29, 2005
"The Public Accounts of Canada for 2005, which include the Financial Statements of the Government of Canada were tabled in the House of Commons on September 29, 2005. The three volumes can be obtained in print from the Government of Canada Publications."
Click the link above to access the complete report in individual PDF files:
* Volume I - Summary Report and Financial Statements (PDF 2.0Mb)
* Volume II - Details of Expenses and Revenues (PDF 2.8Mb)
* Volume III - Additional Information and Analyses (PDF 3.7Mb)
Unpublished detailed information relating to Sections 4, 5 and 7 of Volume III of the Public Accounts of Canada 2005 are as follows:
* Section 4 (Professional and Special Services) (PDF 882kb)
* Section 5 (Acquisition of Land, Buildings and Works) (PDF 348kb)
* Section 7 (Transfer Payments) (PDF file - 2.1MB, 251 pages)

Section 7 includes detailed info about:
- $31 Billion in 2004-2005 in Payments under the Canada Health Transfer (CHT), the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST), the Health Reform Transfer (HRT) and other targeted federal transfers in support of health
- $14.5 Billion in 2004-2005 in Payments under the Canada Social Transfer (CST) in support of post-secondary education, social assistance and social services, including early childhood development and early learning and childcare
In 2004-2005, Finance Canada made payments of $45.7 billion through the Canada Health Transfer, the Canada Social Transfer, the Health Reform Transfer, and other targeted federal transfers in support of health and social services, including both cash and tax transfers. The amount of these cash and tax transfers in 2004-2005 is shown in the above table. In April 2004 the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST) was split into the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) and the Canada Social Transfer (CST). The CHT is a block-fund transfer to provinces and territories to provide financial support for the provision of health. The CST is a block-fund transfer to provinces and territories in support of post-secondary education, social assistance and social services, including early childhood development and early learning and childcare. Both transfers are a combination of tax point and cash transfers.
[Extract from Section 7, page 248]

Source:
Public Works and Government Services Canada

Canadian Economy Online (Government of Canada website)
"This one-top guide to the national economy lets you check out the statistics, access a wealth of federal government information and learn more about economic concepts and events."
Every economist's delight - links to everything you wanted to know about the Canadian economy on one page!
Current Economy - The very latest information about the Canadian Economy, with national and regional analysis.
Families and workers - Information about Cost of Living, Employment, Unemployment, Family Spending and Demography.
Money - Information about Interest Rate, Exchange Rate, Inflation Rate, Investments, Money Supply, and the Bank of Canada’s role.
Government and the economy - Information about the Federal Budget, Debt, and Government Policies.
International issues - Information about Trade Negotiations, and Agreements, Trade Policies by Sector, Economic and Financial Policies and Statistics and Analysis.
About business - General as well as sectoral and regional information about business, along with Policy and Programs, Research and Analysis and other.

- also includes information and learning resources to aid in understanding important aspects of the Canadian Economy : Key indicators (ten key indicators of the Canadian Economy, 10 years of data) - Economic concepts (50 economic concepts) - Key Economic events (timeline of key economic events in the past century and how they impacted the Canadian economy) - Canada Yearbook (overview of the Canadian economy as featured in the most recent edition of the Statistics Canada publication, The Canada Yearbook).

Family Allowance Program (1944) : Supporting Canadian Children - one of the historical nuggets that I found buried in this site...

Rural and Remote Canada Online
"...a single window to knowledge, information, programs and services for and about rural and remote Canada."
Browse by Category
"Within each category we are providing information on programs and services, publications, organizations and associations, events, research. We are gradually building the information resources on our site. Please send us an e-mail with your suggestions."
- categories include : Community Economic Development - Community Life - Employment - Health - International Organizations - Internet - Natural Resources - Reference / Directories - Small Business - Tourism - Women - Youth
Source:
Government of Canada

Canadian Rural Partnership
- incl. links to : Funding Programs - Rural Dialogue - Rural Teams - Research - Rural Lens - Canadian Rural Information Service - Information Pathfinders - Publications - Calendar of Events - News Releases - Key Rural Initiatives - Site Map

Tabling of Canada's Performance Reports 2006-2007

NOTE: Along with the Public Accounts of Canada (see the link below, under "Related links), Departmental performance reports are a valuable resource for government watchdogs and for students of federal government programs and policies --- these departmental reports include descriptive info on the programs administered by the federal government, along with targets and achievements for each federal government institution. Because the main focus of the Canadian Social Research Links website is information about welfare and financial assistance from governments to individuals, I've presented (below) links to departmental reports only for Human Resources and Social Development Canada and the Department of Finance Canada, the two main federal departments in the social program field. And yes, I *know* that there are many more federal departments and agencies (like the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the Canada Revenue Agency and Status of Women Canada, to name but a few) that are involved in the social program field. The content below is presented as a sample only of the impressive amount of information that you can find for each federal institution in these performance reports.

Tabling of Canada's Performance 2006-2007
News Release
November 23, 2007
Ottawa - Pierre Poilievre, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Vic Toews, President of the Treasury Board, today tabled in the House of Commons Canada's Performance 2006-2007 on behalf of the Government of Canada.
- includes a backgrounder defining indicators and outcome areas (economic, social and international)

Complete report:

Canada's Performance:
The Government of Canada's Contribution
2006-07 Annual Report to Parliament of the
President of the Treasury Board of Canada
HTML version
PDF version (1MB, 92 pages)
This is the general report.

Departmental Performance Reports (DPRs) - Part III Estimates
List of Institutions
- links to individual DPRs for 90 departments, boards, agencies, commissssions, etc.

Select a federal institution from the above list to see detailed information about the programs it administers, and how well it is administering those programs. For example, Human Resources and Social Development Canada expenditures on programs and services in 2006-2007 exceeded $79 billion. Follow the (HTML or PDF) link below to see how they spent it.

2006-2007 Departmental Performance Report:
Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC)
HTML version
PDF version (3.3MB, 214 pages)
This document reports on the performance of Human Resources and Social Development Canada for the period from April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007. It reports on the Department's achievements related to the commitments set out in the 2006-2007 Report on Plans and Priorities. Section I provides a departmental overview, including a brief description of the socio-economic environment, and a summary of departmental performance. Section II includes detailed performance results information by strategic outcome. The financial tables and information concerning the specified purpose accounts are in Section III, and Section IV provides more details on programs supporting activities and the consolidated financial statements.

HRSDC: Details on Transfer Payment Programs
- includes (among others) :
* Canada Study Grant / Canada Access Grant * Canada Student Loans Program * Canada Education Savings Grant * Canada Learning Bond * Social Development Partnerships Program * Guaranteed Income Supplement * Labour Market Agreements for Persons with Disabilities * New Horizons for Seniors Program * Old Age Security * Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities * The Allowance * EarlyLearning and Child Care * Universal Child Care Benefit * National Homelessness Initiative

2006-2007 Departmental Performance Report:
Department of Finance Canada
HTML version
PDF version (726K, 182 pages)
"...provides an overview of the Department's strategic outcome, a listing of its ongoing priorities, and the associated financial resources for the 2006-07 fiscal year."

Departmenf of Finance Canada : Transfer Payment Programs
- the Department of Finance Canada departmental performance report is where you'll find information on (among other program areas) Fiscal Equalization (Part l, Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act), the Canada Health Transfer (Part V.1, Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act) and the Canada Social Transfer (Part V.1, Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act)

* Local Government (17)
* Military (117)
* National Symbols and Songs (17)
* News and Media (16)
* Politics (188)
* Public and Civil Service (36)
* Research Labs (6)
* Statistics (10)
* Student Government@
* Taxes (17)
* Web Directories (5)

The Gomery Inquiry

NOTE (October 8, 2008):
The Gomery links below are all redirecting visitors to a commercial site; the Gomery Inquiry links are dead.
Thanks, Open Government of Canada!

HOWEVER:

See the Internet Archive's latest version of the Gomery Inquiry pages:
http://tinyurl.com/yoezxb
Click the link and go to a cached version of the Gomery.ca website.
---
How does this Internet Archive work, you ask?
Find out more on the Reference Links page of this website
Go to the Internet Archive home page

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Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities:
Gomery Commission Phase I ("Who is Responsible?") Report
November 1, 2005
- includes links to : Summary - Fact Finding Report - Forensic Audit

Related Links:

Commission of Enquiry into
the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities
("The Gomery Inquiry")

Statement by the Right Honourable Paul Martin, Prime Minister of Canada
November 1, 2005

The Right Honourable Paul Martin, Prime Minister of Canada, Reacts to the Release of Justice Gomery's First Report
November 1, 2005

Google Web Search Results : "gomery report, sponsorship scandal"
Google News search Results : "gomery report, sponsorship scandal"
Source:
Google.ca

Related Links:

Justice John H. Gomery to Consult Canadians
Press Release
25 August 2005
"Ottawa: Mr. Justice John H. Gomery today officially launched the consultation part of his mandate. In Phase II: the Recommendations, Canadians are invited to share their views with the Commissioner through the Commission's website or through written submissions. (...) Those without website access can write to the Commission at: P.O. Box 1388, Station "B", Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5R4 or telephone (613) 992-1834. Any individual, group or organization, including any government organization, wishing to make a written submission is invited to do so by October 28, 2005."

Consultation Paper : Public Input
- not a paper as such, but rather a "short discussion of the issues and five consultation questions to encourage Canadians to voice their views on management and accountability in government programs."

Source:
Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities
- Justice John H. Gomery, Commissioner
"...the Commission has been given a double mandate. The first requires the Commission to investigate and report on questions raised by (...) the November 2003 Report of the Auditor General of Canada. The second mandate calls upon the Commission to make recommendations to the Government of Canada, based upon its factual findings, to prevent mismanagement of sponsorship programs and advertising activities in the future."
- incl. links to : Terms of Reference - Opening Statement - Rules of Procedure and Practice - Funding Guidelines - Tentative Schedule - Schedule of Standing Hearings - Parties and Intervenors - Schedule of Witnesses - Schedule of Oral Submissions - Transcripts - Applications - Rulings - Invitation for Public Input