Charting federal and provincial government

1
Charting federal and provincial government
2
The Federal Overview
3
Provincial Executive
4
The Cabinet

• Has authority to
• Propose new laws
• Introduce government bills into the legislature
• Approve major policy and spending decisions for
  all government bodies
• Develop and propose the budget
• Approve appointments to Crown corporations,
  agencies, boards and commissions

5
The Prime Minister/Premier

• Responsible for
• appointing and leading the cabinet
• changing machinery of government
• changes in government, new policies,
• final funding allocations for new initiatives

6
The PM/Premiers Advisors

• Political staff (PMO/Premiers Office)
• chief of staff, policy advisors, regional
  advisors, press secretary, etc.
• Privy Council Office/Cabinet Office
• Led by the Clerk of the Privy Council/Secretary
  of Cabinet
• Provides non-partisan advice to PM
• Oversees cabinet agenda
• Provides strategic direction and coordination to
  all government departments

7
Government ministries

• Political lead the Minister
• chosen by PM/Premier, usually non-experts
• advised by political staff Executive Assistant
  or Chief of Staff policy advisors legislative
  assistant

8
Government ministries

• Civil service lead Deputy Minister
• Reports to Minister and Clerk of the PCO/Cabinet
  Secretary
• Appointed by PM/Premier
• Co-ordinates and manages all departments or
  divisions
• Conduit for information from civil services to
  the Minister
• Politically neutral, but politically sensitive

9
Government ministries
10
The sovereign and senate
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Who owns your issue? some examples
Education Social assistance Public transit
Health care Environment Housing Immigration Agricu
lture Law enforcement PSE Arts and culture
Defense International Trade Border
security Foreign policy Employment insurance
12
Constitutional division of powers

• Federal government is responsible for
• Peace, order and good government
• Matters of general interest that affect
  countrys well-being
• Everything not delegated to provinces
• Spending power to make payments to individuals,
  institutions or other governments where
  Parliament may not have power to regulate

13
Constitutional division of powers

• Provinces are responsible for
• Matters of particular local interest (education,
  hospitals, etc.)
• Municipalities are creatures of province, and
  restricted to authorities delegated by their
  provincial government

14
Division of powers complicated by

• Federal spending powers
• Complexity of issues/changing roles
• Shared interest of all levels of government
• History of intergovernmental relations and
  overlap/competition amongst governments

15
Is your issue on the radar?

• Throne speech and budget
• Party commitments (including opposition parties)
• Press releases/announcements
• Departmental annual reports
• Government websites Hansard, committee
  submissions, research, organizational charts and
  staff lists

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What changes do you want?
New agenda item
New funding
Legislative change
Regulatory change
Program design changes
Funding allocation
Politicians
Civil service
17
What influences change?
Parliamentary/Legislative Committees
First Minister Cabinet
Parliamentary Secretaries
Political Assistants
Caucus Committees
Munic/Provs/ Territories
POLICY
Coalitions, Advocacy Groups, NGOs
MP/ MPPs/ Sena-tors
Senior Officials (i.e. Clerk/Secretary, Deputy
Ministers, ADMs)
Public Opinion Firms /Think Tanks
Media
Mid-level Officials (i.e. directors, policy
analysts, researchers)
18
Political strategies

• MP/MPP -- makes statement, makes motion,
  introduces petition, asks question
• Caucus committee meeting
• Meeting with local MP/MPP
• Letter-writing campaigns
• Public awareness campaigns
• Influencing party platforms research, media,
  think tanks, key constituencies, alliances
• Election process

19
Policy development strategies

• Formal government consultations
• Submissions to Parliamentary Committees
• Meetings with the Minister/Ministers Office
• Pilot projects
• Independent research
• Formal/informal meetings with Ministry policy
  staff
• Engage with the public service and becoming a
  trusted source of advice

20
Where is your issue in the policy development
process?
21
The budget cycle
22
The budget
23
The world outside

• Fiscal environment
• Caucus and constituency concerns
• Opposition party pressure
• Priorities and actions of other levels of
  government
• Events and media coverage
• Public opinion/polling
• Success stories in other jurisdictions/sectors
• Research/discoveries
• Advocacy individual champions and organizations
• YOU!

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The questions

• Who owns your issue within government?
• What are the key intervention points for the
  changes you want to make?

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Nifty Links

• Federal Government
• Members of Cabinet, parliamentary secretaries and
  opposition critics
• Organized by areas of responsibility not
  portfolio name (e.g. 2010 Olympics, Employment
  Insurance)
• http//www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/House
  OfCommons/MinistryMembers.aspx
• Search Debates, Journals and Committee Evidence
• Allows you to search House of Commons debates (as
  recorded in Hansard), Journals, and Committee
  Evidence.
• http//www2.parl.gc.ca/housechamberbusiness/Chambe
  rPublicationIndexSearch.aspx?ViewHarpiD1arpiJ
  0LanguageEMode1Parl40Ses2
• Legislation
• Allows you to search for legislation,
  accompanying speeches and press releases (no
  subject index search by Bill No. or Title
• http//www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/LEGISINFO/index.a
  sp?LanguageE
• Bills
• Allows you to search current bills, read text,
  learn status.
• http//www.parl.gc.ca/common/bills.asp?LanguageE
  Parl40Ses2
• House of Commons Committees
• Allows you to search committee membership,
  reports, evidence, guidelines for preparing a
  submission to a House of Commons Committee.
• http//www2.parl.gc.ca/CommitteeBusiness/Default.a
  spx?Parl40Ses2LanguageEMode1
• Library of Parliament Research Publications
• Research reports commissioned by MPs and
  Senators, sorted by subject. RSS feed.
• http//www.parl.gc.ca/common/library_prb.asp?Langu
  ageE

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• Provincial links
• Annual reports
• Includes reports on performance of each ministry.
  
• http//www.fin.gov.on.ca/english/about/rbplanning/
  
• 2009 Ontario budget
• http//www.fin.gov.on.ca/english/budget/ontariobud
  gets/2009/
• Info-GO public service contact info
• Search all government staff. Browse by ministry
  shows reporting structure and staffing of each
  department
• http//www.infogo.gov.on.ca/infogo/mainPage.do
• E-laws
• Read or download all legislation and associated
  regulations. Search or browse by name of statute.
  
• http//www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/
• Government of Ontario Websites
• Includes alphabetical links to Ontario
  ministries, agencies, boards and commissions
• http//www.ontario.ca/en/your_government/list/ONT0
  3_020924
• Hansard search
• Allows you to search debates in the legislature
  by topic
• http//www.ontla.on.ca/web/house-proceedings/house
  _current.do
•