Researching Ontario Government Policy
This guide outlines steps for researching provincial government policies and includes suggestions for finding government publications.This guide is divided into the following sections:
- Introduction
- Background Research
- Finding Books
- Finding Articles
- Finding Government Publications
- Using Parliamentary Publications
- Citing Government Publications
Help is available at the Scott Reference Desk.
1. Introduction
When researching government policy, it helps to understand the division of powers between the federal and provincial governments. These responsibilities were distributed by the Constitution Act, 1867. The Hon. Eugene Forsey explained the division of powers as follows:
The national Parliament has power “to make laws for the peace, order and good government of Canada,” except for “subjects assigned exclusively to the legislatures of the provinces.” The provincial legislatures have power over direct taxation in the province for provincial purposes, natural resources, prisons (except penitentiaries), charitable institutions, hospitals (except marine hospitals), municipal institutions, licences for provincial and municipal revenue purposes, local works and undertakings (with certain exceptions), incorporation of provincial companies, solemnization of marriage, property and civil rights in the province, the creation of courts and the administration of justice, fines and penalties for breaking provincial laws, matters of a merely local or private nature in the province, and education. (Source: How Canadians Govern Themselves, 4th Edition)
Both the federal and provincial governments have power over certain policy areas including immigration, natural resources, health, and agriculture. For an explanation of how powers are divided between the federal Parliament and the provincial legislatures, consult How Canadians Govern Themselves, 6th Edition.
Governments release policy information in a variety of publications including the Speech from the Throne, the Budget, departmental Business Plans, news releases, background papers, and reports from ministries. Often, legislation is required to enact a government’s policies. In these cases, a bill will be considered by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The publications of the Legislative Assembly, such as the Debates and committee reports, are a rich resource for policy information.
2. Background Research
Start your research by finding general information on your topic. You can consult the most recent edition of The Canadian Encyclopedia online. Print editions of the encyclopedia are also available in the reference collections of Scott, Frost, and Bronfman Libraries (FC 23 C36 1999).
The Ontario Legislative Library publishes research papers on selected policy issues. Search the Library Catalogue for these reports.
3. Finding Books
Search the Library Catalogue by Keyword to find books on your topic.
Finding too many books? Add the phrase government policy in the subject field. This should locate items about government policy.
Example:
For tips on finding books, consult the Library Research Roadmap.
4. Finding Articles
I. Popular Magazines and Newspapers
Articles from newspapers and popular magazines will help you find out what aspects of a policy were controversial and who opposed or supported the policy.
Newspaper and magazine articles can be found by searching the following databases:
CBCA Complete: Provides citations to Canadian publications including eight leading daily newspapers. Starting in 1997, selected articles are available full text.
Canadian Periodical Index: Contains abstracts of over 400 periodicals and selected fulltext articles from 150 of these titles. Coverage is from 1988 to the present, and fulltext coverage begins in January 1995.
Virtual News Library: A news service containing fulltext newspaper articles from across Canada including, Le Devoir, La Presse, and the Halifax Chronicle Herald. Coverage begins in 1980 and the database is updated daily.
Canadian Newsstand – Major Dailies: A searchable full-text database of major Canadian daily newspapers. Major titles include: Calgary Herald (1988-), Edmonton Journal (1989-), Halifax Daily News (1990-), Montreal Gazette (1985-), National Post (1998-), Ottawa Citizen (1985-), Toronto Star (1985-),Vancouver Sun (1987-). Select the Publications tab for a full listing. There may be a 2 – 7 day delay for the most recent issues
II. Scholarly Journals
Scholarly or academic articles are written for an audience of researchers and students by an expert on the topic. Articles published in scholarly journals usually have abstracts, or article summaries, as well as bibliographies. Articles from scholarly journals offer greater analysis and may have the historical perspective not found in popular works such as newspapers and general interest magazines.
Expanded Academic ASAP: An interdisciplinary index to almost 1600 scholarly and general interest periodicals.
PAIS: An international public affairs index to articles published from 1972 to the present.
For tips on finding articles, consult the Library Research Roadmap.
Search Tip: To access databases from the Library home page, type the name of the database into the Title Quick Search box.
5. Finding Government Publications
Government publications are official documents issued by a government or international governmental organization. There are a few places to look for government publications:
Search the Library Catalogue by Keyword to find government publications.
Search Tip: Limit your search results to government publications by using key terms from the department’s name in the author field.
Example:
II. Microlog: Canadian Research Index
Microlog is an index to Canadian federal, provincial, and municipal government publications published from 1982 to present. All of the government documents found in Microlog are available in microfiche in the Scott Microtext area (SCOTT-MICR). Always copy the year and Microlog Number of government documents you would like to consult. You will need this number to find the microfiche. The Library has many of these publications in print so check the Library Catalogue. Microlog also indexes theses which are not available in the microfiche collection. Search the Library Catalogue for theses and if they are not available at York you may choose to request an interlibrary loan.
III. Web Sites of Government Departments
Most provincial government departments have web sites that contain useful policy information. Publications available on departmental web sites include news releases, speeches by the Minister, annual reports or business plans, and recent policy documents. The Government of Ontario web site provides lists of links to both provincial Ministries and Agencies.
The following government documents may be helpful.
Speech from the Throne: The government’s major policy initiatives are announced in the Speech from the Throne. The Speech is prepared by the government and is delivered by the Lieutenant Governor at the opening of a session of the Legislature. The Speech from the Throne is found in the Debates of the Legislative Assembly; Throne Speeches from the current government can also be found on the web site of the Office of the Premier.
The Budget : The budget is presented annually to the Legislative Assembly by the Minister of Finance. The budget contains the government’s estimates on how much new and ongoing programs will cost and how they will be financed. Four days are allotted to debate the budget which may be scattered throughout a session. The Ontario Budgets are available on the Ministry of Finance web site from 1996 to present. Budget documents, starting in 1872, are available in Scott Government Reference (CAN6 ONT2 P2.6 B93, SC-GOV-REF).
Public Accounts: The Public Accounts are annual reports on the financial transactions of the government and contain detailed information on government spending. The Public Accounts are available on the Ministry of Finance web site from 1995 to present. The Public Accounts, from 1869 to 1999-2000, are available in Scott Government Reference (CAN6 ONT2 P2.65 P92, SC-GOV-REF).
Annual Reports: Each Ontario government Ministry publishes an annual report. Since 1997, these reports have been more commonly called Results-Based Plans or Business Plans. The Plans typically describe the Ministry’s core businesses, goals, and strategies for the coming year; they also establish performance measures for each Ministry. The Results-Based Plans are available on the Ministry of Finance web site from 1997 onwards. The Plans are also available in Scott Government Reference (CAN6 ONT1 M2.7 D66, SC-GOV-REF).
IV. Government Information on the Internet
The Library’s Government Information on the Internet web page is an extensive list of Internet links for Canadian federal and provincial governments as well as the United States and international governmental organizations.
6. Using Parliamentary Publications
Parliamentary Publications are those government documents which come from the legislative body of government, the Ontario Legislative Assembly. While Parliamentary Publications are sometimes complicated to use, the process is much easier if you have done adequate background research. It often helps if you have chosen a specific bill or issue on which to focus and you know when it was considered.
By using Parliamentary Publications, you are trying to uncover what legislators were thinking when they adopted specific policies and laws. This is sometimes called legislative intent. Using Parliamentary Publications also allows you to uncover the views of the Opposition. It is important to understand the legislative process when using these publications.
For a description of the types of the Parliamentary Publications available at York, consult Finding and Using Canadian Parliamentary Information.
Key Parliamentary Publications:
Bills and Status of Legislation:
Bills and Status of Legislation records how far a bill progressed in the Legislative Assembly. It identifies when a bill was debated, which committee examined it, and whether it passed all stages of the legislative process and received Royal Assent. Links to and information on Bills introduced from 1995 onwards are available in the Bills & Lawmaking section of the Legislative Assembly web site. Print copies of Bills from the current Parliament are available in Scott Government Reference (CAN6 ONT2 P2.15 B55, SC-GOV-REF). Bills from earlier Parliaments are available at the Law Library.
Debates, also called Hansard, are the official verbatim record of the speeches, questions, and answers delivered in the Legislative Assembly. Links to current and archived Debates of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1982 onwards are available in the Debates & Proceedings section of the Legislative Assembly web site. Print copies of these and earlier Debates are available in Scott Government Reference (CAN 6 Ont 2 P2.5 D42, SC-GOV-REF).
Indexes to Debates:
An Index to the Debates is published for each session of the Legislative Assembly. These indexes allow you to determine when a particular bill or issue was debated in the legislature. The print Indexes to Debates are available in Scott Government Reference (CAN 6 Ont 2 P2.5 D42, SC-GOV-REF). The House Hansard Search feature found on the Legislative Assembly web site will allow you to search the Debates from 1987 onwards.
Committee Proceedings: The Legislative Assembly refers Bills and other matters for closer examination to committees. Each committee is comprised of members of the major political parties. There are three types of committees: Standing Committees, Select Committees, and Committees of the Whole. Standing Committees exist for the duration of a parliamentary session and examine bills and the activities of government departments. A Select Committee is set up to study specific bills or issues and is dissolved after its final report is completed. The Committee of the Whole consists of all members of the Legislative Assembly with the Deputy Speaker acting as the Committee Chair. Links to current and archived Committee Proceedings are available in the Committees section of the Legislative Assembly web site. You can also search the Library Catalogue for the print holdings available in Scott Government Reference.
7. Citing Government Publications
Please consult the guide Citing Canadian Government Documents for the proper format of footnotes and bibliographies.
Guides for citing books and articles are available on the Style Guides page.
Created by W. Hubley, January 2001
Updated by T. Bristow, December 17, 2009
