How Ottawa Spends, 2007-2008

Book excerpt: In the twenty-eighth edition of How Ottawa Spends leading Canadian scholars examine the Harper government agenda in the context of Stéphane Dion's election as Liberal opposition leader and the emergence of climate change as a dominant political and policy issue. This volume focuses on Quebec-Canada relations and federal-provincial fiscal imbalance. Contributors explore several key policy and expenditure issues, including Canada-U.S. relations, the Federal Accountability Act, energy policy, health care, child care, crime and punishment, consumer policy, and public service labour relations. They also offer a critical analysis of the challenges to overall governance, including ministerial responsibility, public-private partnerships, and the handling of long-term spending commitments inherited by succeeding governments. Contributors include Timothy Barkiw (Toronto Metropolitan University), Gerard Boychuk (Waterloo), Keith Brownsey (Mount Royal College, Calgary), Peter Graefe (McMaster), Geoffrey Hale (Lethbridge), Carey Hill (Western Ontario), Ruth Hubbard (Ottawa), Derek Ireland (PhD student, Carleton), Rachel Laforest (Queen's), Ian Lee (Carleton), Trevor Lynn (Saskatchewan), Jonathan Malloy (Carleton), Scott Millar (Government of Canada), Gilles Paquet (emeritus, Ottawa), Michael Prince (Victoria), Christopher Stoney (Carleton), Gene Swimmer (Carleton), Katherine Teghtsoonian (Victoria), Andrew Teliszewsky (Ontario Minister of Health Promotion), Lori Turnbull (Dalhousie), and Kernaghan Webb (Toronto Metropolitan University).