Regulatory Reform In Canada

From the Introduction: This study examines the nature of and prospects for regulatory reform in Canada. In particular, we are concerned with the elimination of liberalization of direct regulation in such industries as telecommunications, airlines, trucking, and agriculture ... In focusing our attention on the prospects for reforming direct regulation in Canada, we do not wish to slight the potential value of reforming the regulatory process. But most procedural reforms focus on the margin or flow of new regulation while deregulation proper is aimed at reducing the enourmous stock already in existence ... Within the field of direct regulation we have further narrowed our analysis to the role of the federal government as regulator.

InContinentalizing Canadian TelecommunicationsVanda Rideout examines active political resistance to the radical, neo-liberal transformation of Canadian telecommunications that has been orchestrated by the federal government, big business, and their powerful lobbyists over the last two decades. Rideout focuses on the protection of the public interest, a crucial element neglected by most recent studies, and shows that although alliances have been formed between labour, consumers, and public interest activists, significant disagreements over issues such as free trade, long distance and local competition, and a targeted subsidy program for very low-income Canadians have meant that this united front has not been able to counter the forces of the new neo-liberal telecommunication policy regime.Continentalizing Canadian Telecommunicationsdetails the complex relationships between the various corporate and government interests, shows how the changes they brought about have locked Canada's telecommunications system into the orbit of the US system, and discusses the implications this has for Canadians.

OECD's review of regulatory reform in Canada.

Canada, one of the OECD’s strongest economies, has a mature, effective and innovative system of regulatory governance closely linked to the government’s public policy goals. Canadians attach growing priority to health, safety and the environment, and seek a balance among economic, competitiveness and social goals. This is a demanding agenda: in international trade – a major driver of the economy – Canada needs to maintain a careful balance between bilateral and multilateral liberalisation efforts. Further work is needed to improve the effectiveness of the single internal market. Competition policy needs to make a much stronger contribution to regulatory reform and market openness. Despite a positive policy shift, some important sectors are protected through import and foreign ownership restrictions. The recently launched government’s Innovation Strategy is expected to make a major contribution to address these challenges. Canada is one of many OECD countries to request a broad review by the OECD of its regulatory practices and reforms. This review presents an overall picture, set within a macro-economic context, of regulatory achievements and challenges including the quality of the public sector, competition policy and market openness. It also assesses progress in the telecommunications sector. The background material used to prepare this report is available at: www.oecd.org/regreform/backgroundreports In the same series: Regulatory Reform in the Czech Republic Regulatory Reform in Denmark Regulatory Reform in Greece Regulatory Reform in Hungary Regulatory Reform in Ireland Regulatory Reform in Italy Regulatory Reform in Japan Regulatory Reform in Korea Regulatory Reform in Mexico Regulatory Reform in the Netherlands Regulatory Reform in Poland Regulatory Reform in Spain Regulatory Reform in Turkey Regulatory Reform in the United Kingdom Regulatory Reform in the United States The policy starting point for these reviews is presented in the OECD Report on Regulatory Reform: Synthesis, and the supporting two-volume OECD Report on Regulatory Reform: Sectoral and Thematic Studies, published in 1997.

This book examines the causes and effects of various changes in Canadian regulatory institutions and regimes, and assesses possible future patterns of choice and change. Concerned primarily with the politics of Canadian regulatory institutions, the focus of this collection is on the federal government but reference is made to broad federal - provincial developments as well. It also links changes in Canada to international regulation and to comparative change in other countries and jurisdictions, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. Book jacket.

Economic policy regulations, Canada - transport, telecommunications, agricultural sector, environmental protection, occupational health and occupational safety, employment, agricultural marketing, fisherys, etc. Recommendations. Graphs and references.