Ministry Working Group on Environmental Scanning

Budget 2004 announced the government's intention to reorganize and bolster the internal audit function on a government-wide basis to ensure comprehensive audit programs, based on sound risk analysis of all departmental activities, with authority to delve into every corner of every portfolio.

(Return tabled) Question No. 334 Hon. Irwin Cotler: With regard to bijuralism and harmonization: (a) what measures are in place to ensure legislative bijuralism across all departments; (b) since the adoption of the “Policy on Legislative Bijuralism”, how has the Department of Justice (i) ensured that all legal counsel in the Department are made aware of the requirements of legislative bijuralism in order for them to be able to take it into account when advising client departments on legislative reforms, (ii) enhanced the capacity of the Legislative Services Branch to draft bijural legislative texts, (iii) undertook, in drafting both versions of every bill and proposed regulation that touches on provincial or territorial private law, to tak ...[+++]e care to reflect the terminology, concepts, notions and institutions of both of Canada’s private law systems; (c) since the adoption of the “Policy for Applying the Civil Code of Quebec to Federal Government Activities”, what measures are in place to ensure (i) changes to Quebec’s Civil Code are known and monitored by the government, (ii) assessment of federal legislation relative to changes to Quebec’s Civil Code, (iii) federal legislation is introduced to reflect, where necessary, changes to the Civil Code of Quebec; (d) with respect to the “Index of Bijuralism and Harmonization Caselaw” found online and indicating its most recent update was June 12, 2012, (i) how often is this page updated, (ii) given that some cases thereupon are from 2013, when was this page last updated, (iii) whose responsibility is it to update this page, (iv) what cases are currently being monitored for potential addition to this page; (e) with respect to cases involving bijuralism and harmonization, (i) in what ways are these made known to the Department, (ii) whose responsibility it is to monitor these cases, (iii), what role does the Federal government play in these cases if a party, (iv) what role does the government play if not a party, (v) who m ...

Such efforts include: departmental statements on gender based analysis; integration of gender based analysis in strategic and operational plans; and establishment of departmental focal points or networks of gender specialists.

The main roles of PCO are to provide professional, non-partisan advice to the Prime Minister and other ministers in the Prime Minister's portfolio and to cabinet on questions of national, intergovernmental, and international importance; to manage the cabinet's decision-making system by challenging and coordinating departmental policy, conducting analysis, and providing secretariat services to the cabinet and cabinet committees; to provide advice on the appropriate struct ...[+++]ure and organization of the government and its entities; to advance the development of the government's agenda across federal departments and agencies and with external stakeholders; to help foster a high performing and accountable public service for the 21st century; to manage the appointment process for senior positions in federal departments and crown corporations and agencies; and finally, to provide administrative support to the Prime Minister's Office, ministers' offices within the Prime Minister's portfolio, commissions of inquiry, task forces, and other independent bodies considering matters associated with good governance in Canada.