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These definitions are not to be considered official in any regard. They are
provided solely for the purpose of facilitating users' understanding of site
contents.
Act - A law made by Parliament or a
provincial legislature. The process of making an Act of Parliament begins with
the introduction of a proposed Act, or bill, in one of the two houses of
Parliament (the Senate or the House of Commons). A bill becomes an Act if it is
passed (approved) by both houses and receives royal assent.
Benefits - The positive implications, both direct and indirect,
resulting from some action. Includes both financial and non-financial
information. Characterization of benefits, and costs, can vary depending on
one's viewpoint or agenda. For example, is "jobs created" a measure of
benefits or costs, and for whom?
Bill - A proposed law submitted to Parliament for its approval. It may
originate either with the Government, with a private Member or from a Committee,
and may relate either to public or private interests. Bills may be first
introduced in either the Senate or the House of Commons, but money bills must be
introduced in the House of Commons by a Minister.
Business Impact Test (BIT) - A software tool designed to assist
government analysts in understanding and evaluating the impacts of proposed
regulatory measures on business and their cost effectiveness. For more on
the BIT, please see Industry Canada.
Blue-Stamp - The name given the to the stamp placed on draft
regulations by the Regulations Section of the Department of Justice. The stamp
signifies that the draft regulations have passed a legal review for consistency
with the statute and that the RIAS accurately reflects the effect of the
regulations.
Cabinet - The executive arm of government. Cabinet Ministers are
chosen by the Prime Minister.
Central Agencies - The Department
of Finance, The Privy Council
Office and the Treasury Board
of Canada Secretariat. These three organizations work together to
support Cabinet decision-making and coordinate government initiatives.
Cost-Benefit Analysis - An approach whereby one seeks to identify and
quantify the benefits and the costs imposed by some change (regulatory or
otherwise). While the idea is simple, the analysis can be quite complex.
For example, the costs associated with automobile emissions controls are
relatively simple to quantify when compared with the benefits. Quantifying the
benefits would mean translating reduced pollution to the "value" of
avoided illness, death and wildlife destruction, to name a few.
Costs - Negative implications of some change or action. They can be
financial or non-financial. For example, the cost of cutting down a forest
includes the cost of machinery and labour to do the work; the cost of the loss
of biodiversity; the cost of the loss of wild habitat; the cost of lost carbon
fixing potential; etc. Characterization of costs, and benefits, can vary
depending on one's viewpoint or agenda. For example, is "jobs created"
a measure of benefits or costs, and for whom?
Existence Value - A concept used to refer to the intrinsic value of
some asset, normally natural/environmental. It is the value of the
benefits derived from the asset's existence alone. For example, a tree can be
valued in a number of ways, including its use value (as lumber), an existence
value (simply being there), and an option value (value of things that it could
be used for). Existence value is separate from the value accruing from any use
or potential use of the asset.
Governor in Council (GIC) - The Governor General of Canada
acting on the advice of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada (i.e., Cabinet)
Legislation - Written laws made by Parliament or a provincial
legislature (Acts) or by a person or body that has law-making authority, usually
delegated by Parliament or a legislature and exercised by making regulations or
other delegated legislation.
Net Impact - The difference between the benefits and the costs of an
action. Can be expressed through a common measure such as dollars (often
difficult) or through a description of physical effects.
Order in Council (OIC) - An instrument that serves notice of decision
taken by the executive arm of government. For example, an Order in Council
accompanies all regulations. The OIC says "we've decided to put these regs
into force" and presents the regs.
Parliament
- The legislative branch of Government, composed of the Sovereign
(represented by the Governor General), the Senate and the House of
Commons.
- The period under which the Parliament of Canada exercises its powers.
The Constitution says that a Parliament cannot exist for more than five
years.
Regulation - A law made by a person or body
that has been granted (delegated) law-making authority. Used both to
indicate a specific type of delegated legislation as well as to refer
generically to all forms of delegated legislation. For the purposes of the
Regulatory Policy, we rely on the Department of Justice's determination that an
item will receive an SOR number to indicate that it is a regulation. More
broadly, regulation may refer to all government intervention in the lives of
citizens.
Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement (RIAS) - A statement to the
public, and to Cabinet, that justifies regulatory action by demonstrating that
the requirements of the Regulatory Policy have been met.
Royal Assent - The approval, by a representative of the Crown, of a
bill passed by the House and the Senate, making it into an Act of Parliament.
Royal Assent is accorded in the Senate Chamber, usually by a deputy of the
Governor General in the presence of Members of the House and Senate.
Statute - Another word for an Act of Parliament or some other
legislature.
Statutory Instrument - A document used to exercise a power expressly
granted (delegated) by legislation.
Treasury Board (TB) - Cabinet Committee that manages the
government's financial, personnel and administrative responsibilities, as well as
approving regulations and most Orders in Council requiring Governor in Council
approval.
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