Orders in Council Glossary
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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.
Blue-stamp - The name given 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 Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement (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 (http://www.fin.gc.ca/fin-eng.html) the Privy Council Office and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
(http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/index_e.asp.) 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?
Executive arm of government - see Cabinet.
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), its existence value (simply being there), and its 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 (General) in Council (GIC) - The Governor General of Canada acting by and with the advice and consent of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada (i.e., Cabinet).
Instrument of Advice - A letter from the Prime Minister to the Governor General recommending certain actions (e.g., cabinet shuffles, prorogation of Parliament).
Legislation - Written laws (Acts) made by Parliament or a provincial legislature 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) - A legal instrument made by the Governor in Council pursuant to a statutory authority or, less frequently, the royal prerogative. All orders in council are made on the recommendation of the responsible Minister of the Crown and take legal effect only when signed by the Governor General.
Parliament
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The legislative branch of government composed of the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General), the Senate and the House of Commons.
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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 Statutory Orders and Regulations (SOR) number to indicate that it is a regulation. More broadly, a regulation may refer to any 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 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 regulation, order, commission or other instrument authorized by an Act of Parliament.
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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