Annual Report to Parliament for the 2017 to 2018 Fiscal Year: Federal Regulatory Management Initiatives
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You can use it for research or reference. Consult our Cabinet Directive on Regulations: Policies, guidance and tools web page for the policy instruments and guidance in effect.
December 2018
This is the second annual report to Parliament on federal regulatory management initiatives. This report is part of regular monitoring of certain aspects of Canada’s regulatory system.
This year’s report has four main sections:
- section 1 describes the benefits and costs of regulations that were made by the Governor in Council (GIC) and that have a significant[1] impact
- section 2 reports on the implementation of the one-for-one rule, fulfilling the Red Tape Reduction Act reporting requirement
- section 3 sets out the Administrative Burden Baseline for 2017 and for previous years, providing a count of administrative requirements in federal regulations
- section 4 describes the new Cabinet Directive on Regulation, which replaced the Cabinet Directive on Regulatory Management on September 1, 2018 , as well as associated improvements to the federal regulatory process
The regulations reported on in this document were published in the Canada Gazette, Part II, between April 1, 2017, and March 31, 2018. As such, they fall under the former Cabinet Directive on Regulatory Management.
Message from the President
This second annual report to Parliament on federal regulatory management initiatives marks an important milestone in the government’s march to regulatory modernization.
The Government of Canada is committed to openness and transparency, including informing Parliament and Canadians about the management of federal regulations. This report provides important information about the costs and benefits of significant regulations, as well as the implementation of the one-for-one rule, just one key element in a suite of continuing and new measures to limit the administrative burden on businesses that deal with the federal government. It also includes information about the Administrative Burden Baseline count, a measure of the number of administrative requirements in federal regulations.
While Canada’s regulatory system is internationally recognized as world-class by bodies such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, we must continue to keep pace with emerging economic opportunities and evolving challenges. For this reason, we are taking steps to make the system more agile, transparent and responsive, which will have a positive impact on business growth and the lives of all Canadians.
On September 1, 2018, the government’s Cabinet Directive on Regulation came into effect. It provides a strong foundation for the ongoing modernization of our regulatory system. The directive emphasizes that regulations should support and promote entrepreneurship, innovation that benefits people and businesses, and economic growth that includes as many Canadians as possible. The directive is also supported by a series of new policies, including the first-ever Government of Canada Policy on Cost-Benefit Analysis.
In addition, the 2018 Fall Economic Statement announced a number of measures aimed at revitalizing our regulatory system to improve business innovation and economic growth, while safeguarding our citizens and natural resources.
I invite you to read this report to see how the government is continuing its work to create effective, agile and efficient regulations that protect our environment and the health, safety and security of Canadians.
Original signed by:
The Honourable Scott Brison
President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government
- ↑ Throughout this report, the term "significant," when describing a proposal or regulation, denotes a GIC regulation that has a medium to high impact, that is, greater than $1 million in total national costs per year.