Canadian Politics on the Web

Here you will find annotated links to literally hundreds of sites on the Internet that can help you with your research on Canadian politics and government. Many connections are provided to full-text documents as well as to useful graphs and maps. Have a browse and see what resources are available.

To help you find the information you need, the material has been organized into the following categories:

Facts - provides useful basic facts about Canada's economy, geography, history, and population. Links to maps of Canada are included, too.

The Constitution - allows you to examine the full-text of Canada's constitutional documents and learn about the amending procedures.

The Executive - covers all major elements of the executive branch of government. Learn about the role of Monarchy, the Governor General, and Lieutenant Governors. Find out more about the Prime Minister and the way Cabinet works. Connect to provincial and territorial governments to find out about they are organized. Look up the budget details of federal and provincial governments.

The Legislatures - provides links to just about all you need to know about Parliament in Ottawa as well as provincial and territorial legislatures. Stay informed about political developments by reading the on-line debates in the legislatures. Follow the work of the committees that do most of the detailed studies of public policy. Read the actual text of the Bills being considered in many of the legislatures.

The Legal System - includes a comprehensive range of issues in the legal system, from the full text of the laws available on-line, to the courts and police and that enforce them. Read the complete decisions handed down by the Supreme Court of Canada, and by several other courts, on the day the judges deliver their judgments! Connect to a number of police departments and to some police commissions overseeing their work. Learn more about national security issues and the law that deals with any substantial emergencies in Canada.

Civil Rights - reviews the increasing legal protection given to civil rights in Canada. Read key rights documents, such as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Bill of Rights. Access all Supreme Court of Canada decisions on the Charter from 1983 to present. Connect to a wide range of organizations concerned with civil and human rights issues.

Political Parties - links to all major and numerous minor federal parties, with direct links to their leaders and major policy platforms. Connections to the major provincial parties and to opinion polls with party standings are also included.

Elections - provides access to the results of many federal and provincial elections. You will also find links to organizations that advocate major reforms to the electoral system.

Interest Groups - examples of interest groups and social movements that are trying to advance their causes in the political arena.

Women in Politics - find out about the women who have been elected to Parliament; read a survey of Canada's female politicians to better appreciate their experiences. Links are provided to a range of resources designed for women politicians on the Internet.

Aboriginal Issues - learn more about the treaties and laws governing Canada's Aboriginal population. Several models of self-government are provided. Follow links to Aboriginal organizations and government as well as to federal and provincial affairs departments.

Federalism - offers a range of material on the federal-provincial division of powers, intergovernmental relations, and fiscal federalism.

Quebec & National Unity - covers a range of issues and points of view on the drive for independence in Quebec. Connect to a range of sites related to national unity issues.

Canadian Foreign Policy and National Defence - learn more about Canada's international relations and issues relating to national defence. Read the full text of various government reports on Canada's foreign and defence policies, as well as the Somalia Inquiry's Report.