Research publications

Governments finance the goods and services that they provide in various ways, including through taxing, investing and borrowing activities. The first of these activities – taxation – can take several forms. In Canada, sources of funds that help to finance federal initiatives include personal income taxes, corporate income taxes, consumption taxes and social security contributions. This HillNote provides information about the revenue, rates and rationale relating to federal personal income taxes in Canada. Other HillNotes discuss corporate income taxes, consumption taxes and social security contributions.

Governments finance the goods and services that they provide in various ways, including through taxing, investing and borrowing activities. The first of these activities – taxation – can take several forms. In Canada, sources of funds that help to finance federal initiatives include social security contributions, personal income taxes, corporate income taxes and consumption taxes. With a specific focus on contributions to the Canada Pension Plan/Quebec Pension Plan (CPP/QPP) and Employment Insurance (EI) premiums, this HillNote provides information about the revenue, rates and rationale relating to such contributions and premiums. Other Hill Notes discuss federal personal income taxes, corporate income taxes and consumption taxes.

Governments finance the goods and services that they provide in various ways, including through taxing, investing and borrowing activities. The first of these activities – taxation – can take several forms. In Canada, sources of funds that help to finance federal initiatives include corporate income taxes, personal income taxes, consumption taxes and social security contributions. This HillNote provides information about the revenue, rates and rationale relating to federal corporate income taxes in Canada. Other HillNotes discuss personal income taxes, consumption taxes and social security contributions.

Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa was the largest in history, resulting in more cases and deaths than all other Ebola outbreaks combined. The virus infected 28,610 people, primarily in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, leading to 11,308 deaths. Since then, several new Ebola outbreaks have occurred, including one in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) between 2018 and 2020. That outbreak, the second largest ever, resulted in 3,481 cases and 2,299 deaths. The West African outbreak led to renewed urgency to approve and deploy an Ebola vaccine. It also highlighted the need for more effective public health measures to contain cross-border infection. However, despite several expert reports produced following the outbreak, the implementation of key reforms to the global health architecture has been inconsistent, which may have affected preparedness for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Governments finance the goods and services that they provide in various ways, including through taxing, investing and borrowing activities. The first of these activities – taxation – can take several forms. In Canada, sources of funds that help to finance federal initiatives include consumption taxes, personal income taxes, corporate income taxes and social security contributions. This HillNote provides information about the revenue, rates and rationale relating to federal consumption taxes in Canada. Other Hill Notes discuss personal income taxes, corporate income taxes and social security contributions.

On 15 August 2021, the Taliban entered Kabul largely unopposed, marking the end of a two-decade-long conflict and the internationally recognized government of Afghanistan. Concerns were immediately raised about how the Taliban would rule, throwing into doubt the continued flow of international assistance on which the country has depended. In the wake of the Taliban’s return to power, observers have warned that Afghanistan is facing a humanitarian crisis, alongside economic and financial instability. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimates that one possible future Afghanistan faces is “near universal poverty.” It is in this new, uncertain landscape that Canada and its allies must determine what their level of engagement will be with Afghanistan’s new rulers and how they can support Afghans in need.

One hundred years ago, on 6 December 1921, Agnes Campbell Macphail became the first woman elected to the House of Commons and the first woman parliamentarian in the Parliament of Canada. This HillNote provides an overview of selected notable firsts for women in the Parliament of Canada. It also discusses the results of the 44th federal general election, held on 20 September 2021, in the context of women’s representation and the representation of certain other groups in the House of Commons. Finally, the importance of the availability of data on the diversity of candidates in federal electoral politics in Canada and its related challenges are discussed.

Broadband Internet access supports Indigenous self-determination by enabling communities to address priorities, improving access to programs and services, supporting economic participation and contributing to the revitalization of Indigenous languages and cultures. However, many Indigenous communities do not have access to reliable, affordable broadband Internet. Indigenous organizations, such as the Assembly of First Nations and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, have highlighted the importance of broadband Internet access in Indigenous communities for several years. This HillNote provides information on the availability of broadband Internet and its importance for Indigenous communities.

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has a range of domestic and international roles and obligations. In the future, the CAF is expected to continue to face trade-offs in fulfilling its commitments as the number of natural disasters in Canada is predicted to grow and the international security environment remains uncertain. This HillNote discusses domestic deployments of the CAF across the country in response to natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic. It also identifies implications for recruitment, composition and training, as well as international operations.

In an era of rapid technological advances in which giant social media corporations have access to the data of millions of users and data breaches occur frequently, privacy has become a topic of much discussion and interest. How can privacy be protected? What principles should organizations follow to protect personal information when developing new digital services and tools? At what point should privacy become a consideration in the lifecycle of a service or product? One framework, called Privacy by Design (PbD), is widely recognized as an effective means to protect the privacy of individuals. This HillNote examines PbD’s originand purpose and how it has been recognized at the national and international levels.