Research publications

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) conflict over almost 20 years was unprecedented for the Alliance in terms of both its origin and its scope. Following the unexpectedly swift collapse of the Afghan government and military in August 2021, NATO foreign ministers pledged to “fully reflect on our engagement in Afghanistan and draw the necessary lessons.” These lessons are relevant to Canada, not least because Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan was its largest military deployment since the Second World War and saw its highest fatalities since the Korean War. It also involved significant integration with the other aspects of Canada’s international policy, including diplomacy and development. Moreover, the Alliance’s reflection on how it will consider and implement future activities beyond its immediate area of responsibility will be important given the priority Canada places on an effective and credible NATO.

Since 1982, when the United States first considered trade measures against Canadian softwood lumber products, there have been bilateral softwood lumber disputes “Softwood Lumber I” through “Softwood Lumber V”. For decades, the United States has applied anti-dumping duties (ADs) and countervailing duties (CVDs) on certain Canadian softwood lumber products, and Canada has taken actions at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and under both the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). This HillNote briefly describes Softwood Lumber I through Softwood Lumber IV. It then examines Softwood Lumber V and outlines the Government of Canada’s actions to date. Because trade disputes are among the factors that can affect firms, workers and communities, the HillNote also highlights the Canadian forest sector’s contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) and exports, as well as to some of the country’s communities and employment levels.

Today, as attitudes toward different cultures and conceptions of race evolve, so too do the terms used to describe various population groups in Canada. Knowing which terms to use and to whom they apply can often be challenging. Using appropriate language, however, is fundamental to ensuring respectful and positive relationships and to avoiding terms that may be discriminatory or offensive. When possible, the best course of action is to ask a person how they prefer to be identified. This HillNote provides suggestions for navigating some of the complexities related to terminology on race and ethnicity, although it is important to note that the language surrounding this issue changes quickly and varies among countries.

Launched in 2016, the Investing in Canada Plan is a long-term federal infrastructure plan involving the investment of $188 billion over 12 years. Of this total, $96 billion is new funding, and $92 billion is from existing infrastructure programs. Although the programs are administered by more than 20 federal departments and agencies, Infrastructure Canada is responsible for coordinating the Investing in Canada Plan and for reporting on its results.

As the main greenhouse gas emitted due to human activities, carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the primary contributors to climate change. Capturing some of this gas and keeping it out of the atmosphere is one approach that can help achieve lower global emissions. The natural world is responsible for most of this carbon capture, absorbing and storing CO2 in forests and wetlands, in the soil and in the ocean. In many cases, humans can help manage these natural processes. However, increasingly, societies are seeking to capture carbon using a new set of tools, collectively known as CCUS.

On 14 February 2022, in response to the ongoing blockades and protests taking place in Ottawa and at some border crossings, the Prime Minister that the Governor in Council had invoked the Emergencies Act, giving the federal government certain temporary powers. The Emergencies Act sets out the procedure by which a national emergency can be declared, confirmed, continued, amended and revoked. It also provides for a supervisory role for Parliament. This HillNote provides some background information about this Act and explains the role of Parliament during a national emergency.

Intelligence agencies around the world, including the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), are increasingly acquiring, analyzing, using and sharing publicly available information. Given the scale of data involved, artificial intelligence (AI) – particularly machine learning (ML) – and cloud computing will be vital, as will broader definitions of “publicly available” in privacy law. This HillNote discusses how technological advancements and an explosive growth in publicly available information have made CSE and its domestic partners interested stakeholders in anticipated changes to Canada’s privacy law.

The federal budget outlines the government’s revenue estimates and expenditure priorities for the fiscal year. It is a key component of the financial cycle.

If housing supply and housing demand could talk, they would tell us that proposals that increase supply have the effect of reducing the price of housing and increasing quantity. As for proposals that increase demand, they raise both the price and quantity of housing. This HillNote presents a supply-and-demand perspective on housing affordability in Canada.

This HillNote highlights key trends in the Canadian economy in the third and fourth quarters of 2021.Although the economy improved in the second half of 2021, the recovery remains uneven among certain sectors and population groups. This is particularly the case for those working in the agricultural sector, women and Indigenous people. In 2021, the rates of unemployment for Indigenous men and women significantly exceeded the rates for non-Indigenous men and women across all age groups. Moreover, Indigenous and non-Indigenous women had higher rates of unemployment than Indigenous and non-Indigenous men.