Recent Research Publications from Canada's Library of Parliament

The Library of Parliament has published a number of research publications recently:

• The New Veterans Charter: Developments Since Its Adoption in 2006 : "On 1 April 2006, the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act1 came into force. Commonly known as the New Veterans Charter (NVC), it became the legislative framework for the programs, services and benefits provided to Canadian veterans through Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) (...) Since the NVC was adopted, various stakeholders have reviewed the regime it established. They noted its positive aspects, but also identified significant shortcomings. Many recommendations to improve the new programs have been put forward by, among others, the Veterans Ombudsman, the parliamentary committees on veterans' affairs, the New Veterans Charter Advisory Group, and various veterans' rights groups. Changes have been made to address some of these shortcomings. For example, the budget implementation bills of June 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 brought in changes and added new provisions to the NVC.This document summarizes the purpose and content of the NVC, the changes made to date, and some ongoing issues."
• Cybersecurity: Technical and Policy Challenges : "Starting with a quick overview of some of the types of cyberthreats confronting Canada and its allies, this paper examines how Canada defines cybersecurity and considers the many human, technical, economic and political factors that make achieving cybersecurity so difficult. Finally, it touches on some of the international initiatives that have been undertaken to enhance cybersecurity."
• Carbon Pricing Policy in Canada : "Policies that put a price on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are in place in a number of jurisdictions. Commonly referred to as “carbon pricing systems,” they are meant to help reduce the GHG emissions that are contributing to climate change. In Canada, carbon pricing policy is in development. On 15 January 2018, the federal government published for public comment a document on draft legislation aimed at codifying its proposed national carbon pricing system. The Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act is expected to be introduced in the House of Commons during the 1st Session of the 42nd Parliament. The proposed legislation would require provinces and territories to implement carbon pricing systems by 1 January 2019, or adopt a federally administered carbon pricing system that the federal government calls the 'backstop.' Jurisdictions where no carbon pricing system is adopted, or where the pricing system fails to meet federal standards, will have the backstop imposed on them, in whole or in part, on the same date. Several Canadian provinces have already implemented some form of carbon pricing, and other provinces and territories have either announced pricing systems or are studying the question. The federal government has asked provinces and territories to detail their carbon pricing approach by 1 September 2018. After a discussion of what carbon pricing is and how it works, this document presents the federal, provincial and territorial pricing systems. "