Accounting for Culture

Many scholars, practitioners, and policy-makers in the cultural sector argue that Canadian cultural policy is at a crossroads: that the environment for cultural policy-making has evolved substantially and that traditional rationales for state intervention no longer apply. The concept of cultural citizenship is a relative newcomer to the cultural policy landscape, and offers a potentially compelling alternative rationale for government intervention in the cultural sector. Likewise, the articulation and use of cultural indicators and of governance concepts are also new arrivals, emerging as potentially powerful tools for policy and program development. Accounting for Culture is a unique collection of essays from leading Canadian and international scholars that critically examines cultural citizenship, cultural indicators, and governance in the context of evolving cultural practices and cultural policy-making. It will be of great interest to scholars of cultural policy, communications, cultural studies, and public administration alike. </i

Energy Projects, Social Licence, Public Acceptance and Regulatory Systems in Canada: A White Paper

It has become increasingly difficult in Canada to gain and sustain public acceptance of energy projects. Increased levels of protest, combined with traditional media and social media coverage of opposition, combine to suggest decreased public acceptance of energy projects. Decision-makers have responded accordingly, and a variety of energy projects have either been delayed or put on hold indefinitely. This is true for both conventional and renewable energy projects and in many different regions across the country. A number of proposed energy projects have recently faced opposition from various stakeholder groups. For instance, the decision of the Joint Review Panel for the Northern Gateway Pipeline is being challenged in Canada’s court system. First Nations groups have issued an ultimatum to the Federal Government that it must choose between Site C (a proposed hydro dam) and liquefied natural gas development in B.C. Rapid expansion of wind energy projects in Ontario has engendered lengthy and costly appeals and the rise of an anti-wind social movement. In Nova Scotia, tidal energy development is being positioned as a new renewable energy option; gaining public acceptance is critical in light of recent opposition to wind energy development. As these experiences suggest, not only has the regulatory process become more contentious, but also an apparently new concept — social licence — has had popular appeal. This white paper reports on the results of a year-long interdisciplinary collaboration aimed at identifying and summarizing extant research regarding social licence and related concepts, with a particular emphasis on understanding its implications for public acceptance of energy projects in Canada, and their related regulatory processes. In particular, this research addressed the following questions: 1. What is the history and scope of the term ‘social licence’, both in the context of energy project development and more generally? What are the strengths and limitations of this term? How does it help or hinder energy policy, regulatory debates and decision-making? 2. What are the similarities and differences between the notion of social licence and established concepts and other concepts or frameworks? 3. From the standpoint of public acceptance of energy projects, is Canada’s regulatory system broken? From whose perspective? And what alternatives might be considered? 4. What are barriers to, and enablers of a licence within the regulatory process — legal, social or otherwise? 5. What role does social licence play in the larger picture: How valid is the concept of social licence? Can social licence actually stop a project, or determine the outcome of an election? Does it create a valuable dialogue about a project? When opposition to projects leads to the arrest of people breaching an injunction or violent confrontations, what role can social licence play in promoting an alternative approach? In addition to a comprehensive look at the concepts of public acceptance and social licence and their applications to Canada, this white paper arrives at certain conclusions (Section 5) and makes recommendations (Section 6) for improving Canada’s regulatory systems and improving public confidence in Canada’s various energy-related regulatory agencies. For instance, as the federal government embarks on its agenda to amend the regulatory process, the research presented here can inform how the government can best carry out its mandate of reform while balancing the economic, environmental, political, social, and security-related issues pertinent to regulators, federal and provincial governments, industry, First Nations, environmental groups and the general public. The appeal of the term “social licence” derives from the inclusivity and equitability that it seems to imply. But populist pressure for increased voice and regulatory or judicial intervention, arising out of a sense of disaffection or disenfranchisement, is hardly a novel phenomenon: historical context and the lessons learned therefrom are essential in evaluating the idea and situating the debate within a meaningful framework. Social licence entails an additional layer of ‘regulation’, albeit an amorphous one. A central lesson of the 20th century experience is that regulation comes at a cost, and that excessive regulation and intervention can lead to paralysis and ‘government failure’. The implication is that regulation should be relied upon where it is necessary, and should be implemented in sensible ways. One of the conclusions of this report is that public trust and confidence can be enhanced by rationalizing existing regulatory vehicles to reduce the common perception that decisions are sometimes politically motivated and ensuring that decisions are made at the right levels of government. The institutionalization of social licence also has identifiable risks. It is likely to increase incentives for “rent-seeking behaviour.” The threat of veto, or even obstruction, endows the affected group with leverage that can result in extraction of rents that are disproportionate to impacts. It also increases regulatory and political uncertainty associated with a given project, discouraging investment, or requiring returns higher than are merited by the inherent riskiness of the proposed undertaking. The term “social licence” needs to be further analyzed, and, if used, used with care. The concept originated in the mining sector as the “social licence to operate,” and as the concept has migrated to the energy sector, it appears to have broadened in scope so that its meaning has become unclear, amorphous and confusing. Other terms such as “acceptance,” “support” or “public confidence” may be more appropriate in the energy sphere. Regulators, policy-makers and politicians should refrain from the use of these terms without a clear understanding of their implications. Our specific recommendations include: 1. Governmental Coordination. Greater coordination of regulatory processes between the federal and provincial governments is required and should be directed towards enhancing beneficial outcomes for all affected stakeholders (Section 6.1). 2. Stakeholder Engagement. A consistent, transparent and rigorous system for identifying and reaching out to stakeholders is essential to regulatory efficiency and efficacy (Section 6.2). 3. Social Licence as a Concept. When it comes to energy development, the term “social licence” needs to be further analyzed, and, if used, used with care (Section 6.3). 4. First Nations. The federal and provincial governments should take ownership of this duty to consult and ensure that it is done in a comprehensive manner that has been set out by both domestic and international law (Section 6.4). 5. Changes to the NEB Act. An independent review of the changes to the NEB Act regarding time to consult and the list of those who can be consulted should be undertaken to ensure the NEB is unconstrained in its ability to regulate appropriately and has public confidence in its mandate and decisions (Section 6.5). 6. Make Broader Use of Information Gained during Assessment Processes. Energy regulators should consider mechanisms to report recurring concerns that are outside of the scope of their mandate (Section 6.6). 7. Compliance after Project Approval. There is a need for publicly available, timely and relevant data relating to the compliance and post-approval status of projects. Data should be placed on a government portal to increase accessibility to stakeholders (Section 6.7). 8. Cross-Examination in Regulatory Hearings. The extensiveness of permitted cross-examination, and indeed the entire regulatory proceeding, needs to be proportionate to the magnitude of the impacts of the ultimate decision (Section 6.8)

Canada's Energy Policy Relations in North America: Towards Harmonization and Supranational Approaches

Cet article se penche sur les relations nord-américaines du Canada dans le domaine de la politique énergétique et soutient que, depuis une trentaine d’années, ces relations ont connu un double changement. En premier lieu, les politiques énergétiques globales du Canada et des États-Unis sont devenues de plus en plus harmonisées grâce à la libéralisation du commerce, à la restructuration du secteur de l’électricité et à la déréglementation économique. En second lieu, sur certaines questions, les relations canado-américaines en matière de politiques énergétiques semblent être en train de délaisser les approches intergouvernementales bilatérales pour évoluer vers des relations binationales (quasi supranationales) et s’étendent au Mexique grâce à des approches trilatérales et, jusqu’à un certain point, trinationales. Étant donné que la gestion des relations en matière de politique énergétique en Amérique du Nord se fait dans une grande mesure sans tambour ni trompette au moyen de processus transgouvernementaux, l’auteure en appelle à l’amélioration de l’ouverture, de la transparence et de la représentativité dans ces échanges.This article focuses on Canada’s energy policy relations in North America and argues that such relations have undergone a “double-shift” over the last thirty years. First, at a broadest level, Canadian and American energy policies have become increasingly harmonized through trade liberalization, electricity sector restructuring and economic deregulation. Second, on some energy policy issues, energy policy relations appear to be shifting from bilateral Canada-US inter-governemental approaches toward bi-national (“quasi-supranational”) relations, and have expanded to include Mexico, through both tri-lateral and, to some degree, tri-national approaches. Given that energy policy relations in North America are managed largely ”under the radar” through transgovernmental processes, the author calls for greater openness, transparency, inclusiveness and representation in these exchanges

Bringing the transgovernmental in: the public service in the Canada-United States relationship

This article examines an often-overlooked dimension of Canada-United States relations : relations between Canadian and American public servants. Meetings between political leaders of Canada and the US may make front-page headlines, but it is the myriad of networks and interconnections between Canadian and American public servants that constitute the lion’s share of bilateral activity. Notwithstanding the multitude of daily cross-border, inter-departmental, and inter-agency interactions, there has been relatively little systematic theoretical or empirical attention to the public sector dimension of Canada-US relations. Public administration scholars tend to train their sights on the domestic level and pay little or no attention to the public management dimension of international affairs. A recently edited volume studying contemporary Canadian public administration does not examine these relations. International relations scholars, for their part, tend to oversimplify domestic politics and policy institutions. This text contributes to bridging this gap in the literature. It builds on the concept of transgovernmentalism, relations between legislative, executive, regulatory, and judicial players with their international counterparts. It examines the mechanisms and processes by which public sector players interact across borders (e.g., informal relations, formal agreements, joint organizations, etc.). The article explores the relationship between the degree of bilateral policy coordination in a policy field or issue area and the mechanisms of transgovernmental activity characterizing cross-border relations in that policy domain.L’auteure se penche sur une dimension très souvent négligée des relations canado américaines, c’est à dire le rapport entre les fonctionnaires des deux pays. Les rencontres des dirigeants politiques du Canada et des États Unis font peut être la manchette, mais la très grande part de l’activité bilatérale est le fait des nombreux réseaux et interconnections qui lient les fonctionnaires canadiens et américains. Malgré le volume important de l’interaction transfrontalière entre les ministères, départements et organismes des deux pays, l’aspect des relations canado américaines qui concerne la fonction publique a suscité relativement peu d’attention théorique ou empirique systématique. Les spécialistes de l’administration publique ont tendance à se concentrer sur l’activité intérieure et à se pencher peu, sinon aucunement, sur la gestion publique des affaires internationales. À témoin, un ouvrage paru récemment sur l’administration publique contemporaine du Canada passe sous silence les relations de cet ordre. Pour leur part, les spécialistes des relations internationales tendent à simplifier à outrance la politique intérieure et les institutions stratégiques. Le présent article contribue à combler la lacune dans les écrits spécialisés. Il prend appui sur le concept du transgouvernementalisme - rapports entre autorités législatives, exécutives et judiciaires et organismes de réglementation et leurs vis à vis étrangers - et examine les mécanismes et les processus qui président à l’interaction transfrontalière (relations sans formalité, accords officiels, organismes mixtes, et ainsi de suite) des acteurs du secteur public. L’auteure examine le rapport entre le degré de coordination bilatérale des politiques dans un domaine stratégique ou problématique et les mécanismes de l’activité transgouvernementale qui caractérisent les rapports transfrontaliers dans le même domaine

Les fondements de la culture, le pouvoir de l'art : Les soixante premières années du Conseil des arts du Canada

« Le Conseil des arts du Canada est le plus important organisme subventionnaire au pays pour les artistes et les organismes artistiques. Ce sont non seulement les écrivains, les praticiens des arts visuels, les interprètes et les musiciens qui en bénéficient, mais aussi l’ensemble de la culture au Canada. Dans Les fondements de la culture, le pouvoir de l’art, Monica Gattinger relate l’histoire du Conseil en rappelant l’élan à l’origine de sa fondation et en présentant le débat au fil des ans à propos de ses objectifs et de son incidence. » -- Site web de l'éditeur

The Roots of Culture, the Power of Art : The First Sixty Years of the Canada Council for the Arts

"The Canada Council for the Arts is the country’s largest provider of grants for artists and arts organizations, benefiting not only writers, visual artists, performers, and musicians but Canadian culture as a whole. In The Roots of Culture, the Power of Art Monica Gattinger outlines the history of the Canada Council, the impetus for its foundation, and the ongoing debate about its goals and impact." -- Publisher's website

Introduction. Accounting for Culture

This book, like the conference which gave life to it, represents a partnership between people interested in research on culture and people interested in cultural policy. But much more complex and interrelated than that, it brings together people interested in rethinking cultural policy in the light of understanding changes in culture, changes in relationships between citizens and governments, and changes in ways governments operate. Its objective is to look both at the bases of cultural polic..

Frontières et passerelles : les relations du Canada en matière de politiques publiques en Amérique du Nord

Cet article introductif au numéro propose d’identifier une série de caractéristiques qui permettent d’analyser les relations du Canada en matière de politiques publiques dans le contexte nord-américain. Les auteurs proposent un continuum des relations bilatérales en matière de politiques publiques dans lequel l’indépendance se situe à michemin entre le conflit et l’harmonisation alors que les cas de figure les plus pertinents dans le contexte canado-américain, le parallélisme, la coordination et la collaboration, constituent la section droite du continuum. Les caractéristiques durables et émergentes des relations du Canada en matière de politiques publiques en Amérique du Nord façonnent la politique et la gestion des processus liés à ces relations. L’approche canadienne implicite des processus inhérents aux politiques nord-américaines a tendance à être sectorielle, graduelle et souvent « ascendante » (‘bottom-up'). Il en a résulté une série d’initiatives bilatérales fondées sur des intérêts communs dans divers secteurs, mais aussi la résistance à toute vision plus intégrée de l’Amérique du Nord. Cette double impulsion vers la différenciation et l’intégration, étayée et stimulée en partie par une intégration économique ascendante, demeurera fort probablement au coeur des relations nord-américaines dans le domaine des politiques, ce qui contribuera à augmenter la complexité, la richesse et le caractère « à géométrie variable » des relations du Canada en matière de politiques publiques à travers le continent.This first article of the issue acts as an introduction and proposes the identification of a set of characteristics that allow the analysis of Canada’s relations with its North American neighbours on public policies. The authors suggest a continuum of bilateral relations on public policy in which the independent status is situated between the conflict and the harmony. The most pertinent characteristics for the Canada-US context are parallelism, coordination and collaboration - situated right at the mid-section of the continuum. The durable and emergent characteristics of Canadian relations in public policy in North America influence the politic and the management of the processes related with those relations. The implicit Canadian approach of the inherent North-American policy process has the tendency to be by sector, gradual and ascending (bottom-up). The result is a set of bilateral initiatives based on the common interests of the different sectors, and also a resistance to a more integrated vision of North America. This double thrust toward differentiation and integration, propped up and stimulated partially by an ascending economic integration, will probably remain at the heart of North American policies, and will contribute to increase the complexity, the richness and the flexibility of Canada’s relations in public policy across the North American continent