Quiet Corporation: Relations Among Labour Ministries in Canada

Abstract

Stories about the workings of Canadian federalism are often filled with battles over jurisdiction and/or money. Provinces jockey among each other for a fairer (larger) share of federal dollars. Provinces, either individually or as a group, seek more federal transfers, with fewer strings attached, as well as constraints on the direct exercise of federal spending power. However, where money is not involved, and where the jurisdictional divides are clear, more harmonious relations ought to be possible. This is the case for labour standards in Canada. Jurisdiction is clear in this area, and there are no (or minimal) federal-provincial transfers. This paper looks at the current state of relations among labour ministries/departments, proposes some criteria for evaluating these relations (drawing on the work of Lazar), and assesses these relations against those criteria. Unlike some more publicized areas of federal-provincial interface, it appears that labour ministries have been able to cooperate effectively, sharing knowledge, undertaking joint projects, and learning from each other's "experiments".