Montreal – In the budget tabled today, the Government of Canada announced a contribution of $10 million to the Institute for Research on Public Policy to create a Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation.

A permanent research body housed at the Institute, the mission of the Centre will be to reinforce research capacity on issues related to federalism.  Specifically, the Centre will:

• Conduct new research on public attitudes toward federalism and the federation;
• Examine the state of the institutions of federalism and democracy and how they might evolve in future;
• Contribute to reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous peoples through research and public debate on Indigenous governance and on the relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities;
• Conduct economic analyses of issues that affect Canada’s federal arrangements, including shifts in Canada’s economic foundations, wealth redistribution and equalization;
• Study the impact of emerging economic and social trends on federal arrangements;
• Find and support new and more diverse research voices in these fields; and,
• Convene decision-makers and leaders from other sectors regularly to discuss research findings and their implications for public policy and the country’s cohesion.

“We are delighted to receive the support of Government of Canada for such an important initiative and we salute its commitment to research,” said IRPP President Graham Fox.  “Our country has changed tremendously over the last several decades. Our economy is more open to the world and draws its strengths from different regions and sectors. Our people are older, more diverse and more urban. And our provinces and territories have different relationships with Ottawa and with each other. We now have to ensure we understand those changes and the impact they might have on the federal community.”

With a 45-year history of publishing high-quality, independent research, and a solid track record in this field, the IRPP is uniquely positioned to take on this role.  Consistent with the mission of the IRPP, the Centre will insist on research independence and disseminate its research on federalism broadly without engaging in partisan debate.

“The absence of an imminent crisis makes this an ideal time to invest in research on federal arrangements, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, democratic institutions, and better understanding public attitudes toward the federation,” Graham Fox concluded.  “We must reinforce the research foundations to ensure an informed and thoughtful debate on a host of issues important to Canadians and their governments.”

The Institute for Research on Public Policy is an independent, national, bilingual, not-for-profit organization based in Montreal. To receive updates from the IRPP, please subscribe to our e-mail list.

Media contact:            Shirley Cardenas         tel. 514-594-6877       scardenas@nullirpp.org