General Canadian Government Websites

• Government of Canada Primary Site (The Government is the Executive Cabinet (legal name "Governor-in-Council) made up of the Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, their staff and appointees)
• Government of Canada's Service Canada website (for links to services and programs)
• Accountable Government: A Guide for Ministers and Ministers of State-2008 (published October 30, 2008 - HTML format)
• Government of Canada News Releases
  
• On-line Contact Directory of Federal Civil Servants

Parliament of Canada websites
• Parliament of Canada
• House of Commons
• Senate of Canada
• Committees of the Parliament of Canada
• Parliament's "Practical Guide to Committees" of the House of Commons
  

• Provincial and Territorial governments (contains links for official homepages of Canadian provincial and territorial governments)
• Provincial and Territorial parliaments
  

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Finding Canadian Laws, Bills, Budgets and Policies

• General links page for all Draft Federal Laws (known as "Bills") being considered by Parliament
• Federal Bills being considered by Parliament (a very useful searchable site that contains the text, debates, and background information for all federal bills)
• Canadian Federal Laws (a very useful searchable site for all Canadian Federal Laws)
• General Search Site for Canadian Court Rulings and Laws 
• Federal Government Policies for Public Servants
• Canadian Federal, Provincial and Territorial Laws
• Another Link for Canadian Federal, Provincial & Territorial Laws
• Canadian Federal, Provincial and Territorial Draft Laws (ie. Bills) and related material
• Laws, Budgets, Issues, Key Libraries in Canada

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Canadian Police and Prosecutors

• Royal Canadian Mounted Police (commonly known as the RCMP, the federal police force that also serves as the provincial and territorial police force in several provinces and territories)
• Public Prosecution Service of Canada (a federal government department created in December 2006 to increase the independence of federal prosecutors, especially in cases of government fraud or other criminal behaviour)

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Canadian Courts, Tribunals and Commissions and Rulings

• General Search Site for Canadian Court Rulings and Laws 
• Another General Search Site for Canadian and International Court Rulings
• Supreme Court of Canada
• Federal Court of Appeal
• Federal Court
• Canadian Human Rights Commission

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Laws from Countries Around the World

• General Search Site for Laws from Countries Around the World 
• Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (U.S. organization that tracks developments in government ethics, money in politics and lobbying laws across North America)
• Global Integrity (non-governmental organization that, through an international research effort involving local organizations, individuals and journalists, rates countries good governance and anti-corruption systems and democratic processes)
• EthicsWorld.org (a site that has many key links to government and business ethics news and watchdog organizations around the world)

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Canadian Governments' General Democratic Reform, Government Accountability Websites

• Canadian Federal Government's Democratic Reform Site 
• Ontario Government's Democratic Renewal Site (2003-2007 NOTE: the Ontario Liberal government cancelled its democratic reform program in October 2007)
• Québec Government's "Secretariat on Democratic Institutions" (Québec Government's website is in French only)
• New Brunswick Government's Commission on Legislative Democracy

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Canadian Government Websites Offering Opportunities for Public Participation

• Canadian Federal Government's Consultation Information Site 
• Canadian Federal Government's Accord with Citizen Groups (the so-called "Voluntary Sector") and Codes of Good Practice in Policy Dialogue and Funding 
• Ontario Government's "Town Hall Ontario" public consultation website 

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Canadian Election Laws and Election System Reform

• Elections Canada (agency that oversees federal Canadian elections)
• Enforcement of the federal Canada Elections Act 
• How to complain about a violation of the federal Canada Elections Act
  
• Elections Canada research documents
  
• Elections Canada's Summary of Canadian Federal, Provincial and Territorial Election Laws (as of May 1, 2008 -- Please note that laws in some jurisdictions may have changed since May 2008)
• Ontario Government's Democratic Renewal Site (the Ontario Government's central site for democratic reform issues)
• Ontario Government's Citizen Assembly on Electoral Reform 
• B.C. Government's Citizen Assembly on Electoral Reform
• PEI Government's Electoral Reform Commission 
• Global Integrity (non-governmental organization that, through an international research effort involving local organizations, individuals and journalists, rates countries good governance and anti-corruption systems and democratic processes)

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Donations to Canadian and U.S. Political Parties, Candidates (Both Nomination Race and Election Candidates), Riding Associations and Party Leadership Candidates

• Elections Canada (agency that oversees federal Canadian political donations)
• Donors to Federal Political Parties, Nomination Race and Election Candidates, Riding Associations, and Party Leadership Candidates (1997 on (but only 2005 on for party leadership candidates) on Elections Canada website)
• Enforcement of the federal Canada Elections Act 
• How to complain about a violation of the federal Canada Elections Act
  
• Elections Canada research documents
• Elections Canada's Summary of Canadian Federal, Provincial and Territorial Election Laws (as of May 1, 2008 -- Please note that laws in some jurisdictions may have changed since May 2008)
• Donors to Canadian Province of Ontario's Political Parties, Candidates and Leadership Candidates (lists from1995 on at the Elections Ontario website)
• Province of Saskatchewan's Political Finance Rules (Elections Saskatchewan website (can also be searched for lists of donors))
• Office of the Federal Canadian Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner (agency that oversees and enforces federal Canadian MPs' ethics rules and registeries of gifts to MPs -- See below for details)
• Donations to U.S. Political Parties and Candidates (link is to OpenSecrets.org website)
• Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (U.S. organization that tracks developments in government ethics, money in politics and lobbying laws across North America)
• Global Integrity (non-governmental organization that, through an international research effort involving local organizations, individuals and journalists, rates countries good governance and anti-corruption systems and democratic processes)

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Ethics Rules and Enforcement Systems in Canada, the U.S. and Internationally

• Office of the Federal Canadian Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner oversees and enforces the following ethics rules and registeries for Cabinet Ministers, staff of Cabinet ministers and Cabinet appointees:
• Conflict of Interest Act (As of July 9, 2007, this Act replaced (and weakened because it deletes the rules requiring honesty, and the avoidance of apparent and potential conflicts of interest) the February 6, 2006 version of the Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for Public Office Holders)
• Guideline on Gifts (including Invitations, Fundraisers and Business Lunches) (click on link to Guideline (PDF format) on page this link takes you to)
• Federal Public Registry for Public Office Holders (Searchable on-line database of financial statements detailing some of the property and investments owned by the Prime Minister, Cabinet ministers, some of their staff, and some government officials (non-public servants appointed by Cabinet) who are covered by the Conflict of Interest Act)
• Accountable Government: A Guide for Ministers and Ministers of State-2008 (first published in 1979, and updated regularly (link takes you to version published October 30, 2008) and applies to Cabinet ministers and junior Cabinet ministers (known as Ministers of State) -- supposedly enforced by the Prime Minister of Canada but no enforcement actions have ever been taken by any Prime Minister)
• Federal Treasury Board Guidelines for Ministers' Offices (supposedly enforced by the Treasury Board Secretariat, the federal government department that oversees spending within departments and other government institutions, but no enforcement actions have ever been taken by the Treasury Board)
• The Office of the Federal Canadian Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner also oversees and enforces the following ethics rules and registeries for members of the federal House of Commons (known as MPs):
• Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons (MPs - came into force in October 2004)
• Federal Public Registry for MPs (Information page about the public registry for MPs financial statements, which is not available on-line)
• Annual Report on MPs Sponsored Travel (scroll down on page the link takes you to for links to the annual Sponsored Travel lists)
  
• Office of the Canadian Senate Ethics Officer who oversees the following ethics rules and registries for members of the Senate of Canada (but cannot enforce the rules without the approval of a committee of Senators):
  
• Conflict of Interest Code for Senators (covers members of the Senate of Canada, and the Code came into force in May 2005)
• Federal Public Registry for Senators (Information page about the public registry for Senators financial statements, which is not available on-line)
• Federal Treasury Board Guidelines for Canadian Crown Corporation Appointments (in force as of March 15, 2004)
• Public Sector Integrity Commissioner oversees whistleblower complaints about wrongdoing by federal government employees (known as public servants), under the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act including violations of laws, regulations, codes, policies, guidelines and the following ethics rules for public servants (Disclosure of wrongdoing database):
• Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service (apply to employees of the federal government) -- For more details, see also Canada Public Service Agency's Office of Public Service Values and Ethics webpage
• Federal Employee Entitlements Rules for Public Servants
• Ethics Rules for Federal Judges
• Rules for Federal Administrative Tribunals
• Provincial and Territorial Ethics Commissioners
• Canadian Provincial and Territorial Ethics Laws (Please note that rules do not cover government employees (known as public servants), who are covered by a separate set of rules in each province and territory)
• General Government Ethics Links Page developed by University of British Columbia
• Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (U.S. organization that tracks developments in government ethics, money in politics and lobbying laws across North America)
• United Nations Convention Against Corruption (signed December 2003, in force as of December 2005)
• Global Integrity (non-governmental organization that, through an international research effort involving local organizations, individuals and journalists, rates countries good governance and anti-corruption systems and democratic processes)
• EthicsWorld.org (a site that has many key links to government and business ethics news and watchdog organizations around the world)
• The Vatican's Policy Statement "The Fight Against Corruption" (this September 2006 statement calls on Roman Catholic dioceses world-wide to work for legal and societal changes to end corruption)

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Canadian Federal Government Appointments

•  Canadian federal government Cabinet appointment opportunities 

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Canadian and U.S. Lobbying Laws and Lobbying Disclosure Registeries

• Office of the Canadian federal Commissioner of Lobbying (the "homepage" of the federal Registrar of Lobbyists (who is not independent as he is under the control of the federal Treasury Board Minister (who is a politician)) and links to all parts of the registration system)
• Canadian federal government Registry of Lobbyists (Follow the instructions on the webpage this link takes you to)
• Canadian federal Lobbying Act (see also links to Interpretation Bulletins, Advisory Opinions, and Regulations on webpage this link takes you to)
• Regulations under the federal Canadian Lobbying Act (Follow the links to the regulations on the webpage this link takes you to)
• Lobbying Act Implementation Notices
• Lobbying Act Interpretation Bulletins
• Lobbying Act Advisory Opinions
  
• Canadian federal Lobbyists' Code of Conduct (see also Federal Court of Appeal ruling about Rule 8 in the Code, and  Advisory Opinion under the Lobbyists' Code re: "Chinese Wall" Between Lobbying Firms and Other Companies -- NOTE: this Advisory Opinion is not legally binding)
• Canadian provincial lobbyist registries:
• Alberta Registry of Lobbyists
  
• British Columbia Government Registry of Lobbyists
• Newfoundland and Labrador Registry of Lobbyists
  
• Nova Scotia Government Registry of Lobbyists
• Ontario's Lobbyist Registration Act, regulations and reports
• Ontario Government Registry of Lobbyists
• Québec Government Registry of Lobbyists (To see in English, click here)
• City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• City of Toronto Lobbyist Registry and Registrar homepage
• Search the City of Toronto Lobbyist Registry
• City of Toronto Lobbyist Code of Conduct
  
• Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (U.S. organization that tracks developments in government ethics, money in politics and lobbying laws across North America)
• Global Integrity (non-governmental organization that, through an international research effort involving local organizations, individuals and journalists, rates countries good governance and anti-corruption systems and democratic processes)

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Canadian Government Access to Information Websites

• Federal Access to Information Commissioner (oversees the federal government's access-to-information system)
• Federal Government Policies for Access to Information
• Key Federal and Provincial Government Access-to-Information websites 
• Site for searching requests made under federal Canadian Access to Information Act 
• Canadian Access-to-Information Resources website
  
• Global Integrity (non-governmental organization that, through an international research effort involving local organizations, individuals and journalists, rates countries good governance and anti-corruption systems and democratic processes)

For more information, go to Democracy Watch's Open Government Campaign webpage or Search Democracy Watch's website

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Canadian Federal Government Spending Websites

• Office of the Auditor General of Canada (front-line investigator ensuring that the federal government complies with the Financial Administration Act)
• Parliamentary Budget Officer (established March 2008 to investigate the actual cost of federal government spending and the actual state of federal government finances)
  
• Procurement Ombudsman (established September 19, 2007 to review complaints about violations of the Code of Conduct for Procurement)
• Code of Conduct for Procurement (in force September 19, 2007)
• Financial Administration Act
• Accounting Officers - Guidance on Roles, Responsibilities and Appearances Before Parliamentary Committees 2007
  
• Federal Government Financial Management Policies for Public Servants (also view all Federal Government Policies for Public Servants because there are many specific policies for different types of spending)
• Federal Government Guidelines for Contracting to Private Companies and Organizations (Chapters of the Treasury Board manual)
• Federal Government Accounting Policies for Public Servants
• Links Page to Databases of Contracts Given by All Federal Government Departments from October 2004 on (Please note, the database only contains information about contracts worth more than $10,000)
• Database of Contracts Awarded Between 2002-2004 by Federal Public Works and Government Services (PWGSC) Department
• Disclosed.ca (a non-governmental website that presents the contracts database in a different way)
  
• Links Page to Databases of Travel and Hospitality Expense for Federal Cabinet Ministers, Their Staff, and Senior Government Employees
• Annual Report on MPs Sponsored Travel
  
• Global Integrity (non-governmental organization that, through an international research effort involving local organizations, individuals and journalists, rates countries good governance and anti-corruption systems and democratic processes)
  

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Canadian Federal Political Parties

Federal Political Parties (Link to Elections Canada official webpage listing all federal political parties)

Bloc Québécois

Conservative Party of Canada

Green Party of Canada

Liberal Party of Canada

New Democratic Party of Canada

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Other General Information Sites for Canadian Governments and Politics

• Canadian governments, non-governmental organizations and many other links
• Hill Times
• Canadian Public Affairs Channel (CPAC)
• Canadian Polling Companies and Polls