Ministerial Advisory Committee Research Articles

Discussion

Federally, Canada entered a new chapter of review and revision of its impact assessment law in 2015. On the path to reform, the Federal government undertook a number of activities that spanned almost two years before introducing legislation. Efforts included striking an ‘expert panel’ to consult Canadians and establishing a multi-stakeholder Ministerial advisory committee. A new impact assessment Bill was eventually introduced to the House of Commons in early 2018. Key provisions of the Bill include a sustainability orientation, an early planning stage, a climate test, and a gender-based assessment requirement. Despite these positive changes, the IAA draws heavily on the flawed existing federal process (CEAA 2012) for its basic structure and approach and falls well short of what Canadians told the Expert Panel should be reflected in a new bill (and what the Panel itself recommended). The new Act falls even further short of what the literature suggests are the key elements of IA legislation.

Ministerial Advisory Committee on Women and Housing, Victoria: Role, Research and Future Directions

The Victorian Ministerial Advisory Committee on Women and Housing (MACWH) was extablished in 1989 to advise the then Minister for Planning and Housing of the specific housing needs of women. The MACWH was an independent advisory group with no legal status, formal requirements or formal position in the Department other than direct access and advice to the Minister. It consisted of representatives from the community sector, various women's groups, banking corporations, real estate institutes, the academy, and private individuals, and was chaired by a female Labor member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. As an independent body the MACWH provided alternative sources of information for policy making other than those already available within the bureaucracy. Its innovative research and critical analyses of current housing policies provided insights into gender-specific housing issues and raised concerns about research practice, policy analysis and policy making. These issues and concerns continue to be important in the urban policy field, despite the fact that the current Liberal Govenment in Victoria abolished this and other ministerial advisory committees in December 1992.

Speaking of Housing… A Reporton a consultation with victorian Women on Housing

Women in Supportive Housing (WISH) is a community-based organisation engaged in research, community development, community education and service development relevant to the housing and support needs of women in Victoria. In 1989 WISH initiated a small-scale consultation with women on their housing experiences which was funded by the State Housing Authority's Community Resourcing Programme.In 1990 WISH and the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Women and Housing (MACWH) decided to join their interests in this consultation work and, as a result, WISH was funded by the MACWH to undertake a larger state-wide consultation, resulting in the publication of a report9