Hanna 1 Watchdogs wading in: Ontario’s Legislative Officers in Public Policy Development by Lauren M. Hanna This paper is a draft and is not for attribution 2011-2012 Intern Ontario Legislature Internship Programme (OLIP) 1303A Whitney Block Queen's Park Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A2 Phone: 289-879-1156
[email protected] www.olipinterns.ca Paper presented at the 2012 Annual meeting of the Canadian Political Science Association, Edmonton, Alberta, Friday, June 15th, 2012. Hanna 2 *Note: please do not upload this paper until a final version has been submitted. In Ontario, there are seven Legislative Officers reporting to the Assembly and contributing to the workings of government by providing information, flagging emerging issues, proposing solutions, and identifying points of vulnerability. Officers of the Legislative Assembly, or of Parliament at the federal level, are responsible for generating some of the hot topics of the day and they work tirelessly behind the scenes to effect change more discreetly on a regular basis. These actors and their offices play a significant role on major policy proposals and reforms ranging from privacy protection in the energy grid, public safety legislation at the G20, and newborn health screening. Within the Parliamentary system, the Legislative Officers influence both public policy and public perception. They provide a valuable resource for opposition parties, hold the government to account, and provide a voice for the public interest. They are part ally and part advocate, and given the impressive breadth and material impacts of their work, it is surprising that Ontario’s Legislative Officers are not better known among the public and government alike.