Government Relations Resources
The following publications are now available and accessible for your viewing:
1. Policy Paper: The original, full-length version of the White Paper on Co-operative Development in Ontario, and the one-page summaries in both English and French. This policy paper was launched at Queen’s Park in November 2004, and has been the basis of our advocacy work to date. The paper documents recommendations of how the public and co-operative sectors can work together to address public policy challenges and achieve mutual goals.
2. Executive Proposal: Shaping a Provincial Co-operatives Secretariat: Providing Innovative and Sustainable Solutions to Build a Better and Stronger Ontario. This 4-page proposal was created to directly address government officials on the key recommendation of the White Paper, the creation of a provincial Co-op Secretariat, and how having a dedicated government agency would be a win-win situation for both the public and co-op sectors.
3. Advocacy Toolkits: In 2007, On Co-op designed three toolkits to help On Co-op’s advocates, as well as other co-operatives with their advocacy work. Toolkit #1 deals with meeting MPPs at their Queen’s Park and Constituency Office, Toolkit #2 deals with attending events with MPPs and Government Officials, and Toolkit #3 deals with initiating communication, relaying your key message and rallying support.
4. Executive Brief: Report on the Co-operative Model of Business Enterprise in Ontario: Applications, Successes and Challenges. This 40+ page brief was prepared for the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, as a direct response to a meeting held with their Chief of Staff on July 3rd, 2008.
5. 5-Year Report Card: White Paper on Co-operative Development in Ontario. A 3-page overview on the actions taken, and outcomes with regards to the efforts to establish a public and co-operative collaboration in the form of a provincial Co-operatives Secretariat.
6. Provincial Analysis: Provincial Support for the Co-operative Sector: A Comparative Snapshot Across Canada. Following two years of extensive research, this spreadsheet profiles the co-op sector in each province, and is an attempt to both document and highlight the lack of government support for the Ontario co-op sector, by contrast to most of the other provinces.
7. Co-op/Riding List: A comprehensive list of all Ontario co-operatives and credit unions in each of the 107 electoral ridings. Following the 2007 province-wide Census, which identified 1,300 co-ops and credit unions in over 1,900 locations across the province, the data was eventually used to create an extensive database, found here, to access information on all of Ontario’s co-operatives. This data was then sorted by postal code, enabling us to create a listing of all co-ops per electoral riding. While On Co-op has used similar lists in their advocacy work for years, we now have the most comprehensive and up-to-date list to provide to MPPs as we meet with them.
8. Pre-budget Submissions: The 2010, 2009, and 2008 pre-budget submissions to the Ontario Ministry of Finance are included here. All submissions emphasize how co-operatives can work with government to address the provinces many public policy challenges and goals, and as a response to the economic challenges facing the province.
9. Quebec Report: The 2008 Quebec report on the Survival Rate of Co-operatives in Quebec, in the original (French) and summarized (English translated) versions. Quebec’s Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and Export originally released this report in 2005, and updated it with new statistics in 2008. We translated this 14-page report into a 6 page summary.
10. 13-point Wish List:
1. A Public and Co-operation Partnership in Ontario: A Collaborative Solution with Win-Win Potential
2. Operational Synopsis of Short-Term Initiatives to Carry out with the Co-operative Sector.
3. Operational Synopsis of Long-Term Initiatives to Carry out with the Co-operative Sector.
A 2-page communications brief and a 13-point wish list of short and long-term strategies; largely based on the original White Paper’s key recommendations.
