The sub-series consists of two parts: Part 1: Minister's Files. The files document Flora MacDonald's activities as Minister of Communication. Part 2: Exempt Staff Work Files. The files are arranged in alphabetical order and document their work in providing the Minister with information on Parliamentary matters and Legislation pertaining to issues dealing with communication and culture.
The records types in Part 1 Minister's Files are: Briefing notes from the Deputy Minister and the Minister's legislative assistant on Parliamentary activities; Orders in Council; Departmental Communiqués; memos between PMO and Minister's exempt staff; Private Members Bills, speeches and outlines; Late Show Debates; hearing briefs; submissions to Standing Committee on Communication and Culture; hearing of Bills; minutes of proceedings and evidence of the Standing Committee on Communication and Culture; hansards; Opposition motions; committee briefs; Minister's House speeches; Standing Committee Hearings; Briefing notes; Correspondence from Dr. Jean-Pierre Wallot, National Archivist; National Archives of Canada senior management; Briefs submitted by various telecommunication organizations; Minutes of proceedings and evidence of the sub-committee of the Standing Committee on Communications and Culture on the Disabled and Handicapped; Questions and Answers; Briefings on anticipated questions and answers for the House of Commons, Oral Question period.
The issues documented in Part 1 Minister's Files are: Activities of the Standing Committee on Communication and Culture; Information on activities of Parliamentary Committees; Order-In-Council Appointment notices: Michael Beel; Julian D. Bensen; Elizabeth Burnham; Edith Butler; Louise Dionne; Joseph M. Doyon; John R. Edwards; Hannah Fisher; Rosalie Gower; Martha Henry; Diana Lam; Lisa Long; Thérèse Lupien; Colin B. MacKay; Jessica Miller; Sean Butler Murphy; William H. Neville; Mary France Pratt; André Provost; Henry Purdy; John R. Randall; Léo Remillard; Walter Rivest; Beverly Ann Scott; Gail Scott; Paulette Sonier-Rioux; Helya Stephenson; Paule Tardif-Delorme; Carolyn Tavender; Eldon Thompsen; Shirley L. Thomson; Lorraine Thorsud; Rosita Tovell; Rodrigue Tremblay; Sally Warren; Patricia Wiens; Marion Wilson; Lynne Wynich. Private Members Business: Don Boudria; Corbett Edward Desrosiers; Lynn MacDonald; Gus Mitage; Svend Robinson; Question Period briefing notes for Minister; Late Show Debates: 1984: CRTC - Long distance telephone hearings; Cultural Affairs - Budgetary cutbacks, consequences for the cultural community; Cultural Affairs - Budgetary cutbacks, Government position, CBC- Impact of cutbacks; CBC- Budgetary cut backs, Effects on Windsor TV station; CBC - Budgetary cutbacks - nature of consultation; Cultural Affairs - Budgetary cutbacks - level of government funding; CBC - Effects of budgetary cutbacks on writers; CRTC - Suspension of Calgary Cable Station; Cultural Affairs - Special initiative funds; NFB - Plan to establish television youth channel; Administation - Appointment of MR. Bud Sherman to CRTC; Government expenditure of Minister's Middle East visit; CRTC - CN-CP Long distance telephone service application; Cultural Affairs - Canada - US talks, possible re-emergence of the Canadian edition; PMO - Communication computer System; Copyright - Introduction of legislation of Art Funding; Trade-Canada-US Negotiations, magazine publishing industry; Public Opinion Polls - Telephone rates; Threat of Quebec movie houses boycott; Inquiry of Government disposal to insist on Canadian control of film industry; CBC - Broadcasting of song lauding suicide; Status of Women - Portrayal of women in media; Cultural Affairs - Government funding, departmental budget; CBC - Incorrect reporting of alleged gas prices; Bell Canada - Telephone bills, refusal of cash payments; Federal - Provincial Relations - Establishment of a French educational television network in Ontario; CRTC - Cancom Corporation rates; Television - French television rights to 1988 Winter Olympic Games.
1986: Customs Tariffs - Effects of tariffs on book publishing industry; CRTC - decision ordering reimbursement of Bell Canada subscribers, threat of appeal, telephone charges, roll backs; CBC - Accountability for government funding; CBC - Financial management system; Copyright; CBC - Reallocation of
1987: Postal rates for Canadian magazines and periodicals.
BILLS: C-3 Radio Act; C-19 Bell Canada Act; C-7 National Archives of Canada.
Standing Committee Hearings on Communication and Culture: Briefs submitted by organizations and or issues debated. Specialty hearings; Order of reference; Telecasters; Quebec Film Producers; Interim report; National Film Board; Study on inventions for production and exhibitions; Cancom and Actra Quebec film producers; Caplan / Sauvageau; Canadian Association for Adult Education; Consumer's Association of Canada; CBC; Canadian Broadcasting League; Canadian Cable Television Association; Cancom - Satellite network Services; Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunication Commission; CTV; Media Watch / Union des artistes; Public Interest Research Centre.
The Part 2 Exempt Staff Work Files document the activities and work of Carleen Carroll, Legislative Assistant to Flora MacDonald.
The records types in Part 2 Exempt Staff Work Files are: Briefing notes to Minister; Formulation of answers for House of Commons question period; Subject files; Excerpts of newspapers relating to legislature; Notes of Chiefs of Staff Anne M. Harris and Bill Musgrove; Briefing notes received from other Cabinet Ministers exempt staff; Correspondence from various cultural and telecommunication organizations; Briefing notes for Minister on position to be taken at Cabinet Committee on Priorities and Planning meetings; Briefing notes for Minister's speeches; Background documents and situation reports; Questions and answers material; Minister replies to questions brought forward during House of Commons debates and question periods.
The issues documented in Part 2 Exempt Staff Work Files are: Legislative priorities; Briefing material; New broadcasting policy and legislation; Minister's agenda; Memos to Chief of staff on Bill C-50; Legislation updates: C-3, Act to amend the radio Act; C-7, National Archives Act; C-19, Act respecting the reorganization of Bell Canada; C-95, Act to amend the Archives Act; Free Trade Legislation.