This sub-sub-series contains 6,252 briefing notes from the Privy Council Office, addressed either to the Prime Minister's first two Chiefs of Staff (Jean Pelletier and Percy Downe) or to the Prime Minister himself. They were issued daily, or almost daily, between October 28, 1993, and December 31, 1999.
These briefing notes help illustrate the major role of the Privy Council Office, which consists of informing and advising the Prime Minister and Cabinet, coordinating strategic initiatives, analyzing policy, and providing informed and authoritative advice on Canada's machinery of government. They also provide a chronological overview of the issues marking Jean Chrétien's first two terms as Prime Minister, and an insight into their analysis from an internal government perspective.
The range of topics is broad and corresponds, on the whole, to general themes relating to one of the Privy Council Office's key secretariats: Counsel to the Clerk, Intergovernmental Affairs, Social Development Policy, Economic and Regional Development Policy, Operations, Priorities and Planning, Communications, Macroeconomic Policy, Machinery of Government, Legislation and House Planning, Foreign and Defence Policy, Security and Intelligence, International Assessment Staff, and Corporate Services.
It is therefore impossible to compile an exhaustive list of topics, which include the coordination of the government agenda and problems concerning the structure and function of the state apparatus (especially with regard to the PMO and interdepartmental relations). The topics also include nearly all issues and events that marked Jean Chrétien's first two terms as Prime Minister: federal-provincial politics, in particular the Constitution and the 1995 Quebec referendum; the Liberal Party of Canada and provincial Liberal parties; the state of Canada's economy and finances, especially the budget, the deficit, national income and equalization; national industry and commerce; international trade; national defence; justice, most notably gun control bills; social policy; immigration; health and well-being (with issues such as sexual orientation, euthanasia and AIDS); the Public Service of Canada; communications; aboriginal affairs; the environment, most notably the Kyoto Protocol; official languages and bilingualism; and global conditions and international relations.
