Intergovernmental policy lessons from Canada: Paying the piper and callingthe tune

In 1996 the Council of Australian Governments proposed transferring aged ca re community and residential programs to the States. This transfer of respo nsibility would have involved a reduced role for the Commonwealth Governmen t. The Canadian Federal Government recently made unprecedented changes to t he nature of intergovernmental arrangements with Provinces and Territories in respect to the policy domains of health, welfare and post-secondary educ ation. This study examines recent intergovernmental reforms in Canada and h ighlights trends and concerns which may be of relevance to the provision of aged care policies and programs in Australia.