Chapter 7: Public Service and Public Finance
Description
Regardless of whether you work directly for the government, the work of the public sector will impact you in your role as a leisure professional through the government’s administrative and funding frameworks. In this module, we will look at the public service at both the federal and provincial levels and explore the impact that it has on various aspects of leisure.
Learning Goals
By the end of this module, you should be able to:
- Identify revenue sources for governments that will impact their ability to support recreation and leisure
- Determine the role of provincial government officials in regulating the sport and leisure industry
Revenue Sources for the Federal Government of Canada
Start with learning about the The Government of Canada’s Revenues from the Youtube video below by Civix. You will learn about the various revenue streams that the Canadian government has available to it. Some of you may work for government agencies, and many others will turn to government for financial or regulatory support, and so learning about the funding sources are important. Once you have watched the video, check your knowledge below.
Watch
Knowledge Check: Government Revenue Sorting
Provincial Regulation of Recreation and Leisure in Ontario
Read
With this introduction to government revenue in mind, please visit the About the Ontario Public Service page to learn more about how the provincial government functions. Click through the various hyperlinks on the website, and think about as you explore, where recreation and leisure may be impacted. Take note of the overall structure of the provincial government and public service staff as well as how they may impact the regulation of recreation and leisure in Ontario.
Public Service
There are over 60,000 people working for the public service who help deliver on programs, including recreation and leisure, who remain working regardless of changes during election cycles!
Do you know which two Ministries have the most direct connection to recreation and leisure? What do they do? Click “learn more” for the answers.
Key Terms
- GST/HST: “A tax you pay on most goods and services sold or provided in Canada. In New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island, the GST has been blended with the provincial sales tax (PST) and is called the harmonized sales tax (HST)” (Canada Revenue Agency, 2025) .
- Personal Income Tax: A tax that is paid by individuals based on the money they earn from jobs and business investments (Civix, 2016).
- Corporate Income Tax: A tax that is imposed on the profits made by a business (Civix, 2016)
- Public Service: A service provided by the government for all individuals of the public Examples include recreation and leisure, healthcare, and education (Staats, 1988).
- Employee Insurance Premium: A program administered by Employment and Social Development Canada. It provides benefits to individuals who lose their jobs through no fault of their own and are available for and able to work, but can’t find a job. This program also offers benefits related to parental, sickness, and caregiving leave (Canada Revenue Agency, 2025). The premiums are paid by those who are employed.
