Whats the difference between a government green paper and white paper?
A green paper is a government document detailing the specifics of an issue and possible courses of action. This is usually the first step in undertaking a change in policy and/or enacting a major overhaul of some aspect of the government. In response to a green paper, governments will issue a white paper detailing how the government is going to deal with the issue discussed in the green paper. For example, on the issue of health care wait times, the government would issue a green paper detailing the problem and possible ways to solve the problem. Then if the government decides to take action, they would announce their policy in a white paper. These are typically issued in Commonwealth countries.
