Monday, 14 July, 2003
A new era of federalism? - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER – Over the last week, much hay has been made over the provincial and territorial leaders' proposal to create a Council of the Federation, a body to counter the ever imposing federal government in Ottawa. Critics of the proposal have called it just another fancy front for a sort of lobby group for aggrieved provincial governments. Sure it sounds sappy, and it looks silly to have the premiers agree so, especially since it's a federalist premier in Quebec, one Jean Charest. However, the proposed outfit signals yet again the great problem that federalism poses on the governance of the nation. Our nation, on all levels, the municipal, provincial and federal, is far from being governed effectively. The provinces, who come together for annual premiers conferences end up drawing up song sheets to sing from, all their clamour invariably going back to how much the feds are screwing them. Now, with an outgoing Prime Minister in Jean Chrétien, and an incoming prime minister in Paul Martin, who's willing to promise anything lest he gets elected, the premiers are getting together trying to revamp the federation, after years of top down, autocratic rule from Ottawa.
Municipalities always complain that money is few and far between when it comes to local infrastructure projects, the 2010 Olympic bid notwithstanding, because all the governments involved have jumped in realising how much political capital is to be had. Suppose Cambie Street needs re-paving. Well, City Hall, with the socialite socialists in office, couldn't just spring for it right away. Their budgets are locked in for three years and an expense like this would need funding from higher levels of government. COPE would be loath to raise taxes because that'd cost them votes. So they would go to the province and ask the Campbell Liberals for some dough. Alas, they're short too. And even though municipal affairs falls into the jurisdiction of the provincial government, they would pooh-pooh Vancouver's request saying that the federal government has cut transfers to the province's thus economies must be made to further transfers from Victoria. It's a game of passing the buck, and outspoken mayors like Mayor Mel of Toronto, or Glenn Murray of Winnipeg, have been bypassing their provincial governments and lobbying Ottawa directly, with little success.
Ever since Confederation dawned, the provinces and the central government in Ottawa, have been at loggerheads over issues jurisdictional, financial and so on and so forth. The current crop of premiers are smelling a federal government coming into disarray with a departing Chrétien and an incoming Martin. No better time then, for the provinces to propose this new Council of the Federation to act as a force against Ottawa. And as an aggrieved British Columbian, it is an awfully novel idea.
The provinces have rarely, throughout the reign of Jean Chrétien, acted with a united front. It didn't help that for most of the last decade Quebec had a soverigntist government, rarely if ever, wanting to side with the other provinces as it would demonstrate a little less enamour for their separatist designs. This proposed Council, is in fact the idea of Quebec's new federalist premier Jean Charest. Politically, he's hit paydirt. At home, he's standing up to Ottawa, and across the rest of Canada, he's willing to work with the other provinces and doesn't look like he'll upset the Confederation apple cart anytime soon.
The issues that New Brunswickers feel strongly about, are the same that Quebeckers hold, as are the ones Albertans and British Columbians hold. Ottawa is constantly short changing the provinces and only looking after itself on matters of jurisdiction and the lot. Just ask Newfoundland's Roger Grimes, who hinted at separation recently when Ottawa was less than supportive of their fishery. There is a fiscal imbalance between the provinces and the federal government. Our money isn't staying where we are, and rather, is going to Ottawa for crack pot ideas like the federal gun registry and boondoggles of the sort, which rarely if ever help the regions of the country equally or effectively.
Pierre Elliott Trudeau was an ardent federalist. The constitution that he "brought home" enshrined the federal government's continual intrusion on our provincial lives. It would be all right and tolerable if the federal government understood the concerns that embody this vast land, but alas they don't. Frankly, the federal government, especially those of a Liberal persuasion, are too short-sighted, too narrow minded and too married to the ludicrous idea that Canada is a homogeneous entity that they can dictate to from afar.
Canada does not exist, but rather is together for no apparent reason than it has been like this since 1867. I would trust our provincial governments to know what's on the mind of their citizen, faster than I would Sheila Copps or Jean Chrétien or the rest of their Liberal caucus.
Reality dictates that this is a nation that is far from perfect. With this Council of the Federation, and all its imperfections – namely how it will be constituted and whether this outfit will be enshrined constitutionally, or just be some shop for talk – there is some hope that some change is on the horizon. Judging from our past history though, I highly doubt it. But when the provinces talk in unison like they have this past week, the federal government will have nothing to do but take notice. It's high time, frankly.
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An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .