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GOING BEYOND THE MYTHS ABOUT
THE CANADIAN FEDERATION

April 25, 1996 – "At a time when the unity of Canada is threatened", Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion wants to "pinpoint the positive elements of our federal system" and identify "the areas where improvements must still be made to serve Canadians better and bolster their confidence in their system of government."

Speaking to members of APEX, an association of senior public service managers, Mr. Dion said it is necessary to "make an accurate diagnosis of how our federation works".

"Federalism has helped Canada to prosper first and foremost because it is a flexible and dynamic system that has struck the right balance between two fundamental principles: solidarity and diversity," the Minister said.

Mr. Dion nevertheless stressed that his message was addressed not only to Quebec secessionists, but also to other Canadians who dream of a unitary Canada.

Debunking the myths

The Minister said he regretted that those who believe in Canada have not always made the necessary effort to explain the advantages of our political system to Canadians.

"By leaving the field open to our opponents, we have let a number of myths and falsehoods about our federation take root in public opinion." Mr. Dion then pointed to figures demonstrating that the level of public spending in Canada compared very favourably with that of unitary countries such as France, the Netherlands, Italy, Norway and Sweden.

Using OECD data, he also showed that Canada's public service is not unusually large, and is indeed appreciably smaller than those of most of the above-mentioned unitary countries.

Addressing the "myth" that Canadians have a heavier tax burden than that of other OECD countries, he pointed out that 11 of the 19 OECD countries for which data are available have a heavier tax burden than Canada's.

Improving the federal system

After making a very positive assessment of the federation, the Minister concluded by outlining three ways to make the federal system even better:

First, he said that we must continue our efforts to make the federation more efficient. To do so, the Minister believes that, in particular, we will have to "better clarify the roles and responsibilities of the federal government and the provinces [...], minimize unnecessary overlap, [and] effectively manage overlap that is inevitable".

Second, the Minister would like to see all Canadian leaders join forces to make the federation work more harmoniously. "For effective co-ordination of federal and provincial efforts, we must work in partnership," he said.

Coming back to his main theme, Mr. Dion then said that, third, "we have to debunk the far too many myths circulating about our federation and how it works.

"Let's make an accurate diagnosis of our federation, so that we can prescribe the right course of treatment for it," the Minister concluded.

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For information:Claude Péloquin
Press Secretary
(613) 943-1838.
 


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Last Modified: 1996-04-25  Important Notices