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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