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MINISTER DION STATES THAT ARGENTINA AND CANADA BENEFIT
FROM SHARING THEIR EXPERIENCE OF FEDERALISM
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA, May 3, 2001 – Noting that
relations between Argentina and Canada blossomed considerably during the 1990s,
the Honourable Stéphane Dion, President of the Privy Council and Minister of
Intergovernmental Affairs, told students at the Law Faculty of the University of
Buenos Aires that the two countries can learn from each other by sharing their
experience of federalism.
"Following the Summit of the Americas, our two
countries are called on to have increasingly close, sustained and productive
relations. We have an interest in knowing each other better," the
Minister stated.
Comparing the two very different federations, Mr. Dion set out
five reasons that explain why intergovernmental relations exert a
fundamental influence on the way Canada works.
He first stated that "in the world of federations,
there are few constituent entities more powerful than a Canadian province."
The Constitution grants the provinces broad legislative jurisdictions of their
own, he explained, noting that in respect of private law and education, for
example, Argentina's Constitution assigns to the federal government
responsibilities that, in Canada, are the exclusive constitutional jurisdictions
of the provinces. As a result, he noted, there are very few policies that
Canada's federal government can implement on its own without having to
cooperate with the provinces. In addition, the provinces have substantial fiscal
and budgetary weight.
Second, the Minister pointed out that, compared with other
constituent entities in the Americas, Canada's provinces are small in number. It
is thus less complicated to build interprovincial cohesion, it is possible to
hold frequent intergovernmental meetings, and provincial power is not too thinly
spread. "This helps to make the provinces major actors in the Canadian
federal system."
Third, he noted another difference: Argentinian senators will
henceforth be elected by the population; Canadian senators are chosen by the
federal executive branch.
Fourth, unlike federations such as Argentina that have a
presidential system, or those with a proportional representation electoral
system, Canada combines a parliamentary system and a simple majority vote
electoral system, Mr. Dion pointed out. "This combination tends to
produce governments, at both the federal and provincial levels, that are formed
by a single party which is usually able to pass the legislation it proposes.
Intergovernmental relations are conducted between strong governments."
Finally, Canada has another characteristic: Francophones are a
minority within Canada, but form the majority within one of the provinces,
Quebec. "So it is not surprising that Francophone Quebecers, in
addition to identifying with Canada, also identify themselves strongly with
their province and its own institutions," the Minister stated.
In spite of what may distinguish them, all federations stand to
benefit from respecting certain principles in order to function effectively, Mr.
Dion stated. The Constitution must be respected in order to prevent infringement
of legislative jurisdictions which damages the quality of public policy.
Governments need to cooperate, and their ability to act must be preserved by
promoting the capacity for initiative and innovation.
Moreover, he added, the federation must be flexible: the quest
for joint action must take into account the diversity of the country. The
federation must be fair and encourage redistribution among the constituent
entities. Governments need to compare their performance, assess their respective
initiatives and establish among themselves a healthy emulation. Finally, the
public must be aware of the contributions of the different governments, because
citizens have the right to know what their governments are there for and they
must be able to assess their performance.
The Minister concluded by stating that, beyond the differences
between federations, "we all stand to gain a great deal from this
mutual apprenticeship of federalism."
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For information:
André Lamarre
Special Adviser
Tel: (613) 943-1838
Fax: (613) 943-5553
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