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MINISTER DION STATES THAT THE FEDERALISM OF TODAY
REQUIRES WORKING TOGETHER WHILE RESPECTING SPHERES OF AUTONOMY
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, June 11, 2000 – Describing Canada as
"the land of intergovernmental relations", the Honourable Stéphane
Dion, President of the Privy Council and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs,
stated today, at a conference on "Parliamentary Government at the
Millennium: Continuity and Change in Westminster Systems" being held by the
Canadian Study of Parliament Group, that intergovernmental relations are so
important in Canada that it is essential that they well serve the general
interest.
Pointing out that there are some fields of governmental activity
that do not lend themselves well to a watertight distinction of roles and
responsibilities between orders of government, and that the expansion of the
role of governments in the lives of citizens throughout the 20th century
has meant that the areas of jurisdiction of federal governments and governments
of constituent entities have come to touch increasingly, the Minister noted that
"governments' ability to work together while respecting each other's
spheres of autonomy is a determining factor in the functioning of modern
federations. [...] They have had to learn to work more closely together and to
manage these intense interactions."
"This dynamic between autonomy and interdependence is
experienced to a particularly high degree in Canada," he added. "You
would be hard pressed to find another federation whose political life is marked
as much by its intergovernmental relations."
Mr. Dion then described five factors which place
intergovernmental relations at the centre of Canadian political life and give
them a unique character among world federations. He noted the strength of
both orders of government in their respective spheres and the small number of
provinces, which "not only makes it easier to hold frequent interprovincial
or federal-provincial meetings, but also to build interprovincial
cohesion."
The Minister also pointed out that, compared with other senates,
Canada's, which is not elected, is in less of a position to compete with
the provincial governments in terms of regional representation. Another factor,
in Mr. Dion's view, is the strength of the executive branch in relation to the
legislative branch, at both the federal and provincial levels, which generates
intergovernmental relations between strong governments. The existence of a
minority group that constitutes a majority within one of the constituent
entities, and in particular the presence in Quebec of a separatist party in
power or in opposition over the last three decades, has often imparted an
existential nature to intergovernmental relations that is unknown in other
federations, he noted.
The Minister then proposed seven principles which can guide
intergovernmental relations in federations so that they best serve the public
interest. The Constitution must be respected and cooperation is essential to
intergovernmental relations, he emphasized. The third principle is that
"governments' ability to act must be preserved," Mr. Dion stated.
"We must not let our quest for cooperation lead us to create a federation
where no government can move without the permission of the others."
He stated that the federation must be flexible enough to
reconcile the pursuit of common objectives and citizens' desire for government
services of comparable quality throughout the country with the constituent
entities' capacity to innovate and establish a healthy emulation among
themselves. The federation must encourage redistribution, he added, citing
Canada's equalization program as an example. Governments must also exchange
information, Mr. Dion pointed out, and the public must be aware of their
respective contributions, so that citizens are able to assess the performance of
each one.
"Of course, intergovernmental relations within a federation
are often highly complex," the Minister concluded. "But we as
practitioners must never forget that beyond that necessary complexity, which is
our daily bread, federalism is, first and foremost, a profoundly human
undertaking. Federalism is proof that diversity is not a problem, but rather a
strength for a country."
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For information:
André Lamarre
Special Assistant
Phone: (613) 943-1838
Fax: (613) 943-5553
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