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Your Majesty,
Prime Minister,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
As Canada's Intergovernmental Affairs Minister, it is a special pleasure for me to be here with you today, at the International Conference on Federalism, which coincides with Belgium's 175th anniversary. I would like to thank the organizers of this prestigious event, and also highlight the presence of representatives of the Forum of Federations. Since it was established, the Forum has become an important tribune of reflection for us all, as practitioners of federalism.
I would like to move immediately to my chosen topic: Canada's experience with federalism. Dating back to 1867, with its own unique history, it demonstrates that it is possible to enhance a country's unity, strength and creativity through diversity.
1) A flexible, evolving federalism
Looking at my country's history, you soon see that federalism was a wise choice by our founders, the formula best suited to the needs and aspirations of Canadians. The main reason is our country's exceptional diversity, which can be seen in all spheres of activity - linguistic, cultural, geographic, economic and social, as well as through our Aboriginal peoples' rich heritage. We have one majority Francophone province, with a substantial Anglophone minority, and a Francophone minority spread out across the country. And we have new citizens from every corner of the globe, who are enriching our country and changing the face of Canada.
In that context, our practice of federalism helps to strike a balance between unity and diversity. In tangible terms, this means pursuing national objectives and expressing our diversity at the local and regional level. Because the needs of citizens and the circumstances of the world are constantly evolving, Canada's federalism has also had to evolve to find that balance by adapting to contemporary changes.
Our federalism's flexibility lends itself to finding solutions to public policy challenges. It needs to draw on the varying capacities of jurisdictions to undertake initiatives geared to common objectives. This flexible federalism strengthens our country and helps it rise to the challenges we face.
In short, if I had to highlight one reason for Canada's success, it would be the flexible and evolving nature of our federalism, and the pragmatic way it is put into practice.
2) Cooperation and partnership
The success of the Canadian federation is based on a natural, fundamental principle: in a federal system, it is paramount that the constitutional partners respect one another. With that principle firmly in place, they then need to try to maintain harmonious relations, marked by tolerance and compromise. A strong Canada consists of strong provinces and a strong federal government, economically, socially, and culturally.
Canadians expect their governments to work together and deliver the best possible results. They have little patience for futile debates. They want tangible results, cooperation among governments and a balance between a national vision and a partnership that recognizes and respects local realities.
This approach, based on our laws and respectful of jurisdictions, has enabled us to develop systems whereby governments, as true partners, work together to provide citizens with comparable services throughout the country, whether it be in health or post-secondary education.
Cooperation also means complementary approaches of pooling our expertise and our resources, which may differ and yet engender synergy. Combining these measures helps to prevent duplication and achieve shared objectives.
Cooperation goes even further. On the global stage, in carrying out its unique responsibilities for protecting national security, and fostering a solid, barrier-free economy, Canada is stronger and the role of government more effective when all the partners in the federation are engaged.
One of the challenges of cooperation is accountability. The model I believe
in supports the notion that citizens can exercise their own judgment on their
governments' performance. It is a model that can accommodate all forms of
cooperation, through the requirement of transparency. Governments'
accountability to citizens, rather than to one another, shows how far we have
evolved, from the first major national projects in the 60s to framework
agreements
on health last fall, and on early childhood development since 2000. This is a
trend that can be seen worldwide, where citizens, better educated and possessing
more sophisticated technology are demanding that governments be more
accountable. In the private sector, increased shareholder expectations are a
demonstration of the same phenomena.
Canada has vast experience in all these areas. Our funding models, our laws, and our practices of intergovernmental cooperation are highly developed, albeit non-institutional. We have many fora for consultation which have no legal or constitutional status, but which help forge consensus on the goals we want to achieve together, on options for getting there, and on putting our plans into practice. In the fields of agriculture, internal trade, public security, social services, immigration, our federal-provincial-territorial fora provide exceptional opportunities for cooperation. Despite differences of opinion, or perhaps precisely because Canada's diversity inevitably gives rise to them, these mechanisms help us to find solutions, to make compromises and to better serve our citizens. Moreover, in December 2003, the provinces and territories established a new mechanism, the Council of the Federation, an initiative that helps them to work together more effectively and foster meaningful relations between governments based on respect for the Constitution and recognition of the diversity within the federation.
3) Today's realities
So, what is new about what I have just described? Evolution is sometimes marked by key moments. Some would say that one such moment was the signing of a health accord by governments that gave a name to flexibility: asymmetrical federalism. This is an aspect of our federation that is well reflected in our legal traditions, civil law and common law, in our two official languages, and in many practices where the specificity of the provinces and regions has resulted in a series of bilateral agreements, rather than a single multilateral agreement. Referring to this process by this label caused concern in some circles, and some people have even challenged the approach itself, an approach that is nevertheless essential if our federation is to work effectively. Together with our partners, we will need to preserve the essence of asymmetry, which helps to develop flexible means to achieve common goals.
Another current issue in our federation involves questions about the ways and means of sharing financial resources. In the past ten years, Canada has successfully eliminated the federal deficit and reduced the national debt. On February 23, our Finance Minister delivered Canada's eighth consecutive balanced budget. Our economy is strong, and has improved Canadians' standard of living, created jobs, and maintained low interest rates. All regions of the country have benefited, but not all to the same extent. Our strong economy has allowed the federal government to reinvest in areas under great strain, like health care and the Equalization program. Equalization is a mechanism entrenched within Canada's Constitution for the purpose of ensuring that every province can provide comparable public services, despite disparities in fiscal capacity. It is not the principle of sharing that is challenged, nor is the federal government's commitment to this foundation of our federation, but there are different viewpoints. And the fact that many initiatives have been undertaken to shed light on this matter, at both the federal and provincial levels, is indicative of how important this issue is for Canada at this time. I am confident that the traditions of compromise and respect will help us find a positive solution.
There is also a renewed interest in the role of the provinces on the international scene. We already have extensive sectoral experience, which we can build on to achieve greater consistency. The Government of Canada is, of course, the main point of contact with other national governments and international organizations of which we are members. But the active participation of the provinces is essential for Canada to address effectively the domestic implications of international issues. As such, federalism must be seen as a tool for strengthening Canada's voice in the world.
This is a brief overview of the context in which our federation continues to evolve, strengthen and grow.
Conclusion
A made-in-Canada federalism adapted to Canadian realities must reflect the fundamental values that unite all Canadians: equality, respect for diversity, fairness, human dignity, individual responsibility, protection of minority rights, linguistic duality, and our solidarity and responsibilities toward one another.
By uniting these different elements, Canada has been able to progress, prosper and assume its destiny as a nation. I believe this makes federalism a system well adapted to major universal ideals, and to the issues of our time and our Canadian reality.
Thank you.