MINISTER DION STATES THAT THE CHANGES MADE
TO THE FEDERATION WILL IMPROVE THE
QUALITY OF SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC
KINGSTON, ONTARIO, May 28, 1998
– The Honourable Stéphane Dion, President of the Privy Council and Minister
of Intergovernmental Affairs, said today in a speech to the Institute of
Intergovernmental Relations of Queen's University that improving the Canadian
federation must be guided by principles that draw on the potential of the
federal and provincial governments and enhance the synergy between them.
"The question [...] is whether the changes we have made [...], as well as
those we are currently working on with the provinces, will have long-term
benefits in terms of the effectiveness of the federation," the Minister
indicated.
Mr. Dion explained that the changes to the federation must be motivated by a
desire to improve service to the public, rather than a list of traditional
demands. "Transfers of power cannot allay separatism if they are made for
that purpose alone," he noted. "[...] identity, rather than the
division of powers, [...] is at the source of our unity problem. Francophone
Quebecers want the assurance that their language and culture can flourish with
the support of other Canadians [...] that they can be both Quebecers and
Canadians, and that they don't have to choose between Quebec and Canada,"
the Minister added.
Mr. Dion then listed some of the principles guiding the Government's actions in
improving the federation, including:
The Constitution must be
respected. Infringement of jurisdiction creates confusion which damages the
quality of public policy.
Close cooperation must be
established where it is needed. And it must be done often, because
government jurisdictions touch on each other in almost all sectors.
Governments' ability to act must
be preserved. We must not let our quest for cooperation leave us with a
federation where no government can do anything without asking the permission
of the others.
The federation must be flexible.
The provinces have their own specific characteristics and sometimes adopt
differing policies. The objective here is to reconcile joint action with the
country's diversity and the provinces' capacity to innovate and establish a
healthy emulation among themselves.
The federation must be fair.
Canada will have succeeded in bringing down the $62 billion deficit of all
its governments in less than five years. The federal government is aware of
the difficulties the provinces are having, which is why 38% of the new
spending initiatives (additional spending or rescinded cuts) set out in the
last Martin budget will go directly to the provinces.
We must exchange information.
Unilateralism and upstaging must be avoided. Governments must be notified in
advance of any new initiatives that could have a significant effect on their
activities.
The public must be aware of the
respective contributions of the different governments. Citizens have the
right to know what their governments are there for and must be able to gauge
the performance of each one. And governments will agree more readily to work
together if they have the assurance that credit for their initiatives will
not be claimed by others.
The Minister concluded that,
while there will always be conflicts within a federation, we've got to stop
seeing every single one as proof that the country doesn't work. What is
important is that we are moving in the right direction, he said, taking an
approach "à la Jean Chrétien, step by step, solid and
determined."
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