Options for a New Canada / / ed. by Ronald Watts, Douglas Brown.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter University of Toronto Press eBook-Package Archive 1933-1999
• MitwirkendeR: Boadway, Robin,; Brown, Douglas M.,; Cairns, Alan C.,; Courchene, Thomas J.,; Gagnon, Alain-G.,; Hawkes, David C.,; Laforest, Guy,; Leslie, Peter M.,; McDougall, John N.,; Meekison, J. Peter,; Milne, David,; Monahan, Patrick,; Morse, Bradford W.,; Russell, Peter H.,; Saint-Pierre, Guy,; Soberman, Dan,; Stinson, William W.,; Swinton, Katherine,; Taylor, Charles,; Watts, Ronald L.,; d’Aquino, Thomas P.,
• HerausgeberIn: Brown, Douglas,; Watts, Ronald,
• Place / Publishing House: Toronto : : University of Toronto Press, , [2020]; ©1991
• Year of Publication: 2020
• Language: English
• Series: Heritage
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (360 p.)

The sharp and overwhelming reaction in Quebec to the failure of the Meech Lake Accord has been unprecedented public support for sovereignty and practically no support for the current form of Canadian federalism. This has led to renewed demands for a major constitutional restructuring which, if unsuccessful, is likely this time around to result in the separation of Quebec from Canada. At the same time there is considerable pressure from many other quarters in Canada for other sorts of constitutional change, such as Senate reform and aboriginal self-government. There are also calls for Canadian federalism to be modernized to provide a more effective political response to the global challenges of the contemporary world. Recognizing that Canada is facing a renewed and potentially disastrous constitutional impasse, the Business Council on National Issues has commissioned the papers in this book to provide a fresh analysis of our difficult constitutional problems. The contributors include some of Canada’s leading academic commentators in the fields of political science, economics, philosophy and law. These papers do not provide a single blueprint for Canada’s future; rather they present a range of possible solution and arrangements, each with attendant opportunities and risks. Among the alternatives explored are a restructured federalism, a looser federal union with strong provinces, and an arrangement called “asymmetrical federalism” which would treat Quebec differently than the other nine provinces. Other options include looser forms of confederal economic union, and the possible separation of Canada into two or more independent successor-states. Choosing among the alternatives will not be easy, but the message of these papers is that if Canadians do not now weigh the alternatives carefully and decide what they want, the options will narrow and could produce unintended and undesired results. The choice is up to Canadians.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- FOREWORD -- INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT -- INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- NOTES ABOUT THE AUTHORS -- I. Introduction -- 1. An Overview -- II. An Outline of the Options -- 2. Canada's Constitutional Options: An Outline -- III. The Context -- 3. The Context for Future Constitutional Options -- 4. Shared and Divergent Values -- 5. Constitutional Change and the Three Equalities -- IV. Basic Options and Processes -- 6. Quebec Beyond the Federal Regime of 1867-1982: From Distinct Society to National Community -- 7. Options for the Future of Canada: the Good, the Bad, and the Fantastic -- 8. Towards a New Constitutional Process -- 9. Riding the Constitutional Rollercoaster: A Commentary -- 10. Alternative Methods for Aboriginal Participation in Processes of Constitutional Reform -- V. Models for Future Structures -- 11. European Integration: Are There Lessons for Canada? -- 12. Other Federal and Nonfederal Countries: Lessons for Canada -- VI. Areas of Adjustinent -- 13. Constitutional Design in a Federation: An Economist's Perspective -- 14. Distribution of Functions and Jurisdiction: A Political Scientist's Analysis -- 15. Equality or Asymmetry: Why Choose? -- 16. The Federative Superstructure -- 17. Areas of Adjustment: A Lawyer's Perspective