Document Information

Date: 1971-06-14
By: Harry Strom
Citation: Federal-Provincial Constitutional Conference, An Address to the Federal-Provincial Constitutional Conference by the Premier of Alberta (Victoria: 14-16 June 1971).
Other formats: Click here to view the original document (PDF).

NB
TO BE AMENDED AS GIVEN

AN ADDRESS TO
THE FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCE
BY
THE PREMIER OF ALBERTA

JUNE 1971

AN ADDRESS TO

THE FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCE

MR. PRIME MINISTER, MY FELLOW PREMIERS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

IT IS A PLEASURE FOR ME, PERSONALLY AND ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE OF ALBERTA, TO EXTEND OUR WARM CONGRATULATIONS TO PRIME MINISTER BENNETT, THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA ON THIS HISTORIC OCCASION. BRITISH COLUMBIA’S CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS HAVE A SPECIAL MEANING TO ALBERTANS, FOR THE BONDS BETWEEN OUR TWO PROVINCES ARE CLOSE, AND THERE EXISTS A UNITY OF PURPOSE, OF GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS, AMONG OUR RESPECTIVE CITIZENS.

IT IS, I THINK, SOMEHOW APPROPRIATE THAT THIS, PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF OUR CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCES, IS BEING HELD IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. THIS PROVINCE’S STRENGTH AND DYNAMISM ILLUSTRATE THE GREAT POTENTIAL OF THE CANADIAN NATION.

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THE MATTERS WE ARE HERE TO DISCUSS WILL BE CRUCIAL IN DETERMINING THE COURSE WHICH CANADA MAY TAKE OVER THE NEXT ONE HUNDRED YEARS. THIS CONFERENCE COULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT SINCE CONFEDERATION. THE OCCASION CALLS FOR COMPLETE FRANKNESS, A WILLINGNESS TO REACH AGREEMENT, AND A SINCERE RESPECT FOR THE VIEWPOINTS OF THOSE WITH WHOSE POSITIONS WE MAY STRONGLY DISAGREE.

A VIABLE FEDERAL UNION

THE BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT ESTABLISHED A FEDERAL SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN CANADA. A VIABLE FEDERAL UNION IS ONLY POSSIBLE IN THE CONTEXT OF STRONG CENTRAL GOVERNMENTS. THIS STRENGTH IS ABSENT WHEN THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE JURISDICTIONAL OBLIGATIONS FOR SOME OF THE MOST RAPIDLY EXPANDING AND EXPENSIVE PROGRAMS AFFECTING CANADIANS — EDUCATION, HIGHWAYS, HEALTH, WELFARE — WITHOUT ADEQUATE ACCESS TO SOURCES OF REVENUE TO MEET THESE OBLIGATIONS. THEREFORE, BEFORE DELVING INTO PARTICULAR CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SEVERAL POINTS I FEEL SHOULD BE CONSIDERED CAREFULLY.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S SYSTEM OF CONDITIONAL GRANTS FOR SHARED-COST PROGRAMS DESTROYS PROVINCIAL AUTONOMY.

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TERMINATE GRANTS-IN-AID

THE GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA TAKES THE POSITION THAT THE PRACTICE OF LAUNCHING NEW PROGRAMS EMPLOYING GRANTS-IN-AID SHOULD BE TERMINATED. FURTHERMORE, WE BELIEVE STRONGLY THAT THE EXISTING SHARED- COST PROGRAMS SHOULD BE PHASED OUT AND THE TAX EQUIVALENT GIVEN TO THE PROVINCES.

HOWEVER, CONDITIONAL GRANTS AND SHARED-COSTS PROGRAMS ARE ONLY ONE ASPECT OF THE ISSUE OF PROVINCIAL AUTONOMY. THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS MUST HAVE CONTROL OVER SOCIAL POLICY — AND ALL THE PROGRAMS IN THIS FIELD — IF THEY ARE TO RETAIN EVEN THE VESTIGES OF INDEPENDENT AUTHORITY. EACH GOVERNMENT MUST RECOGNIZE THE LIMITS OF ITS LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY AND REFRAIN FROM ACTIVITIES WHICH ARE NOT WITHIN ITS JURISDICTION.

RESOURCES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

THIS RECOGNITION MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY ACCEPTANCE OF THE PRINCIPLE OF A BLANCE BETWEEN FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. THE DISPARITY BETWEEN THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND RESOURCES OF THE PROVINCES IS PRESENTLY MAKING AN ILLUSION OF CANADIAN FEDERALISM.

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INDEED, THE VERY SURVIVAL OF SOME PROVINCES IS AT STAKE. IF WE WANT TO PRESERVE CANADIAN FEDERALISM WE WILL HAVE TO FIND SOME METHOD OF ADJUSTING THIS INTOLERABLE INEQUITY.

WE SUGGEST THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT VACATE THE FIELD OF PERSONAL INCOME TAX AND LEAVE THESE REVENUES TO THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS — THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS AND THEIR MUNICIPALITIES ACCOUNTING FOR ALMOST TWO-THIRDS OF ALL GOVERNMENT SPENDING IN CANADA.

A GREATER SHARE OF THE TAXATION REVENUE IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.

PRESSING PROBLEMS

LET ME TURN TO MORE PRESSING PROBLEMS FOR A MOMENT.

WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS ECONOMIC CRISIS EVER TO CONFRONT CANADA.

WE HAVE AN INTOLERABLY HIGH LEVEL OF UNEMPLOYMENT.

THIS HURTS PEOPLE.

WE HAVE AN INTOLERABLY HIGH LEVEL OF INFLATION.

THIS HURTS PEOPLE.

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THE ECONOMY IS AT A COMPLETE STANDSTILL.

THIS MEANS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING HURT BY UNEMPLOYMENT AND INFLATION ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SUFFER.

IN ALBERTA, THROUGH CAREFUL PLANNING AND SOUND MANAGEMENT, WE HAVE NEUTRALIZED — NULLIFIED THE EFFECTS OF — THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S MISGUIDED POLICIES.

WE HAVE REDUCED UNEMPLOYMENT.

AT THE SAME TIME, THE NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT SITUATION WORSENED.

BUT ALBERTA CANNOT STAND ALONE AND RESIST FEDERAL POLICIES.

WE ARE ONLY A SMALL PART OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMY AND WE WILL BE DRAWN INTO ECONOMIC DISASTER, ALONG WITH THE OTHER PROVINCES, IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF ITS PRESENT ECONOMIC EXPERTS.

MY GOVERNMENT WILL DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO AVERT THIS, BUT OUR OPTIONS ARE LIMITED.

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OUR LONG RANGE AIM MUST BE TO DEVELOP THE KIND OF ECONOMY WHICH IS LEAST AFFECTED BY ECONOMIC SETBACKS; WE CAN ACHIEVE THIS GOAL BY ADOPTING POLICIES WHICH RECOGNIZE THE DIVERSITY WITHIN CANADA AND INCREASE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND ENCOURAGE ECONOMIC GROWTH.

WE PROPOSE THAT A FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE BE CONVENED IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SIX WEEKS TO DEAL SOLELY WITH THE ECONOMIC SITUATION AND THE NEED FOR INNOVATIVE POLICIES.

WE MUST COUNTERACT THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF RECENT FEDERAL POLICIES.

THE WEST IS PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S METHOD OF CONTINUALLY GIVING THE CONCERNS RAISED BY CERTAIN PROVINCES TOP PRIORITY WHILE IGNORING THE CONCERNS RAISED BY OTHERS. THIS APPROACH WILL ONLY INCREASE THE FEELING OF ALIENATION PREVALENT IN THE WEST AND WILL DO LITTLE TO PROMOTE UNITY AND AGREEMENT.

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I MAKE THIS POINT IN REFERENCE TO THE POSITION I HAVE TAKEN ON THE LANGUAGE QUESTION. ALBERTA IS A MULTICULTURAL PROVINCE, AND CANADA IS A MULTICULTURAL COUNTRY, AND WE CANNOT ACCEPT ANY PROPOSAL WHICH DOES NOT GIVE THAT FACT FULL RECOGNITION.

WE WISH TO POINT OUT ALSO THAT IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT PROPOSALS WHICH ARE MADE BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO ONE OR MORE PROVINCES MUST BE AVAILABLE ON AN EQUAL BASIS TO ALL PROVINCES.

IT HAS OCCURRED AT TIMES THAT PROVINCES HAD SIMILAR ASPIRATIONS BUT THAT OPPORTUNITIES WHICH WERE OFFERED TO ONE WERE DENIED TO ANOTHER.

LET ME, IN CONCLUSION, SUMMARIZE THE POINTS I HAVE MADE:

FIRST, CANADA IS A MULTICULTURAL COUNTRY.

ALBERTA CANNOT ACCEPT LANGUAGE PROVISIONS WHICH APPLY TO AREAS OF PROVINCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.

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SECOND, THE PROVINCES MUST BE ABLE TO DISCHARGE THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE AREA OF SOCIAL POLICY.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY MUST BE GIVEN THE TAXATION RESOURCES THEY REQUIRE FOR THIS PURPOSE.

THIRD, WE BELIEVE THAT GOVERNMENT POLICIES MUST DEAL WITH INDIVIDUALS, NOT WITH ARTIFICIAL REGIONS.

A CANADIAN IS A CANADIAN WHEREVER HE LIVES.

IT HURTS JUST AS MUCH TO BE POOR IN ALBERTA AS IT DOES IN ANY OTHER PART OF CANADA.

A FINAL POINT:

I TAKE A VERY DIM VIEW OF WRITING INTO THE CONSTITUTION PROVISIONS WHICH HAVE NO CONCRETE APPLICATION — THE KIND OF WINDOW DRESSING WHICH HAS NO PRACTICAL MEANING.

THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCE COULD MARK A MILESTONE IN CANADIAN HISTORY. IF IT IS SUCCESFUL THE PROGRESS WE MAKE COULD MEAN A BRIGHTER, STRONGER FUTURE FOR CANADIANS — A FUTURE WHERE LIBERTY, EQUALITY AND OPPORTUNITY FOR THE INDIVIDUAL CANADIAN IS ASSURED.