Document Information

Date: 1975-07-21
By: Secretary of the Cabinet for Federal-Provincial Relations
Citation: Letter from the Secretary of the Cabinet for Federal-Provincial Relations to Dickson H. Bailey (21 July 1975).
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CONFIDENTIAL

Secretary to the Cabinet
for Federal-Provincial Relations

Secrétaire du Cabinet
pour les relations fédérales-provinciales

July 21st, 1975.

Dear Mr. Bailey:

I was glad to learn from your letter of July 16th that Premier Blakeney can have a meeting with me on Thursday, August 7th, at 11.00 a.m. I shall come to the Premier’s office at that time. Unfortunately Frank Carter will be away and will not be able to accompany me. I hope that Bill Haney will be able to come in his stead.

So far as the constitutional questions are concerned, the starting point is the Prime Minister’s letter of April 19th. That sets forth the basic questions which the eleven First Ministers agreed at the dinner on April 9th should be explored. In addition to those basic questions, the points that have arisen in the course of my meetings so far that I will be wanting to take up with the Premier are the following:

(a) The amending formula in so far as it relates
to the four Western provinces

Mr. Lougheed wishes to have it changed to remove the requirement that the two Western provinces should have “combined populations of at least 50% of the population of all the Western provinces”. This proviso was introduced at the insistence of Premier Bennett. I have not been able to see Premier Barrett thus far so I have had no chance to explore it with him. I would imagine that Premier Blakeney would be entirely favourable to the change.

Dickson H. Bailey, Esq.,
Special Assistant to
the Premier,
Legislative Building,
Regina S4S 0B3

[Page 2]

(b) whether to include Part IV of the Victoria Charter with regard to the Supreme Court

Mr. Lougheed would like to see this included and certain other Premiers have expressed themselves to the same effect.

(c) Whether Part VIIof the Victoria Charter on regional disparities should be included

This is of particular interest to the Atlantic provinces and they feel it should be included.

(d) Whether there would be any objection to the inclusion of certain “constitutional guarantees” for the “cultural security” of French Canada

This is a matter that Premier Bourassa raised at the dinner on April 9th and in subsequent conversation. I realize that Premier Blakeney would want to know just what this might mean and I think this is something that can only be developed in discussion.

Apart from these constitutional matters, Mr. Haney and I would be very happy to discuss any other matters that Premier Blakeney might wish to raise or any questions that it might be desirable for us to discuss with Ministers or officials. We are planning to arrive in Regina late in the afternoon on August 6th and to leave at 3.30 p.m. on August 7th. We could be available for any discussions that seem to be desirable while we are there.

Thank you for your assistance in making these arrangements.