Canadian Unity

1
Canadian Unity The Quebec Questions
continues!!!

• Civil Rights In Canada
• Constitution to Referendums

2
BNA Act - 1867

• British North American Act 1867
• Outlined the powers of the Canadian government to
  make laws and establish the levels of government
  for making law (federal / provincial)

3
Human Rights in Canada after WW2Canadian Bill of
Rights

• PM Diefenbaker and his government passed the
  Canadian Bill of Rights 1960
• Set down in legislation the civil rights and
  freedoms that Canadians had already enjoyed under
  common law
• CBC Archives Clip Bill of Rights

4
Canadian Bill of Rights continued

• Criticized
• As federal (statute) it applied to only federal
  matters
• It was a Parliamentary statute meaning it could
  be changed by parliament at any time
• Did little to protect equality rights

5
Canadian Politics 1960s

• Pierre Elliott Trudeau
• Video clip Just society
• Just Society 1968
• State has no place in the bedrooms of the
  nation
• Promised greater social justice and stronger
  guarantees of individual rights
• Prime Minister (15 yrs)
• April 20, 1968  June 4,1979
• March 3, 1980  June 30, 1984
• Bilingualism Official Languages Act, 1969
• Law reforms divorce, abortion, homosexuality,
  and birth control
• Equality rights for Aboriginal Canadians
• October Crisis, 1970

6
Rights in Canada

• What does Canada have that many countries dont?
• Civil Rights (and freedoms) - limit the power
  that a government has over its citizens
• Human Rights protect people from being unfairly
  discriminated against by other individuals
• Canadians can feel secure in almost all areas of
  their lives
• Canadians are free because laws are passed and
  enforced to protect their rights and freedoms
• Wealth, gender, race, age, belief, family status
  are not supposed to determine how you are
  treated in Canada equal under the law
• Just Watch Me clip Contradictions? Explain?
  Justify?

7
Shifts in Quebec 1960-70s

• Mass immigration to Quebec mostly choosing to
  speak English Language of North America
• Decreasing birthrates fewer native Quebeckers
  being born
• Quebecers fear their language and culture could
  be lost

8
The Rise of the Parti Quebecois

• Provincial party
• Sovereign agenda
• Swept into power in Quebec 1976
• Leader Rene Levesque
• Promised to win independence for Quebec, end
  confederation with Canada

9
The P.Q and Language Laws in Quebec

• Bill 101
• Replaced Bill 22
• 1976
• Stronger restrictions on the use of English in
  Quebec
• No English on commercial signs
• Limited access to education in English in Quebec
• English speaking Quebecers outraged
• Many English language companies left Quebec

10
Quebec Referendum 1

• 1980
• Sovereignty- Association
• 90 voter turnout - Quebec
• 60 in favour of staying a part of Canada
• Federal Government response get moving with
  constitutional reform a way of meeting Quebecs
  needs

11
Development of Canadian Constitution
Federal and provincial governments were
suspicious of each other

• Constitution Act 1982
• Canada given an amending formula ability
• to change our own constitution complete
• independence from Britain
• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Our road to independence

• Supreme Court of Canada 1949
• Established and becomes Canadas highest court

• Statute of Westminster 1931
• British Statute Giving Canada control over its
  foreign affairs

• BNA Act - 1867
• (British North American Act) British Statute
• Dominion of Canada formed
• British Privy Council Canadas highest court
• Little control of our affairs (foreign)

Defined areas of federal and provincial
jurisdiction (federal more powerful) only 2
12
The Constitution

• So why did it take us so long to get a new
  constitution?
• The struggle for power between the provinces and
  Ottawa (Federal Government)
• Trudeaus governments response
  Famous Notwithstanding Claus
• Quebec felt betrayed didnt sign!!!!!
• Peoples history night of long knives

13
Constitutional Debate

• Women campaigned to have equality rights
  entrenched in constitution (Charter of Rights and
  Freedoms)
• Native Peoples angered because not consulted
• Quebec felt betrayed by the other 9 provinces.

14
Trudeau The Constitution Act, 1982

• Constitution Act, 1982, including the Canadian
  Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• Constitutional Law, not Statute law
• Changes must be in accordance to the amendment
  formula
• Lists civil rights and freedoms for all Canadians
  at all levels of government
• Section 24 of the Charter details the
  enforcement of guaranteed rights and freedoms

15
The Constitution 1982

• All signed except Quebec
• What next?????

• Brian Mulroney
• Prime Minister 1984-1993
• Conservative
• Attempted to resolve the conflict between Quebec
  and the rest of Canada

16
Meech Lake Accord 1987

• Conditions
• Recognize Quebec as a distinct society
• More power to the provinces
• Acceptance
• All 3 federal parties
• 8 of 10 provinces
• Opponents
• NFLD too much power to provincial governments
• Manitoba Aboriginal communities (also
  distinct!)
• Conclusion
• 1990 - Meech Lake failed. Elijah Harper
  (Manitoba MPP rejected it on behalf of Aboriginal
  communities)

17
Charlottetown Accord 1992

• Conditions
• Quebec a distinct society
• Aboriginal governments on par with federal /
  provincial government
• More power to provincial governments
• Process
• Referendum asking Canadians to vote on a
  constitutional change Charlottetown Accord
  (agreement)
• 55 said NO defeated
• Outcomes
• Western Regionalism
• Quebec Separatism

UNITY CRISIS
18
Referendum 1995

• Provincial referendum
• Unilateral independence
• Oct 1995
• NO 49.4
• YES 50.6
• Loss blamed on Big Business and the ethnic
  vote