Federalism

The issue of what belongs under federal and provincial jurisdiction has been a hot topic in the last few elections. The Bloc Quebecois and Conservatives generally favour a more decentralized federation and in the case of the BQ outright separation, while the Liberals and NDP are generally supportive of a more centralized federation. The Constitution essentially defines what is under federal and provincial jurisdiction, however the federal government can still indirectly intervene in provincial jurisdiction by funding provincial programs and attaching strings to the programs.

My view on federalism is that as a nation we need to have certain things that are the same across the board and devolving too much power to the provinces will make Canada nothing more than a country in name. I don't support a EU style federation where the federal government has very limited powers, but neither do I support a highly centralized state such as France where almost everything is done by the federal government. As a country we are too large to have everything done out of Ottawa. Rather I believe decisions ought to be done where they can be executed the most efficiently. In addition, federal and provincial governments should work together to avoid overlap since this just cost taxpayers more money. I also believe that a strong federal government is one that works with the provinces to achieve our common goals, not one that pits one province against another for electoral gain.

Federal Jurisdiction

Military, immigration, and foreign affairs should continue to be exclusively under federal jurisdiction. I am not against consulting the provinces if the issue is one that affects them, for example if Canada is seeking closer ties with China it would make logical sense to consult BC who would be most affected. However, no province should have a veto over those issues nor should they be decided based on what the majority of provinces want. In areas such as health and the environment those are shared jurisdictions and should remain so, however there should be better coordination to ensure that there is less overlap. I also believe there are many economic advantages to doing things at a federal vs. provincial level. Just as Wal-Mart can produce things cheaper than a mom and pop operation, the federal government through economies of scale can do things cheaper than provinces can alone. Therefore from a purely economic stance more power to the federal government makes sense, however due to the large variances across this nation regionally sensitive issues should be left to the provinces. I also support the federal government creating a national securities regulator instead of having ten provincial ones as this would make investing in Canada far cheaper by having to deal with only one regulator versus ten different ones. I likewise support eliminating all trade barriers between provinces which are completely out of date for any modern country. In fact very few developed countries still have trade barriers within them. The agreement signed between BC and Alberta to eliminate all trade barriers should be expanded to all provinces.

Provincial Jurisdiction

Certain things such as running schools and hospitals are best done at the local level closest to the people affected rather than by some distant bureaucracy. The federal government can set overall objectives, but should not try to interfere in the day to day management in those areas and for the most part they don't despite the rhetoric from some. I also believe provinces should have some leeway on economic policies to reflect the different values of the province. Conservative provinces like Alberta should be allowed to adopt more pro-free enterprise policies while more socialistic ones like Quebec shouldn't be hindered from having a larger social welfare system, off course within reasonable limits.

Equalization

Equalization is something we hear about a lot, yet most Canadians including myself understand very little about it. I support maintaining it, but I believe to avoid future provincial-federal showdowns a standard formula should be established by a non-partisan entity. I also believe barriers to mobility need to be eliminated. It should be much easier for someone to move from one province to another. If Canadians were more mobile there would likely be less inequality between the regions.

Bilingualism and Language Policy

Perhaps this should be a separate topic, but I thought it would fit in best here. I support maintaining bilingualism in the federal government and providing bilingual services in all regions where numbers warrant. Every ten years, this should be updated to reflect areas that may have previously been predominately Anglophone or Francophone but now have a larger linguistic minority. For example, I think parts of Manitoba should be added as bilingual areas. In addition I support the government providing services in non-official languages where numbers warrant, but this should be left to the discretion of the individual agency. Already most consulates and embassies abroad provide service in both English, French, and the language of the country they are located in. At the provincial level, I believe the decision should be left to the provinces unless the federal government is willing to foot the bill. New Brunswick is obligated to provide bilingual services as are all provinces in education, but beyond that, it should be up to each province. I also think beyond essential labelling on products, language in the private sector should be determined by the market, not the government. Indeed most major Canadian companies already provide their websites in both languages and when it comes to labelling, many companies exceed bilingual requirements. I don't support Quebec's Bill 101 since while I understand the desire to protect the French language, I cannot accept another language being treated as inferior. However, this should ultimately be up to Quebec and the courts to determine whether this stands or not. I believe more emphasis should be put on teaching students the other official language via exchanges. In Europe, knowing three languages is the norm, so I see no reason why Canadians cannot learn both official languages, plus one another since in a globalized economy, French and English aren't the only languages used. However, without daily exposure to a language it is very difficult to learn it, this is why I support exchanges in conjunction with the provinces. Much of the opposition to Bilingualism in the West is largely due to the fact few Westerners are bilingual and many feel it essentially shuts them out of serving in government. I agree with this sentiment, but I don't support the Reform Party's position of scrapping bilingualism, rather I support making more Canadians bilingual so as to open up more government jobs to Westerners.

Quebec's role in Canada

Last by not least is the issue of Quebec's role in Canada. Over the summer, this has been debated widely in the Liberal Party. While it is regrettable Quebec didn't sign the constitution, considering the Meech Lake and Charlottetown Accords nearly tore the country apart, we should not re-open it. I am for recognizing Quebec as a distinct society due to its cultural differences, but I oppose giving special status to Quebec. All provinces should be treated equally while recognizing that diversity is our strength. I would rather we avoid the issue of whether Quebec is a nation or not. The problem here is the word "nation" has a different meaning in the French language over the English language. In French, it means a cultural group, so Quebec is a nation, but in English it means a separate political entity so Quebec is not a nation. Since it has different meanings in different languages lets avoid falling into the separtist trap who are no doubt using this for their own good. I also fully support the Clarity Act. I believe the fiscal imbalance is largely a myth and therefore should be ignored.

Next topic will be electoral reform.