Just Society

Trudeau entered office in 1968 with first majority in a decade

Program of a just society

• Equality \n • Individual rights

Known federalist

Just Society

• Trudeau’s 1968 campaign promise – Inclusive and fair society

• Enhanced social programs \n • Equalization programs for regions • Language rights \n • Criminal code amendments

Criminal

Had begun in 1967 and continued in 1968 and 1969

Two most significant of these:

Code • Abortion and homosexuality

Revisions

• Decriminalization:

• Separation of morality from criminal law

1969 Omnibus Bill

Language

• Introduced official languages bill, 17 Oct. 1968

• –  EnglishandFrenchestablishedas official languages in all branches of federal civil service, courts, crown corporations

• –  Alsoinallfederalcourtsinbilingual districts (where minority group made up 10% of population)

• –  Extensionofcivilservicelanguage training (started in 1964) aiming for bilingualism

• –  Appointmentofalanguage commissioner

• Economic inequality

  • Trudeau’s vision \n – Economicequalitylinkedto

  national unity

  – BeganwithdevelopmentinEastern Quebec and Maritimes

  • Established a Department of Regional Economic Expansion (Dree) headed by Jean Marchand

  • Dree ended up stimulating economic activity in other areas of slow economic growth as well

  • Regional Development Incentive Act provided funds for firms in designated areas

  • Difficulties with regional development

  • Did not create national unity

  • Led to complaints from provinces

    – Felt they were not consulted

    – Complained that funds were not evenly distributed across country

    Post 1972 elections

    • Used DREE funds more politically
    • Disbanded in 1982
    • No notable improvements to problem of regional disparity in the Trudeau era

    Social Security

    • Unemployment Insurance \n – Introduced 1941 \n – 1971: expansion of program:

    • Maternity, sickness, retirement benefits for workers

    • Increased benefits

    • In some cases for a longer period

      Family allowance and universality

      • Trudeau introduced idea of doing away with universality in name of equity
      • Introduced Family Income Support Program early 1970s

      – Planfailed

      Indigenous Persons and the Just Society

      •

      1960s it was clear that Indigenous were far below Canadian avge re:

      – Mortality rates – Earnings

      • –  Health outcomes

      • –  Education outcomes

        Harry Hawthorne: A Survey of the Contemporary Indians of Canada: Economic, Political, Educational Needs and Policies (Hawthorne Report 1966)

      – Exposed situation of Aboriginal communities and recommended assimilationist policies be abandoned

      Trudeau’s philosophical difficulty: liberal values vs special status

      White Paper 1969

      • Called for integration of minority and racial groups into mainstream society
      • Chretien saw special status as basic problem of disadvantaged position of “Native People”

      – Went against requests of National Indian Council to retain Indian identity and for an Indian claims commission to settle growing land claims

      • 1970s: Indigenous people made strides with land policy in the courts

      • –  James Bay: scotched development until claims examined and compensation granted

      • –  Calder case recognized Aboriginal title to lands

        Federal- Provincial Relations

        • Trudeau broke with Pearson’s asymmetrical federalism

        – Opposed to special status for Quebec

        • Opting out \n – Quebec did with regards to

        • Vocational education • Old age assistance \n • Health grants \n • Family allowance

        Fiscal Federalism

        • In postwar period Federal grants for areas of provincial responsibility (eg. health and universities grants)

        – Price to be paid: provinces had to comply with federal policy initiatives

        – Conditional block grants

        Fiscal Federalism’s challenges

        • Postwar prosperity ends in the 1970s
        • Energy crisis in 1973 \n – OPEC following Yom Kippur War
        • Stagflation
        • High interest rates
        • High unemployment: 1973-5%; 1982 11%
        • Trudeau govt response: \n – Anti-Inflation Board \n – Wage and Price Controls

Quebec

• Rise of PQ \n – Bourassa and Bill 22, 1974

• French as official language of Quebec and of commerce

– Certificates of francization – Levesque and Bill 101

• Anglo exodus \n – 1980 sovereignty association

referendum

• Trudeau’s intervention and promise of constitutional reform

– 59.5% in favour of remaining in Canada

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Constitutional reform

• At start of 1980s uncertainty re future of Canada

– Canadian West worried about control of natural resources

• Courts had ruled unconstitutional for Alberta to pass tax laws regulating gas and oil sector

– Political element as well \n • No liberal elected in BC, Alberta,

Sask

– Maritimes gripes re offshore nat. resources and fisheries

• 80 constitutional cases at SCC 1975-82 – Need for reform

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Constitutional Reform

• Since 1975 in St. John’s Trudeau called for repatriation of constitution
• Premiers wanted this in context of distribution of powers reforms
• Trudeau also wanted a Charter of Rights by the late 1970s, and Senate and SCC reform
• He also held firm to need to stop decentralization in the early 1980s

Constitutional Reform

• Thus Trudeau’s vision in constitutional reform for a strong national state supported by a charter of rights and freedoms

• Civic vs ethnic nationalism \n – civil rights and equality of rights

  to be protected in constitution

• Repatriation required consent of all provinces

  – Conference called for Sept 1981. It was a failure

  – Trudeau announced he would go forward unilaterally

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Gang of Eight

• Back to drawing board with provinces in November 1981
• Gang of Eight premiers met with Trudeau
• 7 of 8 agreed to deal with feds – “Night of long knives” –
• April 1982 Constitutional Act, 1867 new name of constitution

Assessment

• How to Assess Trudeau?
• Changed Canada forever
  • –  Dual compact of cultures gave way a Canada based on liberal individualism
  • –  Economic policy aimed at centralizing the country
  • –  Civic nationalism replaced an ethnic one: multicult
  • –  Unilateral in his National Energy Policy of 1980 with which Ottawa’s share of revenues increased from 10 to 24%

Legacy

• Admirers and detractors

• –  Canada transformed into a modern secular society with Charter
• –  Economy
• –  Divisions in Canada
• –  Bilingual, multicultural Canada made no difference to French- English relations
• –  Wounds in Quebec, among Indigenous peoples, in the West

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