Meech Lake Accord Mulroney’s chance at leaving a legacy

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  Mulroney’s chance at leaving a legacy
  
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  Quebec demanded the following:
  
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    Formal voice on the SCC appointments
    
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    Greater control over immigration policy
    
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    Limits to federal spending power
    
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    Veto on constitutional amendments
    
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    Recognition of Quebec as a distinct society
    

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  by June 1987 there was an agreement but it had to be ratified by Parliament and the ten provincial legislatures
  
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  two provinces failed to ratify – Manitoba and Newfoundland
  
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  for Manitoba it did not satisfy the native issue and for NFLD it did not like the distinct society clause
  

Other issues raised were:

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  decentralized federal gov’t
  
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  Bourrassa (QUE) totally inflexible
  
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  Did not address other issues like the Senate and women’s rights
  

Aftermath

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  resurgence of Quebec nationalism (Allaire report which wanted to increase Quebec powers)
  
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  BQ formed in 1991 by Lucien Bouchard and won 54 seats in 1993 election
  
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  Spicer Commission
  
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  Led to the Charlottetown Accord
  

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  given the failure of Meech Lake to bring constitutional reform, the topic remained a high priority for the federal gov’t
  
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  Charlottetown agreement was reached August 28, 1992 after:
  
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    Spicer Commission
    
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    Six public conferences
    
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    Establishment of federal and prov. Committees
    
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    6 months of bargaining b/w gov’t leaders
    

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  still it needed parliamentary and legislature approval
  
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  established the Canada Clause which was an interpretive clause designed to assist with the interpretation of the constitution.
  
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  This recognized Quebec as a distinct society and equality of all provinces (section 1c and 1h)
  
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  It also addressed the native issue (section 1b)