Meech Lake Accord
1982 was the year that the federal parliament and nine out of ten provincial legislatures agreed on the Constitution Act, which would bring the constitution home from Britain to Canada on April 17, 1982. The only legislature that did not agree was Quebec. Quebec refused to participate in this constitutional process of patriation because the province believed it did not address their political concerns and issues. People constantly talked of the need to bring Quebec into the constitution. They hoped that this would finally end the constitutional problem that had plagued Canada for more than a generation. On April 30th 1987, Mulroney met with ten premiers in an attempt to win their final approval for constitutional changes designed to overcome Quebec's objections to the 1982 pact. Mulroney and the ten premiers reached a constitutional agreement that was acceptable to Premier Robert Bourassa of Quebec. This was known as The Meech Lake Accord of 1987. This Accord, named after the location where the conference was held, recognized Quebec as a "distinct society". All the provinces shared with Quebec the other articles included in the Accord, namely greater provincial control over immigration, the pow
The first and probably most important condition that would accommodate Quebec is the constitutional recognition that Quebec is a "distinct society" within Canada. The only way Mulroney was going to be able to grant Quebec its demands for signing onto the constitution, was by giving all the other provinces the same powers. If Quebec was granted a veto, then all the provinces would be granted a veto. If Quebec had say on Supreme Court and Senate appointments then so did all the other provinces. The same applied for the other features of the Accord. However, only Quebec would be known distinctly. This is why the condition that Quebec would be recognized as a "distinct society" was the most unique feature Meech had to offer for Quebec. Many critics did not approve of this designation that Quebec be distinct within Canada. They especially objected to the phrase that it was "the role of the legislature and government of Quebec...to preserve and promote the distinct identity of Quebec."1 Few were sure what the implications of this clause would bring for the federal and provincial governments. As a result of this, the decisions of what this condition had to offer were left to be clarified on forensic terms on a issue-by-issue basis. The identification that Quebec would be distinct was equalized by a "recognition that 'English-speaking Canadians, concentrated outside Quebec [but also present in Quebec],...[constitute] a fundamental characteristic of Canada'."2 Many people felt that in a federation all provinces had to have equal status and that by letting Quebec be known as a distinct society, they would be able to challenge federal powers in many fields. Nonetheless, this clause specified that all current federal and provincial powers would not be taken away. The second condition brought by the Accord dealt with immigration. This section stated that Quebec would have greater provincial control over immigration. This part of the Accord dealt with the Government of Canada forming an agreement with the Government of Quebec that would "... 'incorporate the principles of the Cullen-Couture agreement'..."3 concerning the choosing abroad and in Canada of independent immigrants and other applicants that would be admitted to the country like students, temporary workers, visitors for medical treatments and more. Also, the new agreement would state that Quebec would be responsible for the reception and "integration"4 of all foreign nationals wishing to settle in Quebec. The agreement guarantees that Quebec will receive a number of immigrants, including refugees, within the annual total establishe
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Approximate Word count = 1753
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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