Chapter 3 Video Guide

The Agenda with Steve Paikin. (2012). Reframing Federalism. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9JTLe3AYP4. Academics and members of the private sector discuss the future of federalism in Canada. This video provides good background information on fiscal federalism, executive federalism, and the need for a mutual economic and social program between the federal and provincial governments.

• How significant is the role of the federal government in influencing the provincial government’s spending in healthcare?
• How important are negotiations between federal and provincial governments in terms of reaching a consensus on social and healthcare policies?

The Agenda with Steve Paikin. (2011). Is Central Canada still Central to Canada? YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuEH1yqWiVI. Former Reform leader Preston Manning, John Ibbitsonfrom the Globe and Mail, journalists, and columnists discuss an array of topics on federalism including the role of the federal government, elitist politics, the Laurentian consensus, and public policy. The video also discusses the trending shift in power and consensus from Central Canada to Western provinces and the affectthis will eventually have on Canadian political culture and identity.

• What is the Laurentian consensus?
• Why has the West always felt left out in Canadian politics?
• Will there be a new shift and focus in transfer of power?

Churchill, J. (1990). Local and Provincial Governments: Working Together. National Film Board of Canada. https://www.nfb.ca/film/local_and_provincial_governments_working_together. This documentary offers a different perspective on federalism. Since most information looks at the relationship between the federal and provincial governments, this video looks at some of the daily issues that affect the lives of all citizens and their respective immediate jurisdictional authority. From healthcare to garbage collection, this video looks at the division of responsibilities between provincial and municipal levels of governments.

• Which of the levels of government do you think is most responsive? Why?
• How directly are political parties involved in provincial and municipal levels?

CPAC. (2018). Headline Politics: Equalization and the Federation. http://www.cpac.ca/en/cpac-in-focus/finance-ministers-ottawa-equalization-agenda/. This video is a question and answer session between various ministers and the media, prior to a formal meeting with Canada’s finance ministers.  The discussions center on federal-provincial transfers, including equalization payments.

• Why do some provinces feel that the equalization payment methods are unfair?

Spry, R. (1973). Action: The October Crisis of 1970. National Film Board of Canada.

https://www.nfb.ca/film/action_the_october_crisis_of_1970. It was a difficult time in Canadian history when a British Diplomat and a Quebec politician were respectively kidnapped and killed by the FLQ. Although this video slightly deviates from the mechanisms of federalism discussed in this chapter, it is relevant as it was the last time emergency federalism was involved.

• Why did the FLQ resort to violent tactics?
• How does executive federalism fit into this crisis?

CBC News. (2019). Kenney threatens constitutional challenge of Bill C69. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1e-C6xXb_E. In this video, Jason Kenney discusses his proposal to challenge the federal environmental assessment act—Bill C69—if it becomes law, while other experts weigh in on this issue. This video demonstrates some of the federal-provincial tensions discussed in this chapter.

• Does Premier Jason Kenney actually have the ability to challenge federal laws, as prescribed in the constitution?

CBC News. (2000). Ten years after the Meech Lake Accord.CBC. http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1751915998. This video provides a brief overview of the aftermath of the Meech Lake Accord a decade later. It looks at the moments before, during, and after the failure of the accord in trying to re-evaluate the constitution.

• According to this video, what were the specific reasons for the failure of the Meech Lake Accord?

CBC News. (2019). Federal Carbon Tax Plan is Constitutional, says Ontario’s top court. CBC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OgKPvnb7dg&list=PLeyJPHbRnGaZO-erb-pmCApYQinmSf9N8. A few Canadian provinces who did not comply with the Federal Carbon tax decided to use the courts to justify their decisions. This video discusses how Ontario’stop court decided that the federal carbon tax plan was indeed constitutional. The questions raised evaluate the federal-provincial relationships further.

• Why did Ontario’s top court decide that the federal carbon tax plan was indeed constitutional?