Running head: SAVED BY FAILURE: THE MEECH LAKE ACCORD

Saved by Failure: The Meech Lake AccordHayotha ThillairajanCHC2D1-04June 6, 2014

Success in Failure: The Meech Lake AccordCanada is a great nation a fact most cannot deny. As a country that promotes equality and celebrates multiculturalism, it has become a safe haven for those who experience injustice. Although it has a far way to go in terms of mastering a perfect idealistic society, it has come a long way. It is admirable that one can stand today as a proud Canadian, considering the trials that Canada had encountered along this path - some of which struggled with ethical judgement. One such trial, the Meech Lake Accord, had perhaps the biggest and most influential impacts to what Canada is today. The failure of this accord saved Canada from suffering through years of a poor political structure, unfair provincial laws and even more isolation and disregard for people who built this nation. It defied what it meant to be Canadian in this day and age. If the Meech Lake Accord had passed, the pride of being Canadian, a citizen of a country who respects and treats all equally, may have been tarnished.The Meech Lake Accord was the first time Canada attempted to deviate from the original Constitution put in place for them by British parliament. Considering this was Canadas only step in becoming an independent country in terms of mending its own Constitution, it would be continuously used had the method worked successfully. If the Meech Lake Accord passed, it would have established a debilitating, undemocratic and highly ineffective method to accomplish goals. The amendment of the constitution in 1982 was a significant step in Canadas journey in becoming politically independent from Britain. The circumstances by which Canada asserted its right to modify its constitution without the approval of the Westminster Parliament in London were both politically and personally charged. Pierre Trudeau, Prime Minister at the time, viewed this project as the logical next step in Canadas growing political maturity. (Peters, 2012). It was the first attempt to change its laws, but the Meech Lake Accord was a clumsy step towards that goal. The provision put too much emphasis on political powers. Originally, amendments would only need 7 of the provinces and 50% of the population to pass but the revision would mean all provinces would need to agree unanimously on amendments (Meech Lake Accord, pg 97). The Meech Lake Accord failed due to this, as it was created and considered by 10 men with vastly different intentions and only 2 made the decision to dismiss it. Although its failure was beneficial in the long run, it was dismissed because the method used to legislate was ineffective. Overall, the result would have been a much weaker federal government, Joyal said. I think we would have certainly weakened the capacity of a national government to establish national goals and objectives and maintain the cohesion of the country. (Thompson, 2005). Canadian decisions inevitably receive opposition, but nothing would be done if the country neglected to change at some resistance. Giving the provincial leaders so much power in which either a consensus is reached or nothing is changed is skewed in such a way that a single province can make a decision for the entire country. The act of not passing the Meech Lake Accord was a decision made by two of the ten leaders. Every province has different goals and needs; ergo each provincial leader has different intentions. These provincial leaders do not even have to represent the provincial consensus. The method gone about to try to ratify and legislate this Accord was not truly democratic. In fact, the majority of the public disagreed with or did not know about the Meech Lake Accord. The decision to revise the constitution was made behind closed doors. This contrasts the very definition it is to be a democratic country a government by the people. It does not take into account any of the populations opinion, the ones who are affected by these drastic changes. A poll conducted by the Globe and Mail four months before the failure of Meech Lake revealed that 71% of respondents knew little or nothing about the accord and four months after the accords collapse, despite much media saturation surrounding the event, 62% of respondents still knew little or nothing about it (Gordon, 2010). The nation was not informed of the changes taking place and if the Accord had passed these laws would be enforced onto them with none of their own discretion. Had the Meech Lake Accord passed, it would concrete a debilitating, undemocratic and weak method to accomplish goals and change Canada for the better. It would not only be detrimental for the future of Canada but to the equal democracy this country stands on. Quebec given special status could have had a huge detrimental effect on Canada. The term distinct used in the accord was fairly vague and unspecific. This caused a lot of speculation of what this distinction entailed a high concern being the possibility of Quebec separating from Canada. The Accord states the distinct society clause: "Quebec constitutes within Canada a distinct society." People were unsure of what this meant; did it mean giving additional powers to Quebec? The vague term could have meant anything this was difficult to disregard considering the importance of this Accord to the whole country. Quebec separating from Canada would have had a huge impact on Canadas economy and identity. With over 8 million people residing in Quebec, losing such a large percentage of Canadas overall population being over 35 million would be destructive to the economy. The country would have lost tax money and trade amongst provinces with Quebec would cease to exist. Valuable resources such as Quebecs mines, forests and energy plants would no longer be contributing to Canadas GDP (2014). The history between Quebec and Canada is one that has been a long and difficult o. Although many Quebecers recognize and are proud to call themselves Canadian, there is still a deep seeded resentment for each other. Starting from very early in the Canadian timeline, there was disagreement amongst Quebecois and Canadians; because of the large majority of French descendants living in Quebec, there has always been some resentment towards the British rule imposed on the province. Throughout the history of both Canada and Quebec, tension has risen between the country and the province (the English and the French) every time Canada has been involved in a war. Quebecois, the people of Quebec, have accused English Canadians of greater interest in defending the British Empire than in promoting Canada's welfare. Meanwhile, English Canadians have accused the Quebecois of prioritizing their own interests and not being mindful of the country they are a part of. This is the root of Quebecs consideration of withdrawing from Canada. (Goldman, 1994) From then on, these disagreements grew into resistance and hate.The further intensification of this mutual hate being more deepened by the special privileges Quebecois received may have been the trigger for many Canadians to speak out. Questions such as Why are they more special than us? or Dont we already give them all they want to fit comfortably in this country, what more do they need? can be raised and act as a catalyst for future disputes. Some of these questions are valid, in that Quebec is being favoured more than other provinces; The agreement gave major benefits to Quebec and it can be argued that giving Quebec these powers and advantages opposes the very premise Canada stands on, equality.The identity of Canada being a unified wholesome, equal country could have been tarnished of the Meech Lake passed.To pass the Meech Lake Accord, would have been an extreme disservice to the Native Canadians who have already suffered physically, culturally and mentally, too much to be justified. First Nations peoples are identified in the Constitution as one of the founding nations of Canada yet they were excluded from taking part in the Constitutional developments of Canada until 1983-87. First Nations peoples have had to deal with extreme poverty. The First Nations Peoples had to work hard and experience many hardships in order to get to their political stature (2002). The way they have been treated through history is gross as human with basic rights, let alone as one of the most important people who built our nation. One of the biggest reasons, the Meech Lake Accord was a problem for the First Nations was that they were just beginning to get a foothold in participating in politics and community. To shun them from a decision that involved them is unfair and we would be taking steps backwards from giving First nations their rightful place in our community. Secondly, the Meech Lake Accord fails to take account of the First Nations living in Quebec. They have justified reason to reject the accord because they have learned through history and experience that the government can do whatever they want unless there is a binding agreement in place, and sometimes, not even in those cases. Elijah Harper, a first nation, is primarily responsible in stopping the Meech Lake Accord in its tracks. His reasons for this was that the accord failed to recognize his own people and he would not let that kind of blatant ignorance and disrespect become acceptable as it had been. And Elijah said "no" not as a rejection of la belle province, but because the constitutional processes and political elites had a repellant history of minimizing and denying indigenous rights in Canada, and compounded this by insisting that Quebec constitutional approval was so important as to require the holding of noses by all who were troubled by any element of the Accord.(Green & Kulchyski, 2013). Repeating history again and again in regards with the First Nations is inhuman and unjustifiable, which is the opposite of what Canada stands for.The Meech Lake Accords failure might have saved our nation from being unethical, undemocratic and in a worse state as a whole. If It had passed, it may have meant Quebecs ties with Canada loosening to the point of division, a political structure where nothing would ever get done and a power imbalance between both provinces and citizens. It would not have been good for Canada economically, politically, socially and have a huge blow to the multicultural identity we take pride in today. The pride of being Canadian is upheld by the effects of the failure of the Meech Lake Accord.

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