Meech Lake Accord
The Meech Lake Accord was an attempt in the late 1980s to gain Quebec's formal acceptance of Canada's constitution, which had been patriated in 1982. Initiated by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in 1987, the accord aimed to address Quebec's concerns by recognizing it as a "distinct society" and granting it special powers in areas like immigration and constitutional amendments. The agreement, reached during a meeting with the premiers of Canada's provinces, required ratification by all ten provincial legislatures by June 1990.
While it initially had considerable support, opposition grew due to concerns that it would undermine federal authority and the exclusive status it conferred upon Quebec. Significant opposition arose from notable figures, including former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, and from provinces such as Newfoundland and Manitoba, where political changes influenced support. In Manitoba, a First Nations member, Elijah Harper, highlighted the accord's neglect of Indigenous rights, further complicating its acceptance. Ultimately, the Meech Lake Accord failed to be ratified, which spurred renewed discussions about Quebec's sovereignty and left unresolved questions about its role within Canada’s federal system.
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Meech Lake Accord
Identification A failed attempt to revise the Canadian Constitution
Date Put forward June 3, 1987; ratification failed June, 1990
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney attempted in the Meech Lake Accord to complete the process of establishing an independent government for Canada, by gaining acceptance from the province of Quebec of the 1982 Canadian constitution.
In 1982, the constitution of Canada was patriated, granting the nation full independence from the United Kingdom. The province of Quebec never formally accepted the new constitution, however. In 1987, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, who had taken office in 1984, sought to gain Quebec’s formal acceptance. Mulroney was bolstered in this effort both by his own political success and by a change of government in Quebec. The sovereignist Parti Québécois, whose former leader René Lévesque had led opposition to the constitution, had been defeated shortly after Lévesque’s retirement, and Liberal Party leader Robert Bourassa had regained the province’s premiership.
At the end of April, 1987, Mulroney gathered the premiers of the ten Canadian provinces for a meeting at Meech Lake in Quebec. The meeting resulted in a set of terms designed to gain Quebec’s acceptance of the constitution. Among the chief provisions were the recognition of Quebec as a “distinct society” within Canada; veto power for Quebec on future constitutional amendments; increased provincial powers, especially for Quebec, to regulate immigration; compensation for provinces deciding to opt out of federal programs; and continued discussion of reforms relating to the upper house (Senate) of the federal parliament.
The accord required the approval of the ten provincial legislatures within a three-year period, by early June of 1990. Although the accord had widespread support in the early stages of debate, opposition to it grew as the process continued. Among prominent national figures opposing it were former prime minister Pierre Trudeau , who believed that the accord weakened the federal government by giving too much power to the provinces. The use of the phrase “distinct society” to give special status to Quebec was also unpopular, as was the manner in which the accord itself was reached, by “eleven men in suits” (the premiers and the prime minister) meeting behind closed doors. Opposition in two provinces—Newfoundland and Manitoba—proved decisive. In the former, a new government reversed the province’s earlier legislative support. Meanwhile, a First Nations member of Manitoba’s legislature, Elijah Harper, worked to block ratification of the accord, because he believed that it overlooked the rights and needs of aboriginal peoples. In the end, the accord remained unratified when the three-year time limit expired.
Impact
The most significant impact of the Meech Lake Accord occurred in Quebec, where its defeat led to renewed support for sovereignism. Quebec leader Lucien Bouchard resigned his cabinet post in the Mulroney government and played a key role in the founding of the new sovereignist group Bloc Québécois. In the broadest sense, the failure of the accord continued to leave the long-term question of Quebec’s place within the Canadian federal system uncertain.
Bibliography
Monahan, Patrick J. Meech Lake: The Inside Story. Toronto: University of Toronto, 1991.
Waller, Harold M. “How Not to Govern: Canada’s Meech Lake Mistake.” The New Leader 73, no. 9 (July 9, 1990): 8-10.