Unit 11: 1980s and 1990s Flashcards
Final Exam (Post-Confederation)
1980 Election
Pierre Trudeau is convinced to come back out of government to run in 1980.
What is the factor that convinces him to do this?
Rene Levesque promises him a Referendum of Quebec
Trudeau leads the Liberals, and they win office in 1980.
1980 Quebec Referendum
As we enter the referendum of 1980, we see the campaign begin. There is a growing sense of Western alienation. Trudeau fights his fight to keep Quebec inside Canada. The yes-side (oui) to separation (“sovereignty association”) was ahead in the polls. The Trudeau election gives a big boost to the no-side (non).
The voice of the First Nations is rising. What will Quebec do with all of its treaty promises to the First Nations in the 1600s onwards?
What will happen to the dollar?
What will happen to the borders?
What will their criminal law code be?
This causes major divides amongst Quebecers
1980: Quebec Referendum Question (See Powerpoint Slide)
The “mourning” after, Levesque and the separatists lose the Referendum. It is a 60/40 Split. It is a great victory for the no-side, and for PM Pierre Trudeau.
1982 Repatriation
From 1980-1982, Trudeau patriated the Constitution. In 1980, Trudeau negotiated with the provincial Premieres, as they change governments and new ones come in, they agree on a formula. They do away with the veto-issue and come up with a deal by 1981. At this deal, it gets contentious, because Levesque who is still Premier of Quebec has a backing of a group of Premieres who are resisting Trudeau. Trudeau’s initiatives are supported by most, but still, Levesque and Quebec refuse to sign. On “The Night of the Long Knives” the other Premieres stab Levesque and Quebec in the back, by making an agreement without him there. Levesque says that Quebec will not sign on, and Trudeau goes on without Quebec. At the same time, Canada brings in the Charter of Rights and Freedom. In 1982, Quebec is symbolically left out of patriotism in the night of the long knives, and symbolically does not sign the Charter of Rights and Freedom. The 1980 Quebec question is temporarily put to rest.
[Notwithstanding-Clause: a loophole of the Charter of Rights and Freedom, in which provinces can overturn the CRF.]
The National Energy Policy (NEP)
The question now becomes how to get Quebec to symbolically agree with the Constitutional question. In a way, the Constitutional Issue has not been solved by 1982. Trudeau feels he has won his battle, after patriating the Constitution and putting the separationists to rest.
But then, Trudeau attempts to pass the The National Energy Policy (NEP). It is a a federal attempt to share the profits coming out of oil in Alberta to advance the Canadian oil industry and deal with the opec crisis. It is a way to federally regulate the oil industry that overrides the provincial right of Alberta.
The hatred of the federal liberals in Alberta still exists today: “let the Eastern bastards freeze in the dark.”
Brian Mulroney
This rise of Western alienation and anger is seen in the late 70s, around the turn of the 1880s, and then subsides in 1984 with the election of the PC government and Brian Mulroney. Trudeau retires and hands over the party to John Turner in 1984. We see a shift to neo-conservatism. The 1980s are a shift to the right. Part of the reason this happens, is because we are seeing a response to Keynesian economics. Canadian economics trend towards big state, big government spending and deficit financing. Coinciding with Canadian economics is an economic downfall in Canada, that deepens in the 1980s. Economists, such as Milton Freedom (arguing against Keynesian economics), become popular.
Canada slides further into recession, evidenced by the severe debt of the government, high inflation and and high unemployment. Stagflation (high unemployment and high inflation) is used to criticize the small liberal state. We see a shift to small government with anti-immigrant sentiment aiming to reduce the spending of the government on social programs. With this shift, there is an opening for the Conservatives, and Brian Mulroney takes advantage. Brian Mulroney (Quebec) takes over for Joe Clark (Alberta) as the Conservative leader. Under Mulroney, for the first time since 1885 and the hanging of Riel, the Conservative makes legitimate and genuine progress in Quebec (Diefenbaker was not legitimate or genuinely supported, it was more of a reaction). Mulroney wins with legitimate support from Quebec, and runs on the objective of fixing what Pierre Trudeau did; he aims to “repair the breach with Quebec” and bring Quebec into the Constitutional family (e.g. Meech Lake Accord and Charlottetown Accord). He picks up on the anti-liberal, anti-Trudeau, anti-NEP sentiment in the West. He must figure out how he will hold onto the West while he aims to bring in Quebec to the Constitution.
1984 Election
In the 1984 Election, Brian Mulroney and the Conservatives win (1984-1993). The 1984 election highlights the influence of TV Debates. Turner is forced to defend the Trudeau government, and Mulroney hammers Turner on national television that he could have done better. The NDP are lead by Ed Broadbent and remain in the third-party tradition. In 1984, Mulroney and the Conservatives come into power with a massive majority government. They begin running into trouble very quickly, and his polished way of speaking becomes slimy. He is hit by scandals and charges of corruption, and the economy is economic recession.
The big issue he addresses is accommodating Quebec and bringing Quebec into the Constitutional family. It is the first Conservative government elected in 26 years, and Mulroney’s focus becomes, what does Quebec want?
Meech Lake Accord: Quebec’s Demands
Charlottetown Accord
What kills support for Tudeau and the Liberals in the West (even up until today)?
The National Energy Policy (NEP)
Federal attempt to share the profits coming out of oil in Alberta to advance the Canadian oil industry and deal with the opec crisis. It is a way to federally regulate the oil industry that overrides the provincial right of Alberta.
1988 Election
By 1988, the liberals and NDP argue against free trade. In 1988, the big argument against free trade is loss of economic sovereignty (fear of the US arises again). If we sign free trade, we will sell our sovereignty away and become a branch-plant economy. American interests will overrun ours, and we will lose our culture, too All of those things instituted by Massey for Canadian culture will be lost. The election of 1988 is the Free Trade Election.
In 1988, Free Trade was signed. Although controversial, it is the free trade election that wins Brian Mulroney a second term in office. The major opposition against free trade was the liberals. The other policy brought in by Mulroney is the General Sales Tax (GST): Federal Sales Tax. The GST tax goes alongside provincial sales taxes; it is a direct tax on Canadian consumer goods. The Mulroney government does it to battle the rising inflation and the government deficits. The liberals, lead by Turner, fought against Free Trade and the GST (and yet, both of these become liberal policies; the liberal party becomes advocates of Free Trade and GST. The Liberals did not take away the GST tax when they were put in power next, though they promised to.). Mulroney loses support in the West, as the West thinks he is a “red conservative” and the West goes further right, and Mulroney faces opposition in Quebec from French Canadian Nationalists
Canada enters an even larger Free Trade deal with the US and Mexico: The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
