Constitutional Amendment Committee Reports in Canada
List of Constitutional Amendment Committee Reports
House of Commons Committee Report on the British North America Act, 1935. This report had little to no support outside the federal government to participate or contribute. The report would eventually lead to the creation of the Royal Commission on Dominion-Provincial Relations, established in 1937.
Rowell-Sirois Commission Report, 1940. Royal Commission on Dominion-Provincial Relations, established in 1937. It is a detailed study of federal-provincial relations around the era of the later part of the Great Depression. It contains what is probably the only highly researched examination of the financial relationship between the provinces and the central government.
The Pepin-Robarts Commission, 1978.
The Report on Certain Aspects of the Canadian Constitution, for the Senate of Canada, 1980. This is a comprehensive review of the issues regarding the Constitution of Canada including an explanation of the dfifferent federal powers at issue. The Report is divided into 2 parts: Creating a new Federal-Provincial Council; and a renewed Senate.
Special Joint Committee on Senate Reform (Molgat-Cogrove), 1984.
The 1987 Constitutional Accord (Meech Lake) Committee Report. Really a general agreement containing 2 parts: An agreement between Canada and Québec to delegate total control of the reception and integration of any immigrants that settle in that province (This agreement was later finalized). Expired after 3 years, on June 23, 1990. On that date, the House of Commons and eight of the ten provincial legislatures had ratified the accord. However, Aboriginal MLA Elijah Harper of the Manitoba legislature blocked a ratification vote in that province. Newfoundland premier Clyde Wells, having reversed the previous Newfoundland government’s ratification saw this as an apparent defeat for the accord, and consequently refused to hold a ratification vote in his legislature.
Report on the New Brunswick Companion Resolution to the Meech Lake Accord.
Report on Citizens’ Forum on Canada’s Future (The Spicer Commission). This Report inspired Joe Clark’s document Shaping Canada’s Future Together.
The Beaudoin-Edwards Report on the Constitution’s amending procedure.
The Special Joint Committee on the Government of Canada’s Proposals for a Renewed Canada (Charlottetown Accord/Beaudoin-Dobbie Report). Virtually, a rehash of the Meech Lake Accord. On October 26, 1992, separate referenda in Canada and in Québec rejected the accord, albeit for different reasons. As a result, the Mulroney government and the Premiers let the accord “die.”
Ontario Select Committee on Ontario in Confederation, minutes (1991).