QUESTION PERIOD — Finance
Provincial Jurisdiction
April 11, 2024
We have a Prime Minister who, over the last few days, has been making announcements affecting areas under provincial jurisdiction, including youth mental health, a renters’ bill of rights, dental care and food aid in schools and child care centres.
If the Prime Minister is so interested in provincial jurisdictions, shouldn’t he be thinking about running for leader of the Quebec Liberal Party?
Thank you for the question. There are two sides to every coin. In answer to questions from the opposition leader in the other place and even here, when the Prime Minister pointed out that he had to accept that housing falls under provincial jurisdiction, he was accused of denying his responsibilities. Cooperative federalism involves a partnership between the two levels of government. In the circumstances you described, this is the spending power that the federal government uses to help Canadians, in partnership with the provinces.
That’s why we have a national health care system, why we have child care services across Canada and why the provinces have signed agreements with Canada. It’s normal and healthy for things to be done this way.
Leader, the Prime Minister’s justification for interfering in provincial jurisdictions is that people don’t care about the Constitution, as he put it. Since people apparently don’t care about the Constitution, the Prime Minister has decided that he doesn’t care about it, either. Is that really his justification?
You are a former professor of constitutional law. Is that worthy of the head of government of a country like Canada, which is a constitutional state?
Thank you for the question, Senator.
The Government of Canada is not trying to legislate in those areas of jurisdiction. This is about leadership and spending power that enable the federal government to create a dynamic that the provinces and municipalities can be part of to help the people thanks to federal government support.
