1987 Meech Lake Accord In The Canadian Constitution

The efforts to pass the 1987 Meech Lake Accord in the Canadian Constitution by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and the ten premiers was defeated in 1990. It was designed to bring Quebec back under the constitutional fold. The Quebec government proceeded to make five major demands for their consent. The Accord would designate Quebec as a “distinct society,” allowing the province to preserve and promote its distinct identity (Saskatchewan Law Review, 116). It would grant Quebec power for provincial nomination of senators and Supreme Court judges, it would allow much more participation in decisions involving Quebec’s rights towards immigration procedures, as well as broadening the province’s decision-making authority of constitutional amendments (Saskatchewan Law Review, 116). Lastly, the Accord provides provincial opting-out, with compensation, of federal programs set up within their jurisdiction (Saskatchewan Law Review, 116).

It was known the Meech Lake Accord was known to fail from the beginning. It was an unrealistic agreement that was to be signed by all ten provincial parliaments – all of whom are regionally divided in nature. Prime Minister Mulroney managed to secure unanimous provincial consent by extending three of the five conditions equally to all provinces – veto, withdraw from federal programs, and have greater control over immigration (Dyck and Cochrane, 416). Mulroney was partially motivated by his personal relations to English-speaking Quebeckers and took it upon himself to address Quebec’s concerns. After the signing of the Accord, Mulroney asked, “Did we give up too much to get Quebec’s signature on the Constitution? The answer is no. Fairness and equality have been the hallmark of our actions” (Saskatchewan Law Review,