Canada West Foundation Blog

By: Robert Roach, VP, Research

In an article in today’s Globe and Mail, John Ibbitson argues that "One question will define national politics in our time: Are Western Canadians prepared to sacrifice for the sake of the nation, now that Ontario is less able to help?"

In addition to incorrectly implying that western Canadians chipping in to help the rest of the country is a new phenomenon, the question is the wrong one to ask.

The question Canadians should be focused on is how to ensure that the nation successfully adjusts to the evolving global economy. It is a mistake to start with a negative question that assumes the need for "sacrifice"—whatever that means—or puts pressure on the nation’s fault lines by immediately assuming that regional wealth redistribution is the solution to central Canada’s problems. This is the old way of thinking and this is not the time to bring it back.

The West knows what it is like to have its interests and economic prospects ignored and how damaging this is to the country and its potential. It will not, therefore, make the same mistake that central Canada has made in the past and be blithe to the blight of the other regions.

The West gets it—all regions benefit when all regions are heard and respected. The West will do its part, as it always has.

Ensuring Canada’s prosperity will happen naturally as the western economy continues to provide jobs and returns on investment. It will also happen at the political level through the equalization program, a strong tax base in the West that helps fill the national treasury, and by ongoing efforts by Canadians to ensure strong regional representation within the national government.

Ultimately, however, the economic recovery of Canada's industrial heartland will depend on the efforts of individual Canadians and their ability to harness the changes happening at a global level.

Joint Cabinet Meetings: A Brief History

Western Canada started a trend back in 2003 when BC and Alberta held the first joint Cabinet meeting in Canadian history. Since that time, there have been 10 more joint Cabinet meetings in the West including ones between Alberta and Saskatchewan and the first tri-lateral joint Cabinet meeting in Canadian history between BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan in March 2009 (the three provinces met again on March 13, 2010). Manitoba joined the club when its Cabinet met with Saskatchewan’s in Yorkton on February 2 of this year. Ontario and Quebec had their first joint meeting back in June 2008.

So what?

You may be asking yourself, “so what?” The answer is two-fold: the meetings are important on a symbolic level and they lead to better public policy through cooperation.

Canadians Want Cooperation

When the Canada West Foundation is out talking with Canadians, it is clear that people expect their governments to be working together as much as possible. In a survey conducted by the Canada West Foundation a few years ago, 73% of western Canadians said that cooperation leads to better program delivery. Citizens don’t get bogged down in jurisdictional turf; they expect interprovincial cooperation to be the norm. What they often don’t realize is that cooperation among provincial governments—is not quite as easy as it may seem.

Cooperation Flows Down, Not Up

Cooperation requires time, personal connections, agreement on priorities, shared ideology and many other concrete and abstract factors. Getting these ducks in a row does not happen automatically or quickly. Perhaps most importantly, it requires a clear mandate from the top.  Hence the importance of the bigwigs in Cabinet meeting with each other and promoting more cooperation. This is the signal needed by the worker bees who are charged with implementing cooperative policies.

From Symbolism to Action

The joint meetings are also notable because they have been more than just “expensive photo ops” as former Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert called them. For example, the meetings between BC and Alberta set the stage for the groundbreaking Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement between BC and Alberta and the recent joint Cabinet meeting between Saskatchewan and Manitoba resulted in an agreement to examine how to add 150 megawatts of electrical transmission capacity.

Interprovincial cooperation is not the answer to everything, but anytime the western provinces can capitalize on their shared history, geography, needs and interests by cooperating, there are bound to be benefits in terms of the cost and quality of public policy.

As governments become more familiar with cooperation and learn how to best use these opportunities to collaborate, we are likely to see momentum created that will result in better policy development in the future.

Posted By: Robert Roach