History of Canada (1992-Present)

The Chrétien Government

The failure of the Meech Lake Accord and the animosity towards Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, his government and his GST played a significant role in the defeat of the 1992 referendum on the Charlottetown Accord, another package of proposed constitutional amendments. These setbacks, along with the deep recession of the late 1980s and early 1990s forced Mulroney to resign in 1993. He was replaced, albeit only briefly from June to November 1993, with Kim Campbell, Canada's first, and so far only, female Prime Minister.

Jean Chrétien became prime minister in the 1993 election, pledging to repeal the GST, which proved to be unfeasible due to the economic circumstances at the time (or, apparently, any time during his prime ministership, showing the new source of income was needed as the outgoing Progressive Conservative party had claimed). By 1995, however, Canada had eliminated the federal deficit, becoming the only G7 country to have a budget surplus.

Some of the problems faced by the Chrétien government included the debate over the universal health care system, as well as military spending, which that government decreased significantly throughout its term. Canada did not play as large a role in United Nations peacekeeping as it once had, and Chrétien faced some criticism for not participating in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. However, with the mounting criticisms about the false pretenses for that war and the US's troubled occupation, Chrétien was hailed for keeping the nation out of the affair. The value of the Canadian dollar was greatly weakened during Chrétien's time as Prime Minister; although in 2003, it regained about 20% of its value during the year due to the declining economic situation in the United States -- such a dramatic climb that industry leaders worried that the high currency would harm exports.

The 1995 Quebec referendum

In October 1995, Canada faced its second Quebec referendum on sovereignty. The federal "Bloc Québécois" and the provincial "Parti Québécois" favoured separation from Canada. Federalists rallied to keep Quebec as part of Canada and claimed the referendum question ("Do you agree that Quebec should become sovereign after having made a formal offer to Canada for a new economic and political partnership within the scope of the bill respecting the future of Quebec and of the agreement signed on June 12, 1995?") was vague and confusing. After large campaigned from both the "'oui" and "non" sides, the referendum was defeated by the narrowest of margins: a victory for those opposed to secession with 50.58% of the vote.

The Turbot War

The "Turbot War" of 1995 was an international fishing dispute between Canada and the European Union which ended in the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans boarding a Spanish fishing trawler, the "Estai", in international waters and arresting its crew. Canada claimed that European Union factory fishing trawlers were illegally overfishing the nose and tail of the Grand Banks, just outside Canada's declared 200 nautical miles (370 km) Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). [ [http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/01/11/estai-lawsuit050111.html Turbot trawler case resurfaces in Federal Court] , CBC News, January 11, 2005]

The ships crew had been using a liner with a mesh size that was smaller than permitted (larger mesh sizes permit juvenile fish to escape and grow). The net was shipped to New York City where federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Brian Tobin called an international press conference outside the United Nations headquarters. Spain never denied that the net was from the "Estai" but continued to protest Canada's use of "extra-territorial force". The Spanish government asked the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands for leave to hear a case claiming Canada had no right to arrest the "Estai". However, the court later refused the case.

Creation of Nunavut

In April 1982, a majority of Northwest Territories residents voted in favour of a division of the area, and the federal government gave a conditional agreement seven months later. After a long series of land claim negotiations between the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada and the federal government (begun earlier in 1976), an agreement was reached in September 1992. In June 1993, the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act and the Nunavut Act were passed by the Canadian Parliament, and the transition to the new territory of Nunavut was completed on April 1, 1999.

Peacekeeping

After the end of the Cold War, the frequency of international peacekeeping missions and humanitarian interventions grew dramatically and Canadian participation grew along with it. In the 1990s, Canadians were active in United Nations peacekeeping missions in Western Sahara, Cambodia, the former Yugoslavia, Haiti, East Timor and Sierra Leone. During the US-led humanitarian mission to Somalia in 1993, Canadian soldiers tortured a Somali teenager to death, leading to the Somalia Affair. Following an inquiry, the elite Canadian Airborne Regiment was disbanded and the reputation of the Canadian Forces suffered within Canada.

Contemporary issues

ame-sex marriage

Same-sex marriage has become an issue in Canada as in the United States; however, on the whole Canadians are more accepting of it. The Supreme Courts of Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec have made same-sex marriage legal in their respective provinces. Before Chrétien left office there was a bill in Parliament to legalize it federally, which died when Martin took over. For a time it was uncertain if the new government would re-introduce the bill. It was, but it was sent to the Supreme Court of Canada for review before being voted on. The hearing on the bill was scheduled for October 2004.

The New Democratic Party (NDP), Bloc Québécois, and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada supported the legislation under Chrétien, while the Canadian Alliance opposed it. With the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservatives, the new Conservative Party of Canada opposed legislation to legally enshrine gay marriage. The legislation passed and same sex marriage was instituted. In January 2006 in Canada, Stephen Harper was able to secure a small Conservative minority government, and he indicated that it was his intention to overturn this legislation. He later stepped down from the idea due to political pressure.

ponsorship scandal

In February 2004, Canadian Auditor General Sheila Frasier released a report that under the Chrétien government, $100 million was mishandled by government officials in the purchasing of advertisements. The opposition was quick to make charges of corruption. This has become known as the Sponsorship Scandal.

References

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