POLI 212 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Central Tendency
17 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
January 18th, 2018
Lecture 4: Regionalism Part II
Equalization and Regional Disparities
●This is found in Part III of the Charter in Section 36 (1982)
●As of 1982 the Constitution regarded regionalism
●Section 36 of the Charter has not been litigated in the Supreme Court (no specific
requirements of what is required)
●The Equalization Transfer Program gives Section 36 effect
●Deals with a commitment to promote equal opportunities for all Canadians
●The government is responsible for creating a transfer program (transferring money to
provinces)
●1982 did not create a transfer program, transfer program have existed since the 1950s
●Concerns itself with providing essential public services (not defined in the Charter)
●Puts an obligation on the federal government not the provincial government
●The federal government is to provide sufficient funds
●We are not committed to the outcomes, but we are committed to the principle of doing
something
●1982 did not create the Transfer program, it has existed for a long time
●The federal government transfers money to the provinces to address regionalism since the
1950s
○Canada is highly regionalized, some places are richer and some places are not as
rich
○Taxes are used to fund the program
○If the government wants universal health care, they would have to charge certain
provinces higher taxes to fund the program (e.g, the government would collect
more money from New Brunswick than Alberta, because the federal government
gets more money from oil royalties in Alberta)
○Keep note that territories are funded differently and there is no equalization
program for them
○A portion of government revenue is spent on transfers
Equalization Transfer Program
●Section 36 of the Constitution Act in 1982
○Principle of regional equity
○“Reasonably comparable levels of public service at reasonably comparable levels
of taxation”
Document Summary
This is found in part iii of the charter in section 36 (1982) As of 1982 the constitution regarded regionalism. Section 36 of the charter has not been litigated in the supreme court (no specific requirements of what is required) The equalization transfer program gives section 36 effect. Deals with a commitment to promote equal opportunities for all canadians. The government is responsible for creating a transfer program (transferring money to provinces) 1982 did not create a transfer program, transfer program have existed since the 1950s. Concerns itself with providing essential public services (not defined in the charter) Puts an obligation on the federal government not the provincial government. The federal government is to provide sufficient funds. We are not committed to the outcomes, but we are committed to the principle of doing something. 1982 did not create the transfer program, it has existed for a long time.
