Citizen's Forum on National Unity
Encyclopedia
The Citizen's Forum on National Unity was a commission established in November, 1990, by the Governor General of Canada
on the advice of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
. It was more commonly known as the Spicer Commission, after its chairperson, Keith Spicer
.
, the Federal Government made a decision to reach out to citizens by means of a public commission. Its purpose was to discuss the political future of Canada, in response to a perception that the country's unity was being threatened by linguistic and regional divisions.
The Commission held town hall meetings across the country, and solicited input from Canadians on the future of the Canada.
Some of the report's contents were subsequently used in the development of the Charlottetown Accord
.
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
on the advice of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
. It was more commonly known as the Spicer Commission, after its chairperson, Keith Spicer
Keith Spicer
Keith Spicer is a Canadian academic, public servant, journalist and writer.Between 1970 and 1977, Spicer was the first Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada. Appointed by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, he reported directly to Parliament as a non-partisan officer of Parliament...
.
Background
In the wake of the failure of the Meech Lake AccordMeech Lake Accord
The Meech Lake Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and ten provincial premiers. It was intended to persuade the government of the Province of Quebec to endorse the 1982 Canadian Constitution and increase...
, the Federal Government made a decision to reach out to citizens by means of a public commission. Its purpose was to discuss the political future of Canada, in response to a perception that the country's unity was being threatened by linguistic and regional divisions.
The Commission held town hall meetings across the country, and solicited input from Canadians on the future of the Canada.
Report
The Commission's report was released in June, 1991. The Commission noted that: many Canadians are willing to recognize Quebec's cultural and linguistic differences but not to grant the province special powers that might weaken the central government; most Canadians see official bilingualism as divisive and costly; the education system and media have not done enough to promote national knowledge; Canadians regard cutbacks to federal institutions as insensitive to national symbols; many Canadians have a lack of faith in government leaders and the political process. Also notable was Spicer's comment that there was "a fury in the land" against Mulroney.Some of the report's contents were subsequently used in the development of the Charlottetown Accord
Charlottetown Accord
The Charlottetown Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada, proposed by the Canadian federal and provincial governments in 1992. It was submitted to a public referendum on October 26 of that year, and was defeated.-Background:...
.