Canada's Founding DebatesJanet Ajzenstat, Paul Romney, Ian Gentles, William D. Gairdner Canada's Founding Debates is about Confederation—about the process that brought together six out of the seven territories of British North America in the years 1864-73 to form a country called Canada. It presents excerpts from the debates on Confederation in all of the colonial parliaments from Newfoundland to British Columbia and in the constituent assembly of the Red River Colony. The voices of the powerful and those of lesser note mingle in impassioned debate on the pros and cons of creating or joining the new country, and in defining its nature. In short explanatory essays and provocative annotations, the editors sketch the historical context of the debates and draw out the significance of what was said. By organizing the debates thematically, they bring out the depth of the founders' concern for issues that are as vital today as they were then: the meaning of liberty, the merits of democracy, the best form of self-government, the tension between collective and individual rights, the rule of law, the requirements of political leadership, and, of course, the nature of Canadian nationality. Canada's Founding Debates offers a fresh and often surprising perspective on Canada's origins, history, and political character. Previously published by Stoddart Publishing, 1999. |
From inside the book
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... mean that they had no strong commitment to political values, no interest in political ideas. That is nonsense, and pernicious nonsense, because it purges political values from Canada's founding. It suggests that Canada was created as a ...
... mean for cherished colonial and ethnic identities? Part Four takes up the issues of federalism and minority rights. While some supporters of Confederation present the Quebec scheme as a way of reconciling the “new nationality” with the ...
... mean responsible government, as some honourable members hold. British Columbia will assuredly get responsible ... means, and the sooner the better, I say. But I do not think it desirable to fetter or cumber the proposed terms of ...
... means the protection of our own interests and the establishment of our own welfare in our own way; the passing of our own estimates in our own way; the selection of those who rule, and the subsequent meeting of our rulers face to face ...
... means of responsible government. While the other provinces with which it is proposed to confederate upon equal and equitable terms retain the fullest power to manage all provincial matters, British Columbia would surrender.
Contents
PART THREE WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT IDENTITY | |
British or Canadian? | |
What Is a Canadian? | |
PART FOUR WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT THE NEW NATIONALITY | |
Minorities and Minority Rights | |
PART FIVE HOW TO MAKE A CONSTITUTION | |
Pro and | |
Appendixes | |
Afterword on Books | |
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Canada's Founding Debates Janet Ajzenstat,Paul Romney,Ian Gentles,William Gairdner No preview available - 2017 |