Repeal the Notwithstanding Clause
Ontario premier Doug Ford’s controversial use of the notwithstanding clause (section 33 of the Constitution Act 1982 – “NWC”) to override the judicial application of the rule of law, has Read more →
Author: Deborah Coyne
The 25th Anniversary of the Charlottetown Referendum
This week marks the 25th anniversary of the Charlottetown referendum on October 26, 1992. This was a consultative national referendum to determine public opinion on a set of far-reaching constitutional Read more →
The Constitution is a “Living Tree”: Time for New Growth (June 2017)
The Quebec premier’s constitutional discussion paper – “Quebecers: Our Way of Being Canadian. Policy on Québec Affirmation and Canadian Relations” – was a surprising addition to the busy news cycle Read more →
The Challenge to Canadian Democracy – Overview (February 15, 2017)
Overview In 2017 we will slowly adapt to the new normal of an outrageously uninformed American president who uses Twitter as a channel not just for random thoughts, but also Read more →
1. Closing the Gap between Rhetoric and Action (February 15, 2017)
This is part of my article entitled “The Challenge to Canadian Democracy”. Here are four federal-specific policy areas where important initiatives must not be allowed to languish beyond the next Read more →
2. Harmonizing Legislation and Action across Jurisdictions – (February 15, 2017)
This is part of my article entitled “The Challenge to Canadian Democracy”. Here are five crucial policy areas in desperate need of vigorous federal government leadership to ensure carefully harmonized Read more →
3. Serious Reform to Representative Institutions and Practices – (February 15, 2017)
This is part of my article entitled “The Challenge to Canadian Democracy”. Our representative institutions and practices need serious reform to reduce executive power and return it to Parliament. We Read more →
4. Expanding Direct Citizen Participation – (February 15, 2017)
This is part of my article entitled “The Challenge to Canadian Democracy”. Sound practices and institutions are vital, but in order to make our government responsive and responsible Canadians must Read more →
5. Modernizing Arrangements for Intergovernmental Collaboration (February 15, 2017)
This is part of my article entitled “The Challenge to Canadian Democracy“. The traditional approach of relying only on ad hoc first ministers’ meetings to achieve an intergovernmental consensus no Read more →
Reform or Abolish the Senate? The Choice Should Be Ours (June 2015)
The latest depressing revelations about the Senate make it clear that the institution cannot continue in its present form. The vast majority of Canadians now agree that reform or abolition Read more →
Policy Papers (2012-2013) Index and Headnotes – Version Française
Click here for English version 1. Qui relèvera le défi ? 2. Comment les différents gouvernements peuvent travailler ensemble 3. Payer notre juste part 4. Une plus grande égalité d’un océan Read more →
Policy Papers (2012-2013) Index and Headnotes
Index/Headnotes Cliquez ici pour le français 1. Who Will Step Up? 2. How Governments Can Get Along 3. Paying Our Fair Share 4. Greater Equity From Coast To Coast To Read more →
Canada Interrupted: From ‘We The Premiers’ To ‘We The People’. Time Overdue To Bring Our Constitution And Our Federation Into The 21st Century (January 2015)
(Notes for remarks to the POL 3570A students, University of Ottawa – January 26, 2015) When Professor Gaspard asked me to speak to your seminar and address issues related to Read more →