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Top Canadian Political Events of 20032003 was an eventful year for Canadian politics, both on the domestic and international fronts. The following is a list of Canada's ten most important political events in 2003.
Kyoto Protocol on Global WarmingThe international and national politics surrounding global warming continued in 2003. Both the United States and Australia have indicated that they would not ratify the international agreement on global warming, known as the Kyoto Protocol. The decision by these governments brought the prospects of international ratification into doubt. For Kyoto to be implemented it must be ratified by 55 countries representing 55 percent of the developed world’s carbon dioxide emissions in 1990. The absence of the United States, who is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide, makes this threshold extremely difficult to achieve. In December 2002, the Canadian government ratified the Kyoto Protocol in Parliament. The decision was controversial considering the United States decision not to ratify and strong anti-Kyoto lobbying by several industries and provincial governments (in particular, the government of Alberta). By 2003, ratification of Kyoto had reached 44 percent. The final push to implementation
hinged on Russia, which represents 17 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions.
Ratification by Russia would put support for the protocol above the necessary 55 percent
threshold. However, on December 2, 2003, Andrei Illarionov, Russian President Putin's
advisor on economic issues, commented that Russia couldn't ratify the Kyoto Protocol
"In its current format." Mr. Illarionov highlighted the fact that the Protocol
may hamper future opportunities for economic growth, and questioned why Russia should
make any commitments if large developing countries remain exempt. Feature on the Kyoto Protocol Paul Martin Becomes Prime MinisterOn December 12, 2003, Paul Martin became Canada's new prime minister, taking over from Prime Minister Chretien. The retirement of Prime Minister Chretien and the assuming of the office by Martin, has been evident for some time. Chretien had been under intense pressure to retire from his own party following Martin's departure as finance minister in June 2002. This pressure became public in November 2002, when a motion was passed in the House of Commons to allow the election of parliamentary committee chairs and vice-chairs by secret ballot. The Opposition parties and 56 Liberal Members of Parliament, mainly backbenchers, supported the motion. Prime Minister Jean Chretien and his supporters did not. On November 14, 2003, Paul Martin was elected leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. Martin's election had become almost a formality. Many of Martin’s chief rivals for the leadership had dropped out early in the campaign, including Industry Minister Allan Rock and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister John Manley, and former Industry Minister Brian Tobin. Martin's only competition came from Heritage Minister Sheila Copps. However, at the leadership convention she urged all delegates to support Mr. Martin. Chretien has earlier suggested that he would not retire until February 2004. However, following Martin’s election as Liberal Party leader he announced that he would retire in December 2003 instead. Prime Minister Chretien stated that he had completed his work earlier than expected as the primary reason for his December departure. While the Liberal party is still the governing party, Martin's replacement of Chretien will represent a new government. Mr. Martin has publicly stated that he will be replacing much of Chretien’s cabinet and that he will be taking on new approaches and policies. Mapleleafweb Spotlight on the Departure of Paul Martin
Canada and the War on TerrorismIn 2003, Canada increased its military and aid contributions to the international war on terrorism. In August, Canada began deploying 1,900 troops to Afghanistan to assist with security and stability in the country, in particular the capital region of Kabul. The troops were integrated into NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, a force that was originally authorized by the United Nations in 2001. In July, Canadian Brigadier-General Peter Devlin assumed command of the Kabul Multi-National Brigade. In August, Canadian Army Major-General Andrew Leslie became the Deputy Commander for the NATO mission to Afghanistan. Canada also committed $250 million in aid to Afghanistan. The Canadian mission to Afghanistan has already been very costly. In October, two Canadian soldiers were killed and three injured when their patrol vehicle struck a landmine. This is in addition to the four soldiers killed in April 2002 by US friendly fire. The Canadian government's decision to join the Afghanistan mission has been controversial. By committing its limited military resources to Afghanistan early in 2003, Canada was not in a position to make any contributions to the US war in Iraq. This decision has allowed the Canadian government to navigate a tough ethical and political dilemma. Canada is committed to the international war on terrorism. However, it had rejected the United State’s unilateral approach to the war on Iraq, instead supporting a United Nation’s led response on the Iraqi issue. By exhausting its military resources in Afghanistan, Canada left itself in no position to participate in the Iraqi war, while still being able to show support for the war on terrorism. However, critics of the government's policy have suggested that it has resulted in even greater tension between Canada and the US. Mapleleafweb Spotlight on Canada’s Latest Mission in Afghanistan
(Operation ATHENA) Canadian Alliance/Progressive Conservative MergerIn December 2003, the Canadian party system altered drastically as Canada’s two right wing political parties, the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party, merged into the new Conservative Party. In May 2003, Peter MacKay won the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party. Less than a month later after his leadership win, it was revealed that MacKay had undertaken meetings between the Progressive Conservatives and the Canadian Alliance on the possibility of merging. In October, MacKay and Canadian Alliance leader Stephen Harper held a joint news conference to announce they had reached an agreement in principle to merge the two parties. In December, both parties held a membership vote on whether to proceed with the merger. Canadian Alliance members voting 96 percent in favour of the merger, while 90 percent Progressive Conservative members approved the merger. While the merger approval by the Canadian Alliance was predicted, it was unclear whether Progressive Conservative members would similarly fall into line. Several party members had initiated legal action to stop the merger. Further, high profile Progressive Conservatives, including former leader and Prime Minister Joe Clark, had made a public appeal to the membership to reject the proposal. But in the end, MacKay’s vision for the party received close to unanimous support. The selection of a leader for the new party will take place early in 2004. It is expected that both Harper and MacKay will campaign for the position. Jim Prentice, who lost his bid for leader of the Progressive Conservative Party to MacKay, has also announced his intention to run for leader of the new Conservative Party. Mapleleafweb Feature on the
new Conservative Party Recognition of Same Sex Marriage2003 was an important year for gay and lesbian equality rights. On June 10, 2003, the Ontario Court of Appeal struck down the common law definition of marriage as between a man and women. The court found that the definition violated the equality rights of gay and lesbian persons under s. 15(1) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The court changed the definition of marriage to read “the voluntary union for life of two persons to the exclusion of all others.” Following the landmark decision, the Canadian federal government announced that it would introduced legislation to make same-sex marriage legal throughout the country, while still permitting churches and other religious groups to sanctify marriages as they see fit. In an attempt to limit provincial challenges, the federal government stated that it would submit the legislation for examination by the Supreme Court of Canada. The federal government also asked provincial governments to move immediately to legalize same-sex marriages. In an attempt to stop the government’s policy of recognizing same-sex marriages, the Canadian Alliance Party introduced a House of Commons motion in September to reaffirm the heterosexual definition of marriage. The motion was defeated 137 to 132. In October, the Supreme Court of Canada indicated its view on the legality of same-sex marriage by announcing that it would not allow appeals of the Ontario court decision that changed the common law definition of marriage to include same-sex couples. Later in October, the federal government issued a reference to the Supreme Court of Canada concerning the constitutionality of its proposed legislation to recognize same-sex marriages. The SCC will hear the arguments for and against the new legislation in April 2004. Several provinces moved quickly to recognize same-sex marriages following the Ontario Court of Appeal decision, including British Columbia and Ontario. The Alberta government has indicated that it will resist the recognition of same-sex marriages. Mapleleafweb Feature on Same-sex Marriage in Canada Federalist Win in QuebecWith respect to constitutional and national unity issues, 2003 marked the return of a federalist government to Quebec. On April 14, 2003, Quebec voters went to the polls and elected Jean Charest’s Liberal Party to government, ending the 9-year rule of the Parti Quebecois. The Liberals won a large majority, with 75 of 125 seats in the National Assembly, while the Parti Quebecois were reduced to 45 seats. The Liberals' election signals a possible change in Canadian constitutional relations. The Parti Quebecois are staunch soverignists and have been pushing for some form of independence from the rest of Canada. The Liberals are more strongly federalists and support a Quebec in the Canadian nation state. Further, the Parti Quebecois had tended to abstain from pan-provincial and federal programs and conferences, instead pursing a strategy of bilateral negotiations with the federal government. Charest’s Liberals have indicated that they will participate more fully in inter-governmental relations with the other provinces and the federal government. Mapleleafweb Spotlight on the 2003 Quebec General
Election Rise of the Canadian Dollar2003 and has been rocketing year for the Canadian loonie relative to the American greenback. After weak performances in 2001 and 2002, the loonie reached a 10-year high. In the 1990s the Canadian dollar had experienced a drastic decline in its worth relative to the American dollar. After reaching a peak of US$0.8934 in 1991, the Canadian dollar subsequently fell to US$0.73 in 1996, US$0.6311 in 1998, and finally below US$0.63 last November. In November 2001, the Canadian dollar reached an all time low of US$0.623. In 2003, however, the Canadian dollar made a strong comeback. By mid-May, the loonie surpassed the US$0.72 mark, and rose above US$0.75 in December, the highest it had been since 1994. The rise of the loonie is due in large part to a steady decline in the worth of the American dollar. The loonie's recent value has resulted in concerns about the Canadian economy, in particular on the export side. As the dollar increases relative to the American dollar, the cost of Canadian goods in the US also increases. This makes Canadian exporters less competitive in the American market. Other industries, such as tourism also hurt from a higher Canadian dollar, as it becomes more expensive for Americans to holiday in Canada. However, others suggest that a higher dollar has positive long-term economic impacts as it forces Canadian exporters to be more productive as they no longer have the advantage of a low Canadian dollar. Further, for companies that are dependent on imported goods and services from the US, the higher Canadian dollar actually reduces costs. Mapleleafweb Feature
Article on the Rise of the Canadian Dollar in 2003 National Health-Care ThreatsIn 2003, Canada was hit with a number of health threats, specifically Mad Cow and SARS. In May 2003, Canada confirmed its first domestic case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE or Mad Cow). The discovery immediately set off a massive investigation and depopulation effort by Canadian federal and provincial governments. Several countries immediately banned the import of Canadian beef, including the United States, Mexico, Japan and South Korea. The Mad Cow disease came to notoriety in the late 1990s, when a massive outbreak occurred in the United Kingdom and it was discovered the disease was transmittable to humans. The closure of the US border to cattle exports has devastated the Canadian beef industry. In August 2003, the US re-opened the border to Canadian shipments of boxed beef from cattle under the age of the 30 months. And in October 2003, the United States Department of Agriculture announced a proposed rule for re-establishing exports of live cattle under 30 months, bone-in-beef, and other products to the United States. However, the proposed rule is not expected to come into effect until early in the New Year. The Canadian government has also offered a $120 million aid package to the cattle industry, which has been received unfavourably. The Alberta government has also offered an aid package for its provincial industry. Mapleleafweb Spotlight on BSE in Canada Spring 2003 also brought a deadly outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The worldwide outbreak of SARS began in China and was spread by persons who traveled from Asia to other countries. The Canadian outbreak was traced to a person who had visited Hong Kong and then returned to Toronto. The person then unknowingly spread SARS to doctors and other patients while being treated in hospital for high fever and other symptoms. The outbreak resulted in thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths in 26 different countries. In Canada there were over 300 probable or suspect cases of SARS, with over 20 deaths. The majority of cases occurred in the metropolitan Toronto area, with several more cases being confirmed in New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Prince Edward Island. The outbreak placed huge pressures on the Canadian health system. In March, the Ontario government declared a state of emergency and ordered thousands in quarantine. The federal government dispatched health and quarantine officers to major Canadian international airports, provided support to the Ontario government, and stepped up medical research on the infection. Mapleleafweb Spotlight on SARS in Canada Marijuana Decriminalization2003 also saw the continued liberal shift in the federal government's policy to marijuana use. In 2001, Health Canada implemented the Marijuana Medical Access Regulations, which provided access to marijuana for medical purposes. Then in 2003, several Parliamentary committees released reports that recommended the decriminalization of marijuana possession and use of the drug for medical purposes. This included the Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs and the House of Commons Special Committee on Non-Medical Use of Drugs. (ARE THESE TERMS "ILLEGAL DRUGS" AND "NON-MEDICAL USE OF DRUGS" SUPPOSED TO BE CAPITALIZED?) In 2003, several court decisions also demanded more liberal marijuana laws. In January, an Ontario judge dismissed two drug charges against a 16-year old boy. The court ruled that Canada’s law on possession of small amounts of marijuana was no longer valid because Parliament had failed to address problems with Canada's marijuana laws. In October, the Ontario Court of Appeal wrote new rules to make it easier for people who are ill to get medicinal marijuana legally. However, the court reinstated laws making possession of marijuana for recreational use illegal. In June 2003, the federal government introduced cannabis reform legislation under Bill C-38, An Act to amend the Contraventions Act and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The Bill includes measures to ensure the penalty available to deal with cannabis possession offences is appropriate to the seriousness of the crime. In particular, it provided for small fines for possession of 15 grams or less of marijuana. However, the bill did not pass in Parliament before it was shut down in late 2003. The bill is expected to be reintroduced in early in 2004, but its future will depend on whether Prime Minister Paul Martin will support the initiative. Canada’s more liberal stance on marijuana possession has caught the United States government's attention, which pursues a more conservative approach. On several occasions in 2003, the United States has warned of repercussions for Canada if it proceeded with more liberal marijuana laws. Mapleleafweb Spotlight on Marijuana Laws in Canada Year of the Provincial Election2003 was a watershed of provincial elections, with eight of the ten provinces holding general elections. The results of the provincial elections were as follows:
Important trends from the elections are as follows:
Mapleleafweb Voter Almanac – Federal and Provincial
Election Summaries
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