Britain: The Elephant and the Empire
France: The Sex Life of the Elephant
U.S.: How to Build Bigger and Better Elephants
Canada: Elephants: A Federal or Provincial Responsibility
Strictly speaking, pachyderms include not only elephants but also other thick-skinned mammals such as a rhinoceros or hippopotamus. That is all well and good, I hear you cry, but what kind of creature is a POGG and how does it fit into the story?
In addition to its blanket power, the BNA Act of 1867 gave the federal government 29 areas of responsibility (later increased to 31) while the provinces were given only 16 responsibilities, all of them matters – such as municipalities, schooling, and hospitals – that were back then regarded as being of minor or local nature. As Robbie Burns observed, however, the best laid plans often go astray and those minor provincial powers became among the most important responsibilities of government as the 20th century advanced. Federal and provincial squabbling over jurisdiction also became a Canadian staple.
The increased importance of many of the provincial responsibilities presented financial challenges since the provinces are limited under the constitution to areas of direct taxation whereas the federal government has unlimited taxing power. As a result, there have been various federal programs of financial support for provincial responsibilities. Probably the best example has been in the field of health care, and that has come front and center with the prolonged COVID pandemic.
Federal-provincial squabbling is inherent in the federal nature of this country and there is every reason to expect it to remain a permanent feature of our operations. But there are times when a national perspective and a concerted national effort are needed to address major challenges. This is certainly the case with the current COVID crisis and also with the ongoing battle to mitigate the harmful impact of climate change. As a result, many (but not all) Canadians will be reassured by the Supreme Court ruling that the federal government’s blanket power can be exercised to deal with matters of national importance. Those unhappy with the ruling should grow a thicker skin and move on.
Closing Comment: I shared the elephant story in a blog from almost six years ago (https://richardtindal.weebly.com/richard-tindal-blog/missing-in-action-the-federal-half-of-federal-provincial-relations) which highlighted the lack of federal leadership in health care.