The Agreement on Internal Trade: An Institutional Response to Changing Conceptions, Roles and Functions in Canadian Federalism

Abstract

After decades of relative stability, the Canadian State has undergone substantial restructuring during the past 15 years. Sweeping changes resulted from the patriation of the Canadian constitution in 1982, with the adoption of the Charter of Rights and a new amending formula. International trade treaties like the Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, and the agreements associated with the new World Trade Organization have also forced governments to review the way they "do business." Other events in the 1990s like an economic downturn of major proportions, a referendum in Quebec and what was considered by many at the time to be a serious fiscal crisis have also re-ordered the state.