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Meech Lake Accord

The only legislature that did not agree was Quebec. In the end Quebec stood alone and when the constitution was patriated in 1982, Quebec lost its veto over constitutional change, a power claimed to have passed since Confederation (MLA accessed 13th September 2003). .
             When Brian Mulroney and his Conservatives won the federal election in 1984 (Ward 1967), they promised to work toward getting Quebec to sign the Constitution. Although Quebec was bound by the Constitution, it had refused to participate in the 1982 constitutional process of patriation and people talked of the need to bring Quebec into the Constitution (Jonas 1989). This they hoped would finally solve the constitutional problem that had plagued Canada for more than a generation. Later, Prime Minister Mulroney and the ten premiers reached a constitutional agreement that was acceptable to Premier Robert Bourassa of Quebec, an arrangement that would bring Quebec into the Constitution. This was via new legislation that proposed the Constitution Act 1987 (Smith 1991), which was accepted by eleven then First Ministers. This Act dealt specifically with Quebec's demands. Quebec had come aboard, through the new Constitution Act known as the Meech Lake Accord. This lead to the formation of several proposals or amendments to the Constitution.
             The Meech Lake Accord was Canada's first attempt at major political reform under its patriated constitution, and also its first attempt to amend its own constitution (Meech Lake Accord accessed 13th September 2003). This Accord was considered a test of strength of the constitution and the new amending method.
             The Quebec proposals could be divided into two components. The first dealt with the distinctiveness of Quebec in the Canadian federation, and the second with a potpourri of other matter. These matters arguably tended to enhance the role of the provinces in the relationship with the federal government (Jonas 1989).


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