Canada The State Of The Federation

Regional Resource disparities and the tensions they generate are a perennial Canadian topic. This edition of the State of the Federation presents papers on this them delivered at the HGR annual conference held in December 2012 in Kingston, Ontario. Contributors to this volume were invited to consider regions, resources, and the resiliency of the Canadian federal system. Specifically, authors were asked to consider questions such as: To what extent do Canada's natural resource industries benefit the Canadian economy? Do Canada's federal institutions hinder or promote the ability of the economy to respond to global economic shifts? Do current intergovernmental structures allow for constructive dialogue about national policy issues? In responding to these and related questions, many of the authors touch on energy issues. Others consider the importance of functional institutions in a federal or multilevel context as an essential requirement for the effective resolution of issues. Together, the Papers raise underlying questions about the relationship of state and society, including questions about the importance of identity, trust and moral legitimacy for the operation of our federal institutions, and the extent to which federal institution are reinforced or, conversely, placed under stress by societal structures. The theme of the 2012 conference and, by extension, this volume was triggered by Richard Simeon, the outstanding scholar of federalism and former director of the Institute, who passed away in October 2013. This book is dedicated in his honour.