1. Seeking Political Solutions
Road to Confederation
Seeking Political Solutions

2. The “Great Coalition”
Division between Canada West and Canada East AND ALSO among members of each assembly Canada West: Clear Grits (George Brown) vs. Liberal-Conservatives (John A. Macdonald) Canada East: Parti Bleu (George-Etienne Cartier) vs. Parti Rouge (Antoine-Aime Dorion)

3. Biggest rival: George Brown
: Macdonald and Cartier were co- premiers of Canada; still political deadlock
Biggest rival: George Brown
Yet, all three agreed to put differences aside for the Great Coalition – goal to create a union of all the BNA colonies
John A. Macdonald
George Brown
George Etienne Cartier

4. Movement for Maritime Union
Needed Atlantic colonies to be on board
Worried: small population would mean little influence on united parliament; felt distant and isolated
1864: enthusiasm for Maritime Union instead: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and PEI

5. The Charlottetown Conference
September 1864 – to discuss Maritime Union
Representatives from Canada were invited – spoke first
Atlantic colonists were impressed
Canadian reps promised: better defence against Americans; centralized government to share debt
Maritime Union idea dropped

6. The Quebec Conference
October 1864 – 33 delegates came to discuss details of a confederation of the colonies
Created a constitution based on ideas from Charlottetown Conference

7. Constitution for Canada
Agreed
Keep ties to Britain
Close links to British Constitution
Federation – more than one level of government – federal (national) and provincial (regional)
Central gov’t to have House of Commons and a Senate
Disagreed About how power would be shared between two levels of government
Colonies reached an agreement with seventy-two resolutions on how the new country would be run.
They still had to get support from each colony.
Senate – studies, changes, rejects or approves bills passed by the House of Commons; can intro own bills (but not those which spend taxpayers’ money); no bill a law until passed in Senate; has 105 members, appointed by Governor General on recommendation of Prime Minister
House of Commons – members devote time to debate and voting on bills; discuss national issues; call on government to explain actions; members are elected; seats in House (308) are distributed roughly in proportion to the population of each province and territory

8. Structure of Canadian Government - Senate
studies, changes, rejects or approves bills passed by the House of Commons
can intro own bills (but not those which spend taxpayers’ money)
no bill is a law until passed in Senate
has 105 members, appointed by Governor General on recommendation of Prime Minister

9. House of Commons members devote time to debate and voting on bills
discuss national issues
call on government to explain actions
members are elected
seats in House (308) are distributed roughly in proportion to the population of each province and territory