Canadian Annual Review of Politics and Public Affairs: 1997David Mutimer Long praised for its accuracy, readability, and insight, the Canadian Annual Review of Politics and Public Affairs offers a synoptic appraisal of the year's developments in Canadian politics. 1997 was a year of political and economic stability in Canada, and the Federal government was on the verge of a balanced budget. Inflation seemed to have been tamed, and the leading economic policy question was how the expected surpluses should be spent. The primary focuses of the surprise Federal general election campaign, held in 1997 despite Prime Minister Jean Chétien having 16 months left in his mandate, were on the government's economic record and national unity. The election caused some controversy in Manitoba simply by proceeding, as the province was preoccupied by the worst flooding in more than a century. In Alberta, Premier Ralph Klein also faced the voters again. The low point of the year came when Vancouver played host to an international summit that sparked an outcry over the RCMP's use of pepper-spray on demonstrators. However, 1997 was also the year that Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy successfully challenged world leaders to negotiate a treaty to ban the manufacture and use of anti-personnel landmines, and was able to welcome 122 nations to sign the Ottawa Convention. |
Contents
Editors introduction the year in review | 3 |
An early election? 13 The writs are issued 13 The Liberal | 24 |
The Calgary Declaration 35 Reference to the Supreme Court | 37 |
COMMISSIONS AND INQUIRIES | 47 |
Ottawa and the provinces by Michael Howlett | 54 |
DEBTS AND DEFICITS | 60 |
Foreign affairs and defence by Dean F Oliver | 67 |
United States 69 Central and South America 72 United | 78 |
NOVA SCOTIA by Robert Finbow | 136 |
Mounting problems for NB Power 150 The politics of education 151 | 151 |
BRITISH COLUMBIA by Carey Hill | 164 |
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND by Peter E Buker | 178 |
The legislature and government 188 Parties and elections 190 | 203 |
The provincial election 204 Sorting out the future 209 | 220 |
Government policy and politics 234 | 234 |
Obituaries | 243 |
Arms control 82 Defence policy 84 Defence budget military | 96 |
Education 101 Health 107 Municipal affairs 111 Crime | 121 |
Politics 123 Federalprovincial relations 134 Other significant | 135 |