Meech Lake

Finally the most controversial request was for Quebec to receive a special status as a “distinct” society. Now it was near the end of the meeting, everyone was even more motivated by all that they had already achieved. This was true that Quebec was unlike any other province; technically they were distinct among the others. Although some Premiers felt uncomfortable giving one province a special status, they thought they had won so much already that it was not a big deal to just call them what they were; different. The problem with this clause is that Quebec took it as meaning the special status would give them advantages in court by ruling their distinctiveness makes them different than other Canadians. On the contrary, Mulroney did not intend for this to make them different than others in court, he meant it as just giving them the special status. Most Canadians at first were under the same impression as Mulroney, except Quebec.

Now the Meech Lake Accord was presented to the public. In the beginning, it was accepted with much enthusiasm since it was flaunted as the final piece to the nation. The media said that if the document could get through the first wave of critics it could pass without problems. Mulroney said everything was moving as planned, much interest and excitement…That was until Pierre Trudeau stepped in the light with his severe opinion on the Accord.

Mulroney said Trudeau had been planning a secret attack on Meech Lake and was being very two-faced and insincere about the entire affair. Mulroney had contacted Trudeau about his opinion on the Accord and Trudeau had never expressed his concerns until he published his harsh critique.

Pierre Trudeau published his thoughts and did not hold back on his insults toward...

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...ents and therefore opposed to provinces having more control than federal institutions. Brian Mulroney, to Trudeau, was upsetting the balance of power that existed through the provinces and federal government. The federal government should be the supreme power among the provinces, and Mulroney was about to flip the controls. That being said, Mulroney thought he was still keeping with Trudeau’s vision of a “just society” by giving the provinces more say in what happens to them. Mulroney examined what Trudeau had previously expressed as possible agreements between the provincial and federal governments and found Trudeau was sabotaging Mulroney’s plans only because Trudeau could not stand to watch another Prime Minister succeed at what he had failed to do. Whether this is true or not, it is obvious the battle for the Meech Lake Accord was won by Trudeau in the end.