Canada entered 2005 in a way it had not experienced in a quarter of a century – with a minority parliament, its first since Joe Clark’s short-lived Progressive Conservative government. Minority politics dominated, as it seemed unlikely at the year’s start that the Martin government would survive even until spring. While it did manage to last out the year, the government was fighting yet another general election campaign as 2005 drew to a close. The markers on the road to the January 2006 election were the dominant political stories of the year: the minority Liberals managed to avoid defeat on...

Until the night of 28 November, no Canadian government had ever fallen on a straight vote of confidence in the House of Commons. History was made when the fragile minority government of Liberal prime minister Paul Martin was defeated, firmly and finally, in just that way. With no alternative governing coalition possible, the result set the stage for an early election. As the year ended, Canadians were girding for a trek to the polls in a rare winter election called for 23 January 2006. It marked the second time in eighteen months that voters would cast ballots in a time...

On the one hand, 2005 seemed to promise a reinvigoration of Canada’s foreign and defence policies, as was made most clear on 19 April, when the Martin government released ‘Canada’s International Policy Statement: A Role of Pride and Influence in the World.’ The direction outlined in this document was to counter the atrophy that many felt had afflicted Canada’s international presence during the 1990s and into the new century. This would be done through an integrated approach that would mesh together, both in a holistic sense and in actual foreign activities, Canada’s diplomatic, defence, development, trade, and investment strategies and...

Municipalities were generally pleased about the fact that the federal government’s ‘new deal for cities and communities’ was at least partially implemented in 2005. The new Ministry of State for Communities and Infrastructure was established. For the first time, the Canadian Federation of Municipalities was formally consulted about federal budget measures, which included provision for a municipal share of gasoline taxes (as well as some other new federal funding); tripartite agreements were worked out between the federal government, the provinces, and municipalities to put the new fiscal measures into effect; and there was at least a vague promise that more...

On 23 February Liberal finance minister Ralph Goodale presented the eighth consecutive balanced federal budget to the House of Commons. The proposed budget contained no new funding for First Nations housing or other priorities such as health and education (Globe and Mail,22 Dec.). Phil Fontaine, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), registered his disgust at the contradiction apparent in the federal government’s growing fiscal commitment to address world poverty abroad while ignoring similar conditions at home: ‘this budget will condemn our people to last place for a lot longer. The prime minister’s commitment to transformative...

2005 was an incredibly eventful year in politics in British Columbia. The year began on a positive economic note: December 2004 had seen growth in British Columbia’s employment, with half of all new jobs created in Canada and a drop in unemployment to its lowest rate since June 1981 (Alberni Valley Times,10 Jan.). While the year’s economic news was upbeat overall, NDP leader Carole James noted that although part-time employment had grown, the lack of jobs in places such as Prince Rupert continued to be of concern (Nanaimo Daily News,8 Jan.).

The year was marked by elections and...

2005 was a year of optimism in Alberta. Record high prices for oil and natural gas led to an economic boom reminiscent of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The province grew as people flocked to Alberta from across Canada, seeking employment and a better future. The provincial government was in an enviable position, with the accumulated provincial debt paid off and massive surpluses. Indeed, the big problem in the province seemed to be what to do with these new-found riches. On top of it all, Alberta was celebrating its hundredth year as a province of Canada. It was clearly...

The year 2005 marked the centennial anniversary of Saskatchewan as a province. As part of the celebration the provincial government sponsored a contest for a centennial song. The winning submission was titled ‘Saskatchewan, We Love This Place.’ Saskatchewanians celebrated the centennial year province-wide, with more than four thousand official events (StarPhoenix,7 Sept. and 27 Dec.). These included fireworks in the fifteen largest communities that were watched by more than 300,000 people. Some of the celebrations included Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, whose royal visit added the requisite regal aura to the centenary. A notable part of the celebrations...

The NDP government of Gary Doer proceeded through 2005 as if it did not have a care in the world. The economy was in good condition, the government was generally unobtrusive (and therefore offended few people), and there were no major scandals that might wreck the NDP’s re-election chances in 2007 or 2008. Moreover, the two opposition parties in the legislature appeared weak. Indeed, Stuart Murray, the Progressive Conservative leader, announced his resignation at a party conference in November.

But to widespread surprise, an opinion poll appeared in theWinnipeg Free Presslate in the year showing the government and...

The political and administrative evolution of the Canadian North continued in 2005, at a pace that frustrated many in the region but continued to impress external observers. Nunavut struggled with the realities of self-government and territorial status. Yukon waited for a return to economic prosperity. The Northwest Territories, still enjoying the widespread benefits of the diamond and general mining boom, awaited news that the Mackenzie Valley pipeline would finally commence. Canada’s growing concern over Arctic sovereignty gave the region an unexpected publicity boost, but with little direct benefit to the North. The dispute with Denmark over the ownership of Hans...

The Liberal government of Premier Dalton McGuinty reached the midpoint of its first term in office during 2005 – a milestone that was assured by its passing legislation that would establish a fixed four-year term for its mandate. The Liberals continued to struggle with the budget deficit left by their predecessors, but favourable economic circumstances enabled them to approach a balanced budget earlier than initially predicted. They faced labour relations issues in the education and health sectors, including difficult negotiations with physicians concerning the schedule of fees for their services. They pursued certain reforms in education policy and environmental protection,...

In 2005 Jean Charest’s Liberals remained unable to stem the tide of dissatisfaction they had faced almost without relief since their electoral victory two years earlier. The new government’s program of neo-liberal reforms was proving much harder to sell than anticipated; opposition to it went on unabated, and in fact intensified in 2005. The rate of satisfaction with the government hovered around a rather unimpressive 25 per cent through most of the year, and declarations that this was the worst government in the history of the province continued to be made unceasingly and with unusual vehemence by almost every quarter...

The year began on a sombre note with the death of former Liberal premier Louis J. Robichaud, who died of cancer on 6 January in a hospital near his birthplace, St Antoine, Kent County. Among the dignitaries attending the state funeral in Moncton on 11 January were Prime Minister Paul Martin, Premier Bernard Lord, and former Liberal premier Frank McKenna, as well as Robichaud’s cabinet colleagues from his tumultuous years in office from 1960 to 1970. That decade, probably the most significant in New Brunswick’s 200-year history, saw the introduction and implementation of the Program of Equal Opportunity, which transformed...

The year 2005 in PEI was one of stable economic activity and continued initiatives in agriculture, forestry, and the island’s ecology. While no key legislative changes occurred, a plebiscite was held on electoral reform. There were significant new infrastructure improvements, financed by the federal government, and the provincial government initiated a ‘renewal’ program in the public service that saw many job changes and cuts.

The PEI economy grew by 2 per cent in 2005, up slightly from the previous year; the total provincial GDP was $4,142 million at market prices. The all-items consumer price index rose by 3.2 per cent...

The winds of change were felt in Nova Scotia politics with Premier John Hamm’s impending retirement. For the first time since Robert Stanfield in 1967, a sitting premier was departing without serious scandal or condemnation from politicians or pundits. While Hamm’s rule had few milestone achievements and was marked by many reversals and compromises, the Conservatives’ credibility as a governing party had been restored, despite their failure to retain a majority. Indeed, collegial cooperation among parties allowed Hamm’s minority regime to be among the most durable and productive in Canadian history, a clear contrast to the Liberal minority government’s travails...

The year 2005 began in Newfoundland and Labrador with a ban in effect against the display of the Canadian flag at provincial government buildings. Imposed by Premier Danny Williams in December 2004, after he had walked out of talks in Winnipeg on the revision of the 1985 Atlantic Accord, this action played to mixed reviews across the country. Prime Minister Paul Martin told reporters in Montreal on 5 January that the Canadian flag ‘should not be used as a lever in any federal-provincial negotiations’ (Globe and Mail,6 Jan.). The flag flap brought a flood of media comment and a...