Issues Concluding comments about federalism 1. It is misleading to think of Canadian federalism only in terms of the need to accommodate Quebec s differences. The Secession Reference is not all there is to Canadian federalism. Diversity constituted one of the original reasons for forming a federal union rather than a unitary state.
Economic regulation is contentious.
While the feds appear to have large and exclusive general powers to regulate the economy under the trade and commerce power, under the pogg national concern doctrine, and even under the criminal law, all of these federal powers have been quite narrowly interpreted by the courts. In sum they are much less impressive than most Canadians imagine. Perhaps that was what was intended at Confederation and what is best for us today. After all, Confederation gave us a we the provinces constitution, not a we the people constitution like the Americans. In other words, perhaps it makes sense that the provinces play a strong role in economic regulation, or at least that they play an equal role.