He argued that this would allow national standards, and would level the playing field among the provinces in the provision of social services. Even before the services which are now the hallmark of our country had been put in place, a Nova Scotia Premier was raising the important issue of the equal provision of comparable social services for all Canadians no matter where they live. Even then we foresaw that without support, the imposition of national programs without the capacity to implement them could only divide the country based on economic status. The greatest threat today to federalism is no longer linguistic or cultural, it is the ability to provide our most valuable programs. That's the source of my concern for the future of Canada and Nova Scotia's place in it.
Lets begin our analysis by looking at our instruments of social policy.
The social contract between both levels of government with Canadians over the past fifty years has helped define the character of our country. It exemplifies the best values and qualities of all Canadians. And yet, lately I am struck by a feeling that we are gradually losing the basic values that have governed federal-provincial relations in the past. The glue is slowly melting. Yet, less than a month later at the First Ministers' Meeting, there was a retreat from this position.