An Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Governments of the Provinces and Territories February 4, 1999 The following agreement is based upon a mutual respect between orders of government and a willingness to work more closely together to meet the needs of Canadians. 1. Principles Canada's social union should reflect and give expression to the fundamental values of Canadians - equality, respect for diversity, fairness, individual dignity and responsibility, and mutual aid and our responsibilities for one another. Within their respective constitutional jurisdictions and powers, governments commit to the following principles: All Canadians are equal
All governments believe that the freedom of movement of Canadians to pursue opportunities anywhere in Canada is an essential element of Canadian citizenship. Governments will ensure that no new barriers to mobility are created in new social policy initiatives. Governments will eliminate, within three years, any residency- based policies or practices which constrain access to post- secondary education, training, health and social services and social assistance unless they can be demonstrated to be reasonable and consistent with the principles of the Social Union Framework. Accordingly, sector Ministers will submit annual reports to the Ministerial Council identifying residency-based barriers to access and providing action plans to eliminate them. Governments are also committed to ensure, by July 1, 2001, full compliance with the mobility provisions of the Agreement on Internal Trade by all entities subject to those provisions, including the requirements for mutual recognition of occupational qualifications and for eliminating residency requirements for access to employment opportunities. 3. Informing Canadians - Public Accountability and Transparency Canada's Social Union can be strengthened by enhancing each government's transparency and accountability to its constituents. Each government therefore agrees to: Achieving and Measuring Results
Joint Planning and Collaboration The Ministerial Council has demonstrated the benefits of joint planning and mutual help through which governments share knowledge and learn from each other. Governments therefore agree to
The actions of one government or order of government often have significant effects on other governments. In a manner consistent with the principles of our system of parliamentary government and the budget-making process, governments therefore agree to:
For any new Canada-wide social initiatives, arrangements made with one province/territory will be made available to all provinces/territories in a manner consistent with their diverse circumstances. Aboriginal Peoples Governments will work with the Aboriginal peoples of Canada to find practical solutions to address their pressing needs. 5. The federal spending power - Improving social programs for Canadians Social transfers to provinces and territories The use of the federal spending power under the Constitution has been essential to the development of Canada's social union. An important use of the spending power by the Government of Canada has been to transfer money to the provincial and territorial governments. These transfers support the delivery of social programs and services by provinces and territories in order to promote equality of opportunity and mobility for all Canadians and to pursue Canada-wide objectives. Conditional social transfers have enabled governments to introduce new and innovative social programs, such as Medicare, and to ensure that they are available to all Canadians. When the federal government uses such conditional transfers, whether cost-shared or block-funded, it should proceed in a cooperative manner that is respectful of the provincial and territorial governments and their priorities. Funding predictability The Government of Canada will consult with provincial and territorial governments at least one year prior to renewal or significant funding changes in existing social transfers to provinces/territories, unless otherwise agreed, and will build due notice provisions into any new social transfers to provincial/territorial governments. New Canada-wide initiatives supported by transfers to Provinces and Territories With respect to any new Canada-wide initiatives in health care, post- secondary education, social assistance and social services that are funded through intergovernmental transfers, whether block-funded or cost-shared, the Government of Canada will:
A provincial/territorial government which, because of its existing programming, does not require the total transfer to fulfill the agreed objectives would be able to reinvest any funds not required for those objectives in the same or a related priority area. The Government of Canada and the provincial/territorial governments will agree on an accountability framework for such new social initiatives and investments. All provincial and territorial governments that meet or commit to meet the agreed Canada-wide objectives and agree to respect the accountability framework will receive their share of available funding. Direct federal spending Another use of the federal spending power is making transfers to individuals and to organizations in order to promote equality of opportunity, mobility, and other Canada-wide objectives. When the federal government introduces new Canada-wide initiatives funded through direct transfers to individuals or organizations for health care, post-secondary education, social assistance and social services, it will, prior to implementation, give at least three months' notice and offer to consult. Governments participating in these consultations will have the opportunity to identify potential duplication and to propose alternative approaches to achieve flexible and effective implementation. 6. Dispute Avoidance and Resolution Governments are committed to working collaboratively to avoid and resolve intergovernmental disputes. Respecting existing legislative provisions, mechanisms to avoid and resolve disputes should:
Sector Ministers should be guided by the following process, as appropriate: Dispute avoidance
Governments will report publicly on an annual basis on the nature of intergovernmental disputes and their resolution. Role of the Ministerial Council The Ministerial Council will support sector Ministers by collecting information on effective ways of implementing the agreement and avoiding disputes and receiving reports from jurisdictions on progress on commitments under the Social Union Framework Agreement. 7. Review of the Social Union Framework Agreement By the end of the third year of the Framework Agreement, governments will jointly undertake a full review of the Agreement and its implementation and make appropriate adjustments to the Framework as required. This review will ensure significant opportunities for input and feed-back from Canadians and all interested parties, including social policy experts, private sector and voluntary organizations.
Quebec is not a signatory to the Social Union Framework Agreement.
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