'A Justifiable Obsession': Conservative Ontario's Relations with Ottawa, 1943-1985

by Penny Bryden

Overview

‘A Justifiable Obsession’ traces the evolution of Ontario’s relationship with the federal government in the years following the Second World War. Through extensive archival research in both national and provincial sources, P.E. Bryden demonstrates that the province’s successive Conservative governments played a crucial role in framing the national agenda – although this central relationship has received little attention compared to those that have been more volatile. As such, Bryden’s study sheds light on an important but largely ignored chapter in Canadian political history.

Bryden focuses on the politicians and strategists who guided the province through the negotiation of intergovernmental economic, social, and constitutional issues, including tax policies, the design of the new social welfare net, and efforts to patriate the constitution. Written in a lucid, engaging style that captures the spirit of the politics of postwar Canada, ‘A Justifiable Obsession’ is a significant contribution to our understanding of Ontario’s politics and political culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442614062
Publisher:	University of Toronto Press
Publication date:	08/06/2013
Pages:	340
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

P.E. Bryden is an associate professor in the Department of History at the University of Victoria.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Ch. 1: “The keystone province”: George Drew’s Ontario, 1943-1946

Ch. 2: “As long as we define the terms”: George Drew’s Canada, 1946-1948

Ch. 3: “Know and understand the problems”: Leslie Frost Makes His Mark, 1948-1952

Ch. 4: “Ontario’s earnest desire for national unity”: New Policies, New Approaches, 1952-1960

Ch. 5: “A lasting effect on Confederation itself": Robarts and the Realignment of Intergovernmental Relations, 1961-1964

Ch. 6: “Profound changes in the character of Canadian federalism”: Ontario Charts a New Course, 1964-1966

Ch. 7: “See if we can’t amend the marriage contract": The Confederation of Tomorrow Conference and Beyond, 1967-71

Ch. 8: “Disentanglement” and the Origins of Mega-Intergovernmental Politics in Ontario, 1971-1978

Ch. 9: “The hot gospel of Confederation”: Securing a New Constitution

Epilogue

Bibliography

What People are Saying About This

Matthew Hayday

“‘A Justifiable Obsession’ tackles an important historical subject – the evolution of Ontario’s intergovernmental relations with the federal government – on which there is no comparable work. Based on extensive primary source research, the book bridges the mandates of multiple premiers and analyses what was happening behind the scenes. It makes a major and innovative contribution to the fields of intergovernmental relations, constitutional history, tax policy, and social policy history.”

Stephen Henderson

“‘A Justifiable Obsession’ is engaging, well written, and makes an important contribution to the study of federalism in Ontario-Ottawa relations. Providing a convincing explanation of why Ontario did not oppose a string of federal and shared programs that arguably infringed on its sovereignty, the book also adds an invaluable perspective on Ontario’s position on constitutional repatriation and renewal.”

Editorial Reviews

‘Bryden provides excellent historical context…“A Justifiable Obsession” is a valuable addition to our understanding of postwar Canadian federalism and Ontario political culture.’—Matthew Barrett, Ontario History vol 106:01:2014

‘It is a compelling read, both as reference tool for specific questions and as a general history that helps us understand how and why, imperfect as it is and after nearly 150 years, the Canadian federal experiment has been made to function.’

—Robert Talbot, Canadian Historical Review vol 96:04:2015

“‘A Justifiable Obsession’ tackles an important historical subject – the evolution of Ontario’s intergovernmental relations with the federal government – on which there is no comparable work. Based on extensive primary source research, the book bridges the mandates of multiple premiers and analyses what was happening behind the scenes. It makes a major and innovative contribution to the fields of intergovernmental relations, constitutional history, tax policy, and social policy history.”

—Matthew Hayday, Department of History, University of Guelph

“‘A Justifiable Obsession’ is engaging, well written, and makes an important contribution to the study of federalism in Ontario-Ottawa relations. Providing a convincing explanation of why Ontario did not oppose a string of federal and shared programs that arguably infringed on its sovereignty, the book also adds an invaluable perspective on Ontario’s position on constitutional repatriation and renewal.”

—Stephen Henderson, Department of History and Classics, Acadia University

From the Publisher

'It is a compelling read, both as reference tool for specific questions and as a general history that helps us understand how and why, imperfect as it is and after nearly 150 years, the Canadian federal experiment has been made to function.'

Canadian Historical Review vol 96:04:2015 - Robert Talbot

‘Bryden provides excellent historical context…“A Justifiable Obsession” is a valuable addition to our understanding of postwar Canadian federalism and Ontario political culture.’

Ontario History vol 106:01:2014 - Matthew Barrett