Canada Heading Toward Breakup , Ignatieff Warns

Ignatieff made his comments in a keynote address at the law school's eighth annual Constitutional Cases Conference, which attracted more than 30 constitutional experts who spoke of the Supreme Court of Canada's constitutional decisions in 2004. His comments came on the heels of a week in which polls showed support plummeting for the Liberals' minority government. Support has been slipping since the federal government's sponsorship scandal surfaced, but it took a nosedive last week after testimony at the Gomery inquiry by former Montreal ad executive Jean Brault was made public. Brault alleged gross misconduct in the Quebec wing of the federal Liberal party. A Toronto Star poll, conducted by EKOS Research Associates, found that Liberals are now trailing in every region of the country, particularly in Quebec where support for the Bloc has risen to 50 per cent. But it's not just Quebecers who may be wondering about their place in Canada, warned Ignatieff. If other regions become convinced that fiscal imbalances or regional disparities aren't properly managed by Ottawa, they too may turn alienation and discontent into something much more serious. "Our constitutional crisis is rapidly becoming systemic," said Ignatieff. Atlantic provinces discovering new energy wealth are seeking to patriate this wealth for their own development. Hard-pressed Ontario is trying to keep up with rising health and education costs, while raising fundamental questions about its historic role in equalization. Alberta has its own concerns with equalization and Saskatchewan wants to renegotiate its deal. Add to that list, he said, cash-strapped municipalities that are asking where they fit into fiscal federalism, which is structured around distributing taxation and revenue between federal and provincial governments. One way to mend the nation's unravelling fabric is to appoint a royal commission with multi-party representation from all levels of government, he suggested. "Nothing would do more to address the risk of complacency and fatigue that besets the federalist cause," he said. " source:http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1113601810636&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154&DPL=IvsNDS%2f7ChAX&tacodalogin=yes