Participants in Forum discussions recognized that there must be some changes to the way the federation functions, or we risk losing the social programs Canadians have struggled for and thought they had won. But is a constitutional approach the best approach at this time? Participants observed that Canadians everywhere are weary of constitutional battles - this was clearly expressed in all of our meetings. As well, many participants expressed a frustration at constitutional tinkering at a time when poverty in Canada has reached crisis levels, when many are un- and under-employed, and when our once-heralded social programs are under attack. They recognized that the hostility toward constitutional discussions, in many ways, has its origins in Canadians’ profound animosity toward recent governments’ economic policies.

As Robert Chisholm pointed out,

A participant in our Newfoundland meeting emphasized that it doesn’t make sense to have civil and political rights if you don’t have anything to eat. Poverty marginalizes people and undermines a democratic and just society. We must ensure that peoples’ basic needs are being met.