Editing Fulton–Favreau formula

{{short description|Proposed Canadian constitutional amendment formula}}
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 {{single source|date=December 2006}}
 {{notability|date=January 2025}}
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The '''Fulton–Favreau formula''' was a proposed [[Amendments to the Constitution of Canada|formula of amendment]] of the [[Constitution of Canada]] developed by federal justice minister [[E. Davie Fulton]] and [[Quebec]] [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] [[Guy Favreau]] in the 1960s. The Fulton–Favreau formula would have achieved the [[patriation]] of the Constitution.

==Amending formula==
Under the formula, all [[provinces and territories of Canada|provinces]] would have to approve amendments that would be relevant to provincial jurisdiction including the use of the French and English languages, but only the relevant provinces would be needed to approve amendments concerned with a particular region of Canada.  Two-thirds of the provinces representing half of the population, as well as the federal Parliament, would be needed for amendments regarding [[education]].

==Debate==
During the negotiations, a number of [[Constitutional debate in Canada|controversies]] arose over the Fulton–Favreau accord, including that the unanimity constituted a "strait jacket" that would make the Constitution too difficult to amend.<ref name="CBC">{{cite web|url=http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-73-394-2225/politics_economy/constitution_debate_1/clip10 |title=Fighting for the Fulton–Favreau formula |publisher=CBC Archives |date=September 6, 1964 |access-date=18 December 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060614033556/http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-73-394-2225/politics_economy/constitution_debate_1/clip10 |archive-date=14 June 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The premier of [[Saskatchewan]] also argued that the debates over [[Canadian federalism]], particularly the increasing decentralization being pushed for by regional leaders such as Quebec Premier [[Jean Lesage]], threatened to render the federal government powerless, to the "[[point of no return]]", at which point Canada would no longer be a viable entity.  In turn, Lesage argued he was merely pushing for Quebec and [[French Canadian|French Canada]] to fully develop their rightful roles within Canada.<ref name="CBC"/>

[[New Democratic Party of Canada|New Democratic Party]] leader [[Tommy Douglas]] also expressed concern that, while the patriation of the Constitution would be beneficial, the new Constitution would "entrench" [[property and civil rights]].  This would make the jurisdictional issue amendable only by unanimity, which would potentially threaten growth of [[labor law|labour legislation]], [[medicare (Canada)|medicare]] and other social services.<ref name="CBC"/>

==Legacy==
Though the formula officially died in 1965 when Quebec Premier Lesage withdrew his support, a modified version of this formula was finally adopted in 1982, with the enactment of the [[Constitution Act, 1982]] and the [[patriation]] of the Canadian Constitution.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Constitution of Canada|patriation}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fulton-Favreau formula}}
[[Category:constitution of Canada]]
[[Category:history of Canada (1960–1981)]]