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Deep Federalism through Local Initiative: Unbundling Sovereignty in Winnipeg

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 March 2008

Christopher Leo  and
Todd Andres
Christopher Leo
Affiliation:
University of Winnipeg
Todd Andres
Affiliation:
Pitblado LLP
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Abstract

Abstract. Building on an international literature that stresses the growing importance of cities in both the economy and governance, this paper proceeds from the premise that national government support is essential to the maintenance of a social safety net, but that a great deal of local initiative is also necessary in order to ensure that national government funds are spent in a manner appropriate to the very different conditions in different cities. The paper focuses on a case in which a municipal government initiated a tri-level government program. Winnipeg officials and politicians developed a proposal for federal and provincial participation in a locally created welfare-to-work scheme, a scheme that, unlike conventional workfare, offered union wages and training leading to well-paid work. The municipal government provided on-the-job training for workers selected from the welfare rolls to carry out infrastructure upgrades and financed the project with money the federal and provincial governments saved on welfare payments. The paper argues that the municipal government was uniquely well placed to identify needed work, as well as to choose welfare recipients who would be able to benefit from the job training on offer. In this case, therefore, we argue that local initiative was essential to the success of this federally and provincially financed welfare-to-work program. The findings of the theoretical literature we review suggest that it could eventually become a precedent for further municipal and local activism along similar lines.

Résumé. S'inspirant d'une littérature internationale—comprenant les contributions de Canadiens tels que Magnusson, Elkins et Courcherne—qui souligne l'importance croissante des villes dans l'économie et la gouvernance, et s'inspirant également du savoir déjà acquis sur le fédéralisme de fond, cette communication part de la prémisse que l'appui du gouvernement fédéral est indispensable au maintien d'un filet de sécurité sociale, mais que l'initiative locale est très importante pour assurer que les fonds versés par le gouvernement national soient exploités d'une manière qui réponde aux circonstances particulières des villes différentes. La présente communication porte sur un projet lancé par une administration municipale mais destiné aux trois niveaux de gouvernement. En effet, ce sont les employés et l'administration de la Ville de Winnipeg qui ont mis sur pied un projet de retour au travail pour les bénéficiaires d'une aide sociale auquel les gouvernements fédéral et provincial devaient participer. Contrairement aux programmes conventionnels de travaux d'utilité publique, ce projet offrait un salaire conforme aux règles syndicales en même temps qu'une formation sur le lieu de travail. C'est le gouvernement municipal qui assurait cette formation aux individus choisis de la liste des bénéficiaires d'une aide sociale et dont le travail consistait à hausser l'infrastructure. C'est aussi le gouvernement municipal qui finançait le projet avec l'argent que les gouvernements fédéral et provincial avaient économisé sur les fonds de solidarité. La communication prétend que le gouvernement municipal est particulièrement bien placé pour identifier les travaux nécessaires et pour sélectionner les bénéficiaires d'aide sociale les plus capables de profiter de la formation donnée sur le poste de travail. Nous prétendons donc que, dans ce cas, le succès de ce programme de retour au travail pour les bénéficiaires d'une aide sociale, financé aux niveaux fédéral et provincial, dépendait de l'initiative locale. La littérature théorique que nous avons passée en revue suggère que ce projet puisse finir par devenir le modèle pour d'autres activités municipales et locales du même genre.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 41 , Issue 1 , March 2008 , pp. 93 - 117
Copyright
© 2008 Canadian Political Science Association

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