Federalism and National Infrastructure

• Author: Mahmud Jamal
• Pages: 147-162



Federalismand

NationalInfrastructure

Mahmud Jamal*

A. INTRODUCTION

IfoneweretoevaluatetheSupremeCourtofCanadasapproachtofed

eralismandnationalinfrastructurebasedsimplyontheresultsofthe

casesdecidedinthelastdecadeonemightbeforgivenforthinkingthat

thishasbeenasleepyperiodforthedivisionofpowersWithinthelast

fewyearstheCourthasconrmedseveraltimehonouredpropositions

TheCourthas

• ar med Parliamentsexclusive jurisdiction over aeronautics under

thepeaceorderandgoodgovernmentpowerwhichhasbeenset

tledlawsince

• reiteratedthatthedaytodayregulationofthesecuritiesmarketfalls

underexclusiveprovincialjurisdictionoverpropertyandcivilrights

undersectionoftheConstitutionActapropositionrst

articulatedbythePrivyCouncilin

 OslerHoskinHarcourtLLP

 QuebecAorneyGeneralvLacombeSCRLacombeQuebecAorney

General) v Canadian Owne rs and Pilots AssociationSCRCOPAIrepre

sentedtheintervenerGreaterTorontoAirportsAuthorityintheseappeals

 Johannesson v Rural Municipality of West St PaulSCRJohannesson

 Reference re Securities Ac tSCRIrepresentedtheintervenerCanadian

BankersAssociationinthisreference

 Lymburn v Mayland ACPC

MJ

• recognizedthatParliamentcandestroydatacollectedunderafederal

g un c o nt r o l sc h e m ew i t h ou t r s t o e r i n gt h e da t a to a p ro v i n ce  t h er e b y

armingthatwhatParliamentcancreateitcanalsoeliminate and

• conrmedthatamunicipalitycannotpreventacellphonecompany

fromconstructingaradiocommunicationantennasystemataplace

authorizedbythefederalministerofindustrytherebycontinuingan

unbrokenlineofauthoritystretchingbackoveracentury

Whileatrstblusheachofthesedecisionspreservedthestatusquo

anteacloserexaminationrevealsgreatuxintheCourtsjurisprudence

This paper reviews recent decisions involving aeronautics securit ies

regulationdatacollectionandtelecommunicationsAswillbeseenthe

Courtsapproachtointerjurisdictionalimmunitycontinuestoevolve

anevolutionthathaslegalandpracticalsignicanceandthataectsnot

onlytheinterplayofthepowersinsectionsandoftheConstitu-

tionActbutalsothescopeforaunilateralfederalinfrastructure

policyThepopularmetaphorofcooperativefederalismalsocontinues

toevolvefromameredescriptiveconcepttoalegalandinterpretive

principle toa n unwrien constitutional pri nciplebut not one which

fornowconstrainstheexerciseoffederallegislativecompetence

TheCourtalsocontinuestodebatetheroleofevidenceindivisionof

powersa nalysis both in interjur isdictional immun ity and virescases

withimplicationsforlegalcertaintytheCourtsadjudicativeroleand

thedeferencegiventolegislativepolicydecisionsmadeonthebasisof

expertevidence

B.THE SUPREME COURT’S RECENT

JURISPRUDENCE ON FEDERALISM AND

NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE

 Lacombe and COPAAUnifiedSystemof

Aeronautical Navigation and Aviation Regulation

Within the past decade the Court reviewed what may have seemed

thelongseledquestionofParliamentsexclusiveauthoritytoregulate

 QuebecAorneyGeneralvCanadaAorneyGeneralSCRQuebec (AG) v

Canada (AG)

 Rogers Communications Inc v Châteauguay (City)SCRRogers

 Toronto Corporation v Bell Telephone Co of CanadaACPCBellseealsoIn

re Regulation and Control of Radio C ommunication in CanadaACPCRadio

Communication in Canada