The Charlottetown Accord of 1992 was a failed attempt by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and all 10 provincial premiers to amend the Canadian Constitution. The goal was to obtain Quebec's consent to the Constitution Act of 1982. The Accord would have recognized Quebec as a distinct society; decentralized many federal powers to the provinces; addressed the issue of Indigenous self-government; and reformed the Senate and the House of Commons. The Accord had the approval of the federal government and all 10 provincial governments, however it was rejected by Canadian voters in a referendum on 26 October 1992.
Following the failure of the Meech Lake Accord in 1990, Brian Mulroney's government tried a second time to solve the political dilemma that was created in 1981-82, when Canada patriated and amended its Constitution without the consent of Quebec. In 1990, Mulroney appointed former Prime Minister Joe Clark as minister of constitutional affairs. Clark was given the task of forging a new agreement to break the constitutional deadlock with Quebec.
A long period of national debate about the nature of Confederation ensued. The Renewal of Canada Conference was held between January and March 1992, and focused on the division of powers between the provincial and federal levels of government. It consisted of both speeches and workshops featuring prominent speakers from across the country in both the public and private sectors, as well as representatives from Indigenous groups.
Following the conference, negotiations continued between the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, as well as with the Assembly of First Nations, the Native Council of Canada, the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada and the Métis National Council. This led to the creation of the Charlottetown Accord, which was unveiled on 28 August 1992.
In response to criticism the Mulroney government faced that the Meech Lake Accord had been developed without public input, the decision was made to bring the Charlottetown Accord to a national referendum. Two referenda were held on 26 October 1992, one federal and one in Quebec, asking the same question "Do you agree that the Constitution of Canada should be renewed on the basis of the agreement reached on August 28, 1992?" Nationally, 54.3 per cent of the vote opposed the Charlottetown Accord.
Within the Privy Council Office, the Federal-Provincial Relations Office was responsible for administering various activities related to the Charlottetown Accord, the Renewal of Canada Conferences, and the 1992 Referendum.
For related materials, consult the accession Correspondence of Rt Hon. Joe Clark, Minister of Constitutional Affairs (1997-01076-3, 49307).
