Our plan for strengthening the federation is based on the following principles and actions:

Respect for the constitutional jurisdiction of each order of government
Guided by our federalism of openness, our Government will work towards placing formal limits on the use of the federal spending power for new shared-cost programs in areas of exclusive provincial jurisdiction. This legislation will allow provinces and territories to opt out with reasonable compensation if they offer compatible programs.

Dismantling of barriers to interprovincial trade
Despite the globalization of markets, Canada still has a long way to go to establish free trade among our provinces. It is often harder to move goods and services across provincial boundaries than across our international borders. This hurts our competitive position but, more importantly, it is just not the way a country should work. Our government will consider how to use the federal trade and commerce power to make our economic union work better for Canadians.

Senate Reform
Our government believes that Canada is not well served by the Senate in its current form. To ensure that our institutions reflect our shared commitment to democracy, our government will continue to work towards introducing 8 year term limits for Senators, and implementing direct consultations with votors on the selection of Senators.  

Improving the lives of Canada's Aboriginal people 
Our government, for the first time, extended to people living on reserve the protections that other Canadians enjoy under the Canadian Human Rights Act. We will continue to present legislation on specific claims, which will finally bring fairness and timely resolution to the claims process.

Our government recently concluded a final settlement on Indian Residential Schools and launched a commission for truth and reconciliation. Prime Minister Harper, on behalf of our government, delivered a complete statement of apology to close this sad chapter in our history.