For the commission that investigated the RCMP, see Royal Commission of Inquiry into Certain Activities of the RCMP

Royal Commission of Inquiry into Certain Activities of the RCMP

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Certain Activities of the RCMP, better known as the McDonald Commission, was a Royal Commission called by the Canadian government of Pierre Trudeau to investigate the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after a number of illegal activities by the RCMP Security Service...

The Royal Commission on the Economic Union and Development Prospects for Canada, known as the Macdonald Commission, was a historic landmark in Canadian economy policy. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau

Pierre Trudeau

Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...

 appointed the commission in 1982 and it presented its recommendations to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in 1985. The commission’s recommendations reflect three broad themes. First, the report suggested that Canada foster a more flexible economy, capable of adjusting to international and technological changes. Toward this end, the commission recommended greater reliance on the market mechanisms and that Canada pursue a free trade

Free trade

Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...

 agreement with the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Second, the commission recommended various reforms the welfare state

Welfare state

A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...

 model, emphasizing social equity and economic efficiency. Third, the commission recommended the adoption of an elected Senate in order to better represent Canada’s diverse regions.

Most notably, the commission’s recommendations affected trade policy directly by giving greater legitimacy and momentum to the debate surrounding free trade with the United States. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney

Brian Mulroney

Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...

 began trade negotiations with the American administration shortly after the report was released.

Commission Members:

Chair – Donald Macdonald

Donald Stovel Macdonald

Donald Stovel Macdonald, PC, CC is a former Canadian Liberal politician and Cabinet minister.Macdonald graduated from the University of Trinity College in the University of Toronto in 1952. He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1962 election as the Liberal Member of...

Executive Director – Gerry Godsoe

Gerry Godsoe

J. Gerald "Gerry" Godsoe LL.B, QC, and Rhodes Scholar, was a Canadian lawyer and former Executive Director of the MacDonald Commission and President and CEO of Nova Scotia Power....

Director of Policy – Alan Nymark

Directors of Research – Ivan Bernier, Alan Cairns

Alan Cairns

Hugh Alan Craig Cairns, is a Canadian political science professor emeritus.Born in Galt , he received his BA in 1953 and his MA degree in 1957 from the University of Toronto. In 1963, he obtained a D.Phil from St Antony's College, Oxford...

, and David Smith

David Smith

-In sports:* Dai Smith , rugby league footballer of the 1900s, who played for Salford, and Other Nationalities* David Smith , South African Olympic sport shooter...

(Later, Kenneth Norrie

Kenneth Norrie

Kenneth Harold Norrie is a Canadian economic historian specializing in the economy of Western Canada at the turn of the century.Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Norrie received his undergraduate degree from the University of Saskatchewan and his PhD from Yale University...

 and John Sargent

John Sargent

John Sargent may refer to:* John Sargent , British Member of Parliament for West Looe and Midhurst* John Sargent , Loyalist officer during the American Revolution...

took on the roles of co-Directors of Research).

Joint Editorial Head – David Ablett

David Ablett

David Ablett was a Canadian journalist and editor for the Vancouver Sun, Toronto Star, and other media. He was born in Gibson's Landing, British Columbia, Canada ....

 and Michel Vastel

Michel Vastel

Michel Vastel was a Québécois journalist and columnist for Le Journal de Montréal and other medias. He was born in Saint-Pierre-de-Cormeilles, Eure, France and immigrated to Canada in 1970....

.

Other Resources:

http://www.cdhowe.org/pdf/policystudy_41.pdf In 2005, the C. D. Howe Institute

C. D. Howe Institute

The C.D. Howe Institute is a Canadian public policy think tank based in downtown Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1958, the Institute publishes research and hosts conferences on a wide variety of issues in Canadian economic and social policy...

 created a volume to mark the 20th anniversary of the Macdonald Commission Report.

Gregory J. Inwood. Continentalizing Canada. The Politics and Legacy of the Macdonald Royal Commission. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2005.
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0002515 The Canadian Encyclopedia has an overview.


http://www.library.utoronto.ca/mediacommons/microtext/collection/pages/carylcou.html
The University of Toronto

University of Toronto

The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...

has the complete collection available on microtext.