'A Justifiable Obsession'

"'A Justifiable Obsession' tackles an important historical subject - the evolution of Ontario's intergovernmental relations with the federal government - on which there is no comparable work. Based on extensive primary source research, the book bridges the mandates of multiple premiers and analyses what was happening behind the scenes. It makes a major and innovative contribution to the fields of intergovernmental relations, constitutional history, tax policy, and social policy history." -- Matthew Hayday, Department of History, University of Guelph "'A Justifiable Obsession' is engaging, well written, and makes an important contribution to the study of federalism in Ontario-Ottawa relations. Providing a convincing explanation of why Ontario did not oppose a string of federal and shared programs that arguably infringed on its sovereignty, the book also adds an invaluable perspective on Ontario's position on constitutional repatriation and renewal." -- Stephen Henderson, Department of History and Classics, Acadia University

‘A Justifiable Obsession’ traces the evolution of Ontario’s relationship with the federal government in the years following the Second World War.

‘A Justifiable Obsession’ traces the evolution of Ontario’s relationship with the federal government in the years following the Second World War. Through extensive archival research in both national and provincial sources, P.E. Bryden demonstrates that the province’s successive Conservative governments played a crucial role in framing the national agenda – although this central relationship has received little attention compared to those that have been more volatile. As such, Bryden’s study sheds light on an important but largely ignored chapter in Canadian political history.

Bryden focuses on the politicians and strategists who guided the province through the negotiation of intergovernmental economic, social, and constitutional issues, including tax policies, the design of the new social welfare net, and efforts to patriate the constitution. Written in a lucid, engaging style that captures the spirit of the politics of postwar Canada, ‘A Justifiable Obsession’ is a significant contribution to our understanding of Ontario’s politics and political culture.