From:	Augustus shadowrun@********.net
Subject:	UCAS - How would it happen?
Date:	Fri, 6 Oct 2000 20:08:47 -0700

----- Original Message -----
From: Wagner, Jordan <findlerman@****.carrollsweb.com>

> Would one of the canadian list members (or more informed non-canadian list
members,) enlighten this uneducated american?
>
> I was under the impression that Canada was on it's own - an autonomous,
independant, self->governing entity - complete with parlament and prime
minister. It was my understanding that >canada has full independence from
the brits (in so far as any government has it's own >independence.)


Back in 1982, Canada repatriated its constitution and got its own charter of
rights and freedoms... since then we have effectivly been entirely on our
own... we are independant, self-governing and we have and make our own laws.

But, we are still part of the commonwealth... That doesn't really mean
anything anymore... back in World War 1 weren't allowed to declare war, and
when the british declared war on germany that meant that canada did so
automatically as well. But that changed come WW2.

What it means today is... we are our own country and we do our own thing...
we do have the monarchy, but its not as prevalent as it is in England... and
every few years (about every 5-10) there comes debates about weather or not
we should absolve it and go our own way.

How this all ties into the UCAS idea: It doesn't really... its one of those
things that if there was a consensus in the house of commons to ditch the
monarchy they could probably get it over and done with in about a week...
then spend another week to ratify amendments to the constitution... and the
UCAS could form about that quickly.

Today it would be a different story... the largest opponents to forming the
UCAS would probably be Quebec and the western provinces (BC, Alberta,
Saskatchewan and Manitoba). In the Shadowrun timeline, ofcourse... Quebec
seperated from Canada, and the western provinces all went to the NAN...

Augustus