A Century of Citizenship in Australia and in Canada

February 7-9, 2001
University of Ottawa

A conference organized by :

- the Institute of Canadian Studies of the University of Ottawa

- the Australian High Commission in Ottawa,

- the Forum of Federations (Ottawa),

- the Australian Studies Association of North America,

- the Centre for Australian Cultural Studies (Canberra)

- the Department of Political Science (University of Ottawa)

in association with

- Integration Branch, Citizenship and Immigration Canada

- Department of Political Science, University of Ottawa

- Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

- Faculty of Arts, University of Ottawa

- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa

- International Council for Canadian Studies

Australia and Canada are multicultural societies of British constitutional traditions. As such, they face similar challenges in defining and sustaining citizenship. This conference provided the opportunity to explore in comparative perspective the history, the present and the future of citizenship in both countries. Papers examined the passage from the status of subject to that of citizen, addressed the relationship between citizenship and civil society, aboriginal governance, political participation and institutional representation as well as discuss the culture and the politics of citizenship.

This event was part of the Centenary celebrations of the Australian Federation. Building on a first Australia-Canada conference held at the University of Ottawa in December 1999. This conference was organized for academics and practitioners in government and political studies, law, public administration and policies, education, literature, history and related areas.

Program

Wednesday, February 7
Location: Le Rendez-vous, 85 University St.

17h00 Registration

17h30 Opening Remarks, Book Launch and Reception

Thursday, February 8
Location: Room 112, Tabaret Hall, 550 Cumberland St.

8h00-8h30 Registration

8h30 Introductory Remarks

Chad Gaffield, Director, Institute of Canadian Studies
His Excellency G.R.S. Wood, Australian High Commissioner

9h00-10h30 From Subjects to Citizens

Chair: Linda Cardinal (University of Ottawa)

Participants:

David Smith (University of Saskatchewan)

The Indices of Citizenship

David Headon (ADFA/NCA, Australia)

Sycophants, Citizens and the Majesty of Nature: 150 Years of Australian Civic Debate

Gilles Paquet (University of Ottawa)

Citizenship and Pluralism

10h30-11h00 Coffee, tea

11h00-12h30 Women as Citizens

Chair: Kim Richard Nossal (McMaster University)

Participants:

Caroline Andrew (University of Ottawa)

Women as Citizens in Canada

Sara Dowse (Australian novelist)

The Second Wave: Australia Transformed

Constance Backhouse (University of Ottawa)

Skewering Rape Victims: The Legal Doctrine of Corroboration in Early 20th Century Canada and Australia

12h30-14h00 Lunch

14h00-15h30 Citizenship and Aboriginal Governance

Chair: Clarence Thomas Jules (Chairman of the Indian Taxation Board, British Columbia)

Participants:

Honourable René Dussault (Justice of the Quebec Court of Appeal and former Co-Chair of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples in Canada)

The Royal Commission's Vision for the Future

Marcia Langton (University of Melbourne)

The Problem of Citizenship for Aboriginal Australians: A Case of Coercion Rather than Consent

Chief Ghislain Picard (Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief for Québec and Labrador)

Affirmation of Aboriginal Citizenship

15h30-16h00 Coffee, tea

16h00-17h30 Debating Civil Society

Chair: Sheela Embounou (Forum of Federations)

Participants:

Peter Jay Smith (Athabasca University)

The Impact of Globalization and the Information Society on Canadian Citizenship - Decline or Renaissance?

John Williams (University of Adelaide)

Deliberative Democracy and the People: the Australian Experience

Helen Irving (University of Technology, Sydney)

Subjects, Citizens and Apron-Strings

Friday, February 9
Location: Freiman Hall, Perez Hall, 50 University St.

9h00-10h30 The Culture of Citizenship

Chair: David Staines (University of Ottawa)

Participants:

Gerry Turcotte (University of Wollongong)

Persistence of Vision Memory, Migration and Citizenship -- Free Trade or the Failure of Cross-culturality?

Jeff Brownrigg (People's Voice' Project and National Film and Sound Archive)

Citizens of the Fifth Continent: Australians on the International Stage

Denise Merydith (University of the West of England)

Virtually Liberal: On-line Associational Life and Civic Capacity

10h30-11h00 Coffee, tea

11h00-12h30 The Politics of Citizenship

Chair:Claire Turenne Sjolander (University of Ottawa)

Participants:

François Houle (University of Ottawa)

Canadian Citizenship and Multiculturalism

François Rocher (Carleton University)

Debating Citizenship in Canada and Québec: The Collide of Two Nation-Building Projects"

Marian Sawer (Australia National University)

Creating a Nation Through the Ballot Box: Electoral Citizenship in Australia

12h30-13h30 Lunch
129 Simard Hall

13h30-14h00 Reading from Gerry Turcotte's new novel, Flying in Silence

14h00-16h00 Round table - Citizenship : Between Past and Future

Chair: Jim Mitchell (Sussex Circle)

Participants:

Gilles Paquet (University of Ottawa)
Helen Irving ( University of Technology, Sydney)
David Headon (AFDA, Sydney)
Marcia Langton (University of Melbourne)
Linda Cardinal (University of Ottawa)

16h00-16h15 Closing Remarks

David Headon (ADFA/CNA, Australia)
Linda Cardinal (University of Ottawa)