EVOLUTION OF MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE FOR INT ERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS IN NEW-BRUNSWICK 1960-1990

Did New Brunswick intergovernmental relations undergo fundamental chan ges over the last three decades? Virtually non-existent in the early 1 960s, this government activity sector developed gradually, emerging as a full-fledged ministry following the victory of Frank McKenna's Libe rals in 1987. The purpose of this article is to describe that change a nd to determine the main factors that could explain the lack of autono mous structures for managing the province's intergovernmental affairs. However, the Robichaud government in the 1960 and the Hatfield govern ment in the 1970s and 1980s often launched projects to modernize gover nment activities. How should one therefore explain the fact that they were so late in organizing the management of intergovernmental relatio ns? Do these decisions result more from New Brunswick society than fro m its political leaders? In order to consult the relevant literature a nd documentation, we interviewed several high officials and politician s from current and past governments. There is a broad consensus among them: the management of intergovernmental relations, closely controlle d by the premiers, their offices and, occasionally, the secretariat of cabinet, has not been particularly affected by the lack of a more str uctured bureaucracy. In spite of the recent creation of the Ministry o f Intergovernmental Affairs, the management of those affairs would not appear to have changed a great deal. It is still within the premier's office that the key decisions in this field are made.