James Armstrong Richardson

In 1976, Richardson resigned from the Trudeau cabinet over a language issue in the Canadian Constitution. Discussions were underway in that timeframe for Canada to bring home its constitution which was held by Britain. The constitution, then referred to as the British North America Act of 1867, was the act of British Parliament to unite British colonies in North America under a federal structure that was termed Canadian Confederation. Britain intended to transfer control of the constitution in 1931 under the Statute of Westminster 1931, but Canada could not agree on a means to enact amendments.[5] Richardson claimed that Trudeau was to allow Quebec perpetual veto power over "any future amendments to the constitution concerning language rights" Richardson was referring to a 1971 proposal which enabled Quebec or Ontario separate veto powers but did not allow the other, smaller provinces, the same power.[6] As late as 1981, the debate over veto power continued with the smaller provinces preferring "opt out" language which would enable them to not apply amendments in their territory.[5] In ensuring provincial negotiations, the veto clauses were removed from the constitution which was backed by the Supreme Court of Canada.[7]

Richardson was known as a "business Liberal", on the right wing of the party. He clashed with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau over his plans to patriate the Canadian Constitution and resigned from Cabinet in 1976 to protest the government's implementation of official bilingualism and its proposed entrenchment in the constitution.[4] In 1978, he left the Liberal caucus entirely and crossed the floor to sit as an Independent MP for the remainder of his term. He unsuccessfully attempted to form a new political party, the One Canada Party,[8] but that floundered and he was not a candidate in the 1979 election. Richardson endorsed Joe Clark's Progressive Conservative Party in the 1980 federal election.[4]