Canadians need a means to hold different levels of government to task in between elections.
It’s little wonder why citizens have become so disengaged from our dysfunctional politics.
To engage Canadians, we must take the Senate-reform debate to the people, and away from the day-to-day operations of Parliament.
If our national life is reduced to simply managing the economy and federal-provincial relations, not rocking the boat; if the provinces and courts become the default focal point of all serious moral debate; if we come together only in celebration at sporting events, and in grief over the casualties of war and environmental catastrophes, then we are losing the soul of our nation.
Every day we meet Canadians who are embarrassed by the hyper-partisanship and mediocrity of our national politics. Our leaders rarely discuss common goals and aspirations that transcend our provincial and territorial identities.
The future of Canada depends more than ever on new bold and visionary national leadership that understands both the poetry and practice of politics. We need inspiration to revive our collective imagination once again, and pursue national initiatives for the benefit of all Canadians.
Parliament and the national public service must regain the respect of a cynical people and once again attract the best and the brightest to implement a creative national agenda.