Throughout the Canada Strong and Free series, we have promoted a vision of Canada that brings the best quality of life, the highest levels of prosperity, and the fullest experiences of democracy to the citizens of this great nation, and a presence on the world stage befitting our potential. We have argued that policies based on freedom and responsibility are not only intrinsically valuable in their own right but have the greatest potential to achieve these goals for Canadians. Here we outline the recommendations that arise from this vision.
In this fifth volume of the Canada Strong and Free series, the authors are calling for Canada to reclaim its role in the international arena – for Canada to lead and inspire the world. The world is wide of course, and Canada’s role in it is multi-faceted. Nevertheless they believe that by concentrating on three priorities in foreign policy Canada can significantly advance its national interests and international influence. These key tasks must be: to champion and practise freer trade; to advance our relationship and deepen our influence with the United States; and to give effective help to people living in nations less fortunate than our own.
What balance between our public and private sectors will induce the best performance from Canada’s economy? What division of effort and resources among our three levels of government will deliver the peace, order, and public services essential to our quality of life at the least cost and greatest responsiveness to our desires? What balance between “perfect” freedom and the constraints necessary in a complex society will generate the highest levels of wealth and job-creating economic performance? In this report, we have provided our best answers to these questions along with recommendations for action based upon those answers.
Publication of a policy paper entitled A Canada Strong and Free.
Publication of a policy paper entitled A Canada Strong and Free.
Making Canada a world leader in democratic governance and the practice of federalism is not dependent on the size of our population, our military, or our economy. Rather it is largely dependent on the extent to which our citizens and politicians are prepared to commit themselves to this objective and to support and adopt the reforms and policies that will make it a reality. With this end in view, we invite you to examine the policies proposed in this volume, support their adoption, and participate personally in the revitalization of democracy and federalism in Canada.
In this second volume of the Canada Strong and Free series, we want to return to the first component of our national vision – enabling Canadians to achieve the highest quality of life in the world. While quality of life means different things to different people, in this volume we have focused on how our principles of freedom of choice, acceptance of personal responsibility, and rebalanced federalism can dramatically improve the provision of education, welfare, health care, and child care in Canada.
Publication of a policy paper entitled A Canada Strong and Free.
Publication of a policy paper entitled A Canada Strong and Free.
Publication of a policy paper entitled A Canada Strong and Free.
We believe Canada has not yet reached its zenith – that the best is yet to come. And we believe that this will always be true. Canada is such a land of opportunity that the future can always be bigger, brighter, and better than the past, no matter how great our achievements have been. However, we believe that Canada is being held back by an absence of national vision and ill-advised public policies.
