If Canadians are politically illiterate, there is a reason for it

KAMOURASKA, QUE.—Almost 20 years ago, I was assigned to produce a PowerPoint deck for the then-Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, now Global Affairs Canada. The purpose of the assignment was to look into the future to determine how the multilateral system could influence change in the world by 2025, and what part Canada would play. While I cannot go into detail, I spoke to key people in several departments and tried to articulate their prognostications. It was a fascinating exercise, and it got me to thinking. Twenty years prior to this project, I had written a memo to a former colleague working in then-new Liberal leader John Turner’s office. It consisted of ideas the party might use in the 1984 campaign. The ideas included a type of “national service,” a proposal for a national adult literacy program, economic nationalism, the environment, and democratic reform. In 2004, I decided I would write about the challenges of the next two decades. I scoped out an 11-chapter book, each one based on a specific policy issue. They included: a sense of identity, institutional reform, restoring our reputation abroad, a balanced health-care system, liberating our Indigenous communities, a modern system of justice, and Quebec in Canada. This work was not targeted at the typical academic or policy wonk. It was for the average Canadian who does not know our history or governance system. There was a summary of explanatory points at the beginning of each chapter, and an “action plan” of ideas at the end. In the “identity” chapter, I called for increasing citizenship residency requirements to five years, admitting more refugees and immigrants, but reducing the “family class.” Under “improving government,” I outlined the need to elect the Senate, dump the monarchy, and emphasize ministerial responsibility. In the “economy” chapter, I suggested developing a genuine industrial strategy and taking a percentage of oilsands royalties to fund environmental innovation to make Alberta a haven for new technology. In the “First Nations” section, I called for the end of the Indian Act, the closure of the then-named Department of Indian Affairs in a decade, and designated Indigenous seats in a new elected Senate. For Quebec, I proposed a major role in promoting the French fact in Canada, an emphasis on the economy, and the involvement of Quebec in national institutions. I concluded with the following words: “My purpose in writing this book was to ensure we continue setting goals for ourselves and never take anything for granted. I hope that in some small way, I have inspired you to make a better Canada from what we have. As a citizen, the power to do so lies in your hands.” Once I had a good-sized draft, I started shopping it around to publishers. The first responses were not encouraging: most didn’t think it would sell. One editor took the time to write a mocking email, asking “Who are you to write this book? And who in hell is going to care about Quebec nationalism, Indigenous affairs, health care, or Senate reform in 2024?” That hurt, and so I abandoned the project. Since then, I have wondered what might have been. It might have provided new Canadians with a greater sense of their new country. It might have dulled the intensity of movements like the convoy occupation of Ottawa, whose leaders and participants were political illiterates. It might even have inspired the current government, so patently bereft of ideas. Recently, I was called to donate money to my alma mater, Carleton University. The young woman on the line was a political science and philosophy student. I asked her what she planned to do with her degree. She replied she wanted to run for Congress. Was she American? “No, but the United States really appeals to me.” The recent visit of U.S. President Joe Biden, which left official Ottawa all agog, seems to support that sentiment. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Canada is a “post-national state” with “no core identity.” Canadians like that student have interpreted that to mean our history and political culture don’t count for much. By not offering some kind of a vision for Canada, our leaders are encouraging people to lose interest in the country itself. Andrew Caddell is retired from Global Affairs Canada, where he was a senior policy adviser. He previously worked as an adviser to Liberal governments. He is a town councillor in Kamouraska, Que. He can be reached at pipson52@hotmail.com. The Hill Times

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If Canadians are politically illiterate, there is a reason for it

By not offering some kind of a vision for Canada, our leaders are encouraging people to lose interest in the country itself.

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