Canada's Goal

Posted by John Streicker on 5 March 2010 | 0 Comments

What a hockey game. What a goal.

The Americans played a great game and so did we. The game was close and that made it even better. 

I like competitions where we respect and appreciate the people we are playing against. The real triumph is when we strive for and achieve our best.

Our closing ceremony flag bearer, Joannie Rochette, was a great example of this spirit. It was an exciting finish to the Vancouver Olympics.

For Canadians it was a moment to celebrate. Given all of the flag waving, I think it was also a moment to reflect on being true North strong and free, on being Canadian.

Who are we and what are we trying to achieve as a country?

I am not talking about the Own the Podium program, or even sport. I am asking a deeper question about us. Where are we heading as a country and how are we trying to shape the world we live in?

The other reason to think about these questions is that after two months of being prorogued, Parliament is back to work this week.

The Canada-US final was watched by 24 million Canadians (which is 10 million more than voted in our last federal election). I’m not sure how many people watched the throne speech this past Wednesday, but I did. And I was listening to hear from our government where we are heading.

The speech from the throne lasted one hour and it was titled A Stronger Canada - A Stronger Economy - Now and for the Future.

The major themes of the next session of Parliament will be the recession, the structural deficit, jobs and growth. 

For the recession, the plan is to continue with Canada’s action plan. Recall that the purpose of shutting down Parliament was to re-calibrate. If anything our government’s re-calibration message seems to be: stay the course. 

By next year the government will end the stimulus spending and then try to address the deficit. They are not calling it a structural deficit yet, but at least they are admitting that it is there.

The plan to address the deficit is to freeze the salaries of MPs and to raise taxes on employment insurance. I commend the Government for the personal salary freeze. If you are going to introduce belt tightening, then it is good to lead by example.

However, raising employment insurance is equivalent to a tax on labour and business. And we don’t want a tax on employment if the priority is jobs.

Overall, the budget and throne speech do not contain much stimulating vision for jobs, for the economy, and even less for us as a country. While the economy is clearly important it is not everything a government needs to address.

Take the extreme example of Haiti. As a result of the destruction and the horrific loss of life caused by the quake in January, Haiti will end up with one of the world’s strongest economic ratings in 2010. This is because economy is measured by annual per capita production.

We need to look not only at the economy, but also wellness, people, the environment, governance and everything in between. We need a plan for how we want to develop and how we want to sustain ourselves. Canada needs a vision.

For 100 years Canada has been punching well above its weight. It has been our tradition to tackle problems head on and in our understated way to set an example for other countries. From WWI, through health care, to peace keeping and human rights, Canada has led.

But for the past couple of decades our reputation has been sliding. Health care needs reform, we have moved away from peace keeping and even our human rights record is slipping. 

I think the underlying reason for all of this is because as a country, we stopped addressing the big challenges we face. What is it that we have been avoiding?

I think that the major challenge of our age is to create a future which is in balance with the planet we live on, a future which can sustain our kids and all the generations to come.

Imagine shifting our energy economy. It might cost more to develop at first, but through renewable energy we will ultimately create clean, reliable, efficient energy with a stable price base. And we can create more green-collar jobs through renewables.

Sustainability goes way beyond energy and economy. Imagine a future where we improve our health through lifestyle choices, prevention and a focus on overall well being. 

Imagine improving our productivity because we provide equal pay for equal work, job opportunities for older people and daycare for kids. 

Imagine a Canada where all of our lives are enriched because we tackle, poverty, discrimination and crime prevention (not just crime punishment).

Imagine a world where our environment thrives because we respect that this is where the resources that drive our economy come from. Imagine a world where we work hard and play hard because it’s the right thing to do.

This is a vision of a strong and sustainable Canada. This is a vision we can believe in. This is a goal we should strive for.

Of course, we must address the recession but the best way to do this is to invest now in the economy of the future. We have been holding back because it will be a challenge. 

The speech from the throne began “Nous sommes un pays où les citoyennes et les citoyens ne reculent pas devant les obstacles, quels qu’ils soient...”

In English this says that as a country we face our challenges, whatever they are.