Conrad Black: A National Policy for the 22nd century

[Locutus]

My comments last week about coming legally to grips with the issue of the possible secession of a province from Canada were intended to be the first part of an ambitious outline of a successor to Sir John A. Macdonald’s ambitious National Policy of 1878. This was the program that propelled him back into government for the rest of his life. (He died in 1891, aged 76, after an unequalled six elections as prime minister, and one term as opposition leader, following a decade before that as the co-leading figure of the so-called United Province of Canada.)

The 1878 program was essentially one of high tariffs to assist Canadian manufacturing, as opposed to Liberal support for freer trade with the United States. But Macdonald’s spin-team and his own polemical flourishes sketched out a comprehensive policy of a transcontinental railroad and fast steamship service off each end of the railway to Europe and the Far East; accelerated immigration and development of the under-populated West; and extensive development of harbours and other elements of what would today be called infrastructure. It was an ambitious plan, was endorsed by the voters, enacted, and did, with the bonne entente with federalist French Canadians, assure the survival and progress of the country.


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A National Policy for the 22nd century | Full Comment | National Post

 

[damngrumpy]

First of all i think after what he did we need not even listen to a convicted criminal for the most part.
There is one thing I do agree with non violent offenders should do little or much less jail time in
fact they should be heavily supervised with an effective system and put back into the community
quickly. Their record could even be lifted after a period of time with success in reintegration into
society.
There are some other parts of what was said that were interesting and with some modification they
might even work.
What really bothers me though is this guy is even in Canada to talk about it. After all this same man
turned in his Citizenship as a Canadian to get a lousy title from the British Parliament. What a great
Canadian he is. Then we find out he is using his business savvy to shaft a whole lot of people out of
their money. Canada tended to look the other way but not the United States of America they put him
in jail. As a criminal how did he get back into Canada? Don't we stop criminals at the boarder?
Guess the justice system only works in some cases.

 

[bill barilko]

we need not even listen to a convicted criminal

Indeed-he is beneath the contempt of all Canadians.

Of the few sad creatures who follow him around hoping to inhale his an*l excretions the less said the better.

 

[damngrumpy]

The problem is he cannot even hide a benevolent attitude without displaying his
own self interest