First of all the business of any government is pretty boring most of the time as legislation
takes its time going through the system as it should. There is nothing worse than a bad
law making it to the final stamp of approval Twice as hard to get rid of a mistake once it
is made. Actually Paul Martin did more when he was the Finance Minister than when he
was Prime Minister. Yes in my opinion he went to far in some areas, but as finance minister
he ended the cycle of deficit spending, we still had a pile of debt but deficits were for a time
under control.
It is not what the Prime Minister actually does in this country it is what people perceive he has
done. that set the tone for leadership and usually has about an eight year run. This country
has survived and under the conditions laid out by geography and political tension is something
of a miracle in and of itself. We are a nation of contradictions, like a thousand balls being
tossed by a juggler. Make no mistake this country may not seem much to you, but even with
the dull lack luster Mackenzie King this country was one of the most respected nations during
WWII, we held our own in Korea, we breathed life into the concept of UN Peace Keeping, we
have carved a nation out of a collection of people who have turned bitching into an art form
and yet even though we fight and squabble with each other nobody else had better speak ill of us.
There is a lot of time and distance in our view of the world, I am almost sixty five but I love this
country and I am proud of many accomplishments in spite of ourselves.
We wonder what have we done? Compare the things that count. We have Medicare that all
citizens can take advantage of, we were among the first to have meaningful pensions for the
veterans after WWI, We put together a pension plan that at least provide a minimum income
for the poorest of the poor. In all we provide a justice system that at least lets you see the inside
of a court room and a chance to be heard. We have some measures of environmental laws
that are not perfect but in some cases they provide the bench mark that others are trying to achieve.
We have built a civil society that provides protection for all groups, ethnically, religiously, racially
and all the other groups in a civilized society. Our institutions, though not perfect, are better than
most. We have the right to disagree, and we can protest, and even poke fun at our politicians.
There are a lot of countries where that would land you in prison or a coffin.
We through our government have lent our expertise to helping in emergencies around the world
that are organized and achieve their goals with precision.
We have provided our citizens and future generations with opportunities that most of the rest of
the world can only envy. We the older generation have in fact done a lot, we have provided our
children and grandchildren with a pretty good lifestyle. We were so busy carving out a good
society and standard of living we really didn't tell the kids and grand kids all the opportunities they
have. All of this is in one form or another due to image the government sets out. Everything is
made up of politics. Federal, Provincial, Municipal and there is politics in churches, organizations
and even families. All of the laws that are made intersect with governmental and human politics.
Governments set the rules by which we live by like it or not. I think all of these parties and those
who serve whether I like the Party or not I have respect for, (some more than others) because
they take the time to serve, while we criticize from the sidelines.
Canada's history is not born of revolution it is born of substance and progress and that is not as
interesting as people in brightly coloured uniforms shooting at each other. Can you imagine we
had a group of men who sat down and talked to each other and carved a nation out of nothing,
so we could complain about it. Oh in case you are wondering, the leaders of our country began
fighting over the document they all signed the day after they signed it, and God Bless them I hope
they never quit. I sometimes wonder if that one debate is the real glue that holds our country
together. We are the way we are because our governments have set the tone for the development
of Canada as a whole. We are the scraps left behind by the great pioneers that built this country
Our government for better or for worse enact the laws and direction that will guide our future
prosperity and opportunity. Our motto is Order and Good Government and really most of the time
that happens.
I'm 16 and I know the tenets of our political system, the geographic ideology (as you pointed out), and the philosophical values for each. 
