Serving
Canada’s
purpose


Speech
delivered
by
Nicholas
Gafuik
on
March
14,
2009

at
the
Manning
Networking
Conference
&
Exhibition

­
Check
against
delivery
­



When
we
look
at
the
current
state
of
the
world
economy,
and
our
own
political
and

economic
situation
here
in
Canada,
it’s
easy
to
get
caught
up
with
crises.

After
all,

election
threats
are
commonplace,
and
who
knows
which
economic
forecasts
to

trust
these
days.





But
we
conservatives
can
emerge
from
these
turbulent
economic
and
political
times

stronger
if
we
keep
sight
of
our
long‐term
vision
and
our
core
values.




Our
key
question
today
is:
What
is
our
principled,
21st­century
vision
of

Canada’s
future
that
can
unite
us
and
provide
inspirational
guidance
to
the

country
in
the
days
that
lie
ahead?



Canada
has
a
purpose

When
the
Fathers
of
Confederation
gathered
off
the
shores
of
Charlottetown
and

later
in
Quebec
City,
they
imagined
an
ambitious
partnership
between
diverse

peoples.



They
intended
to
form
a
national
union
that
could
occupy
the
northern
half
of
our

continent;
cultivate
a
“political
nationality”
rooted
in
values
of
liberty
and
equality;

and
they
intended
to
bind
it
all
together
with
a
National
Policy
and
a

transcontinental
railroad.



At
the
time
of
Confederation,
our
country
benefited
from
a
visionary
purpose,

rooted
in
core
values.

A
purpose
that
was
well‐served
by
informed
political

discourse,
political
leadership,
and
capable
coalition‐builders.



In
the
decades
that
followed,
this
common
purpose
inspired
our
collective

imaginations
and
labours.

We
built
a
railroad,
settled
the
West,
and
defended
our

liberty
on
European
battlefields.



I
like
to
imagine
ourselves
today
as
the
switchmen
in
the
railyard
of
history.

Our

train,
Canada,
is
coming
down
the
track.

Question
is:
What
is
our
ultimate

destination?

And
what
track
gets
us
there?



So,
what
is
our
destination?






 1

Canada
has
got
to
be
more
than
simply
the
success
of
our
social
and
political

arrangements.

I
find
the
argument
that
Canada
is
because
it
works,
frustrating
and

ultimately
self‐defeating.





If
we
rely
on
the
argument
that
Canada
is
simply
about
finding
a
configuration
that

best
delivers
us
security
and
prosperity,
then
we
invite
the
regions,
provinces,
and

constituent
parts
of
our
country
to
fight
one
another
to
maximize
gains.

We

eliminate
the
idea
that
tradeoffs
and
sacrifices
could
be
justified
to
serve
a
greater

purpose.

And
we
further
risk
having
those
who
wish
to
break‐up
our
country
argue

that
other
configurations
could
better
deliver
prosperity
and
security.



I
know
that
polls
indicate
most
Canadians
would
say
Canada
is:
healthcare,

multiculturalism,
peacekeeping
and
the
like.

But
peacekeeping,
for
example,
is
not

what
we
are;
rather,
it
is
a
tool
to
serve
Canada’s
purpose.

To
borrow
from

Professor
Sean
Maloney,
peacekeeping
is,
“but
one
blue‐feathered
arrow
in
Canada’s

…
quiver.”





Institutions,
tools,
and
programs
need
to
change
over
time
to
reflect
changing

geopolitical,
demographic,
and
economic
imperatives.

If
we
confuse
our
actions
for

our
purpose,
we
risk
betraying
the
purpose
we
set
out
to
serve
in
the
first
place.



There
is
something
deeper
that
binds
us
together;
something
rooted
in
common

values.

There
are
two
parts
to
our
Canadian
mosaic,
the
tiles
and
the
glue.



I
think
that
Canada
exists
to
serve
a
purpose;
we
as
a
people
are
called
to
serve
as
a

beacon
and
guide
to
the
world
toward
our
common
dignity,
equality,
and
liberty.



I
think
this
is
the
destination
we’re
aiming
for;
while
we’ll
never
quite
arrive,
that’s

where
we’re
headed.



So,
which
track
will
get
us
there
most
directly?



Ultimately,
this
is
why
we’re
conservative.

Because
our
core
values
and
principles

will
best
help
us
travel
toward
our
common
destination.



Core
conservative
values
can
serve
Canada
well:

• Individual
freedom
and
responsibility

• Free
markets
and
limited
government

• Respect
for
Canada’s
cultural,
religious,
and
democratic
traditions

• Strong
families
and
communities

• Grassroots,
democratic
participation



We
conservatives
stand
for
something
positive
that
must
be
shared
with
our
fellow

Canadians.

We
are
conservative
because
we
share
a
vision
of
a
free,
democratic,
and

just
Canada
that
serves
our
common
dignity,
equality,
and
liberty.





 2

We’ve
spent
the
better
part
of
this
conference
talking
about
the
various
dimensions

of
Canadian
conservatism,
and
how
best
to
bind
it
together.

We
have
done
a
good

job
of
identifying
the
discrete
elements
of
our
conservative
coalition,
and
now
we

need
a
transcendent
vision
to
glue
them
all
together
in
common
cause.



We
need
a
backbone
rooted
in
principle
that
we
can
use
to
resist
the
temptation
to

violate
our
values
when
challenged,
or
as
the
starting
point
to
generate
policy
where

necessary.



And
we
need
to
have
a
way
of
describing
the
Canada
we’re
trying
to
build
so
that

Canadians
know
what
to
expect
from
conservatives
even
if
they
don’t
understand
or

support
every
specific
policy
position.



There
is
more
to
us
than
economics.



Building
a
coalition
requires
us
to
drill
down
to
our
common
core.


Justice
and
Human
Dignity

We
live
in
a
unique
time
in
history;
a
time
of:

• Weak
social
capital.

• Institutionalized
individualism,
which
has
undermined
traditional
social

institutions
while
making
the
state
primarily
responsible
for
the
provision
of

social
goods.

• Globalization,
which
has
provoked
a
resurgence
of
local
and
national
identity

and
allegiance.



And
now
add
to
this
combination
a
substantial
economic
downturn,
and
the

subsequent
public
anxiety
and
fear.



We
as
conservatives
need
to
choose
a
track
through
these
troubled
times
that
is

rooted
first
in
the
inherent
dignity
of
every
human
being.



Let
me
be
clear
about
what
I
have
in
mind.

Whereas
the
left
tends
to
define
justice

as
a
question
of
equitable
distribution
of
wealth,
we
do
not.

We
start
with
the

understanding
that
all
human
beings
have
certain
rights.

They
are
the
core
of
our

liberal
democratic
ideal;
all
people
have
an
inherent
and
inalienable
right
to
life,

liberty,
and
property.

These
rights
are
inherent
and
inalienable
because
they
are

rooted
in
an
underlying
moral
law,
written
into
our
conscience.

For
this
reason,
all

human
life
is
worthy
of
respect.



As
conservatives,
we
know
that
we
cannot
legislate
or
regulate
heaven
on
earth
into

being.

Grand,
well‐intentioned
schemes
must
be
confronted
with
the
harsh
reality

of
the
world
as
it
actually
exists,
and
we
must
pursue
changes
with
this
reality
in

mind.

The
condition
of
our
society
is
a
product
of
human
action
but
is
not
a
product

of
human
design,
so
the
state
can’t
simply
create
a
just
society.

We
have
to
find
a

way
to
be
just
people.



 3



Let
me
give
an
example:

• In
2007,
a
10‐year‐old
British
boy
named
Jordon
Lyon
drowned
tragically

while
two
community
support
officers
stood
by.

The
Greater
Manchester

Police
defended
the
officer’s
decision
not
to
help
because
they
lacked
the

proper
training
in
“water
rescue.”

Jordon’s
stepfather
interrupted
a
witness

at
the
subsequent
inquiry
to
say,
“You
don’t
have
to
be
trained
to
jump
in

after
a
drowning
child.”



Our
opposition
to
massive
government
intervention
corresponds
to
our
belief
in
the

common
decency
of
our
compatriots
and
the
universal
human
capacity
for
social

justice
(despite
the
folly
of
these
two
officers
in
Britain).

And
so,
as
conservatives:

• We
dispute
the
assumption
that
the
state
alone
represents
our
collective
will;

• That
serving
the
public
interest
requires
a
commitment
to
serving
the

interests
of
the
state;

• And
we
challenge
the
growing
assumption
that
the
state
should
be
the
sole

provider
of
social
goods
and
benefits.



There
is
a
school
of
thought,
that
in
the
good
times
people
want
to
be
left
alone
but

in
times
of
economic
downturn
people
want
the
safety
of
collective
action.


Conservatives
have
no
choice,
so
the
argument
goes,
but
to
pursue
state

intervention,
hope
to
minimize
any
downside,
and
peel
it
back
when
things
improve.



But
there
is
another
approach.

We
could
instead
find
collective
comfort
through

social
institutions.

Instead
of
asking:
what
the
government
is
going
to
do
for
me?


We
should
ask
what
am
I
going
to
do
for
my
neighbour?



This
requires
us
as
conservatives
to
replenish
and
maximize
the
space
for
the
“little

platoons”
of
society
for
three
reasons:

1. It
is
our
responsibility
to
our
neighbours.

Simply
paying
our
taxes
is
not

fulfilling
our
obligations
to
one
another;
we
should
be
a
people
who

volunteer,
vote,
donate
to
charity,
and
are
otherwise
civically
engaged.

2. By
not
fulfilling
our
obligations
to
one
another,
we
invite
the
state
in.

It

should
come
as
no
surprise
that
the
state
provides
for
social
needs,
when

they
go
ignored
elsewhere.

The
problem
is
exacerbated
because
state

intervention
crowds
out
private
initiative.

To
the
maximum
extent
possible

we
should
prefer
social
institutions
as
providers
of
social
goods.

3. And
as
prominent
Harvard
scholar
Robert
Putnam
argues
in
his
research,

strong
social
institutions
and
civically
engaged
communities
are
a

precondition
to
improving
socioeconomic
conditions,
not
a
side‐effect.


Researchers
looking
at
education,
poverty,
unemployment,
criminality,
drug

abuse,
and
health
have
discovered
better
outcomes
in
civically
engaged

communities



The
left
is
for
the
state.

The
left
believes
that
the
state
represents
our
collective
will,

and
is
the
provider
of
social
goods.



 4



We
are
for
society.

We
believe
that
we
have
a
responsibility
to
one
another
that

cannot
be
replaced
by
government
programs,
that
we
are
capable
of
common

decency
without
instruction
from
government
authority,
and
that
strong
social

institutions
(family,
community,
church)
are
the
best
providers
of
social
goods.



If
we
are
committed
to
human
dignity
and
justice,
we
will
find
compassionate,

empathetic,
principled
ways
to
maximize
and
replenish
the
role
of
social
institutions

in
Canada.



Democracy
as
a
principle

Though
we
often
think
of
Canada
as
a
young
country,
Canadians
have
enjoyed
a

continuous
tradition
of
parliamentary
democracy
stretching
back
more
than
250

years.

In
1758,
the
Nova
Scotia
House
of
Assembly
met
for
the
first
time
in
Halifax,

marking
the
birth
of
parliamentary
democracy
in
our
country.



Democracy
is
not
just
a
system
of
governance
confirmed
through
periodic
elections.

Our
democracy
is
a
principle
rooted
in
our
common
dignity,
and
it
requires
the

active
participation
of
a
civically‐engaged
citizenry.



Our
democracy
requires
our
ongoing
attention.

We
should
continually
ask:

• What
reforms
are
necessary
to
ensure
that
Canadian
political
and
democratic

institutions
respond
to
the
interests
and
desires
of
Canadians?

• How
can
we
ensure
that
our
institutions
encourage
the
full
participation
of

Canadians
in
political
and
democratic
life?

• How
can
we
fully
realize
the
potential
offered
by
new
technology
to
reform

how
we
govern
and
how
citizens
participate
in
the
formation
of
public

policy?



If
we
are
committed
to
democracy,
then
we
will
constantly
work
to
refresh
Canadian

democracy
with
new
meaning.

International
Obligation

If
human
life
is
worthy
of
respect,
then
all
human
life
is
worthy
of
respect.

The
claim

of
human
dignity
is
a
universal
claim
not
bound
by
national
borders;
Canadians
are

not
the
only
people
entitled
to
the
inherent
and
inalienable
rights
to
life,
liberty,
and

property.

This
promise
is
a
birthright,
shared
by
all
humanity.



Our
conscience
then
demands
that
we
respond
to
human
suffering
beyond
our
own

borders,
including:

• Crushing
poverty
among
hundreds
of
millions
worldwide.

• The
27
million
people
worldwide
living
in
slavery,
and
millions
of
people

trafficked
around
the
world
every
year.

• Millions
afflicted
by
disease,
including
HIV/AIDS,
malaria,
and
tuberculosis.

• Tyranny
and
oppression
in
places
like
Burma,
Zimbabwe,
and
Belarus.



 5

 • Conflict
and
strife
in
places
like
Haiti,
the
Democratic
Republic
of
the
Congo,

Afghanistan,
or
Sudan
and
the
Darfur
region.



I
fully
recognize
the
magnitude
and
complexity
of
these
challenges.

I
understand
the

limits
of
our
power,
the
limits
of
nation‐building
and
the
frustrations
of
our

international
institutions.





While
the
resources
at
our
disposal
may
be
limited,
they
are
substantial.

Canada

does
have
the
ability
to
play
a
leadership
role
on
any
number
of
these
challenges.


The
only
question
is,
do
we
have
the
will?



Our
sense
of
what
it
means
to
be
Canadian
is
most
profound
when
we
do
things
of

international
consequence.

Our
foreign
campaigns,
multinational
dealings,
and
our

participation
in
international
institutions
sharpen
our
sense
of
Canada.



Oddly
enough,
Canada
is
best
understood
when
looking
in
from
the
outside.



Equality
for
women
and
freedom
of
conscience
really
mean
something
in
a
place
like

Afghanistan
where
basic
liberties
face
definite
and
daily
threat.

In
Canada,
it
is

easier
to
get
caught
up
in
relatively
minor
differences
of
opinion
when
our
freedom

faces
much
less
significant
challenges.

Our
mission
in
Afghanistan
is
valuable
in
this

way;
it
forces
us
to
recognize
what
we
value
in
common
rather
than
our
preferred

shade
of
grey.



As
conservatives,
we
should
be
proud
of
the
Afghanistan
mission.

A
brutal,

oppressive
regime
has
been
deposed
and
cannot
regain
power
for
the
good
of

Afghans
and
international
security.

Canada
is
built
on
the
promise
of
common

dignity,
equality,
and
liberty.

We
will
all
be
better
off
when
the
world
over
shares
in

the
same.



When
we
carry
the
burden
of
international
leadership,
it
doesn’t
just
better
places

like
Afghanistan,
or
contribute
to
international
security
and
stability.

There
is
an

added
benefit;
it
strengthens,
reaffirms
and
reignites
our
own
sense
of
purpose.

Conclusion

Canadian
conservatives
today
can
embrace
a
renewed
vision
of
a
free,
democratic,

and
just
Canada
that
serves
our
common
dignity,
equality,
and
liberty.



Embracing
this
vision
should
inspire
us
to:

• Become
civically‐engaged
citizens
who
volunteer,
donate
to
charity,
vote,
and

otherwise
ensure
that
we
are
full
and
active
participants
in
our
own

communities.

• Develop
the
public
policy
solutions
that
best
apply
our
common
values
in
the

service
of
Canada’s
purpose.



 6

 • Prepare
ourselves
for
political
participation
so
that
we
as
like‐minded
people

engaged
in
common
cause
can
help
steer
our
political
and
democratic

institutions
in
the
right
direction.



If
we
commit
ourselves
to
this
vision,
to
this
purpose,
and
to
these
actions,

conservatives
will
be
positioned
to
provide
the
leadership
Canada
needs
in
the

turbulent
days
that
lie
ahead.



The
North
Star
–
Polaris
–
is
used
for
navigation;
both
to
determine
position
and
find

direction.

It
always
appears
due
north
in
the
sky.

Can
you
imagine
with
me,
that
we

Canadians
will
be
that
true
north,
strong
and
free?

Will
we
be
the
guiding
light
in
a

dark
sky?

For
our
sake
and
the
sake
of
all
humankind,
will
we
navigate
our
way

toward
our
common
liberty,
security
and
prosperity?



Canada
is
a
great
country,
but
we
have
unfinished
work.

We
should
not
be
satisfied

with
mere
mediocrity
when
our
willingness
to
lead
can
tip
the
scales
in
favour
of

order
over
chaos,
freedom
over
tyranny,
prosperity
over
poverty,
and
good
over

evil.



Thank
you
for
your
time.



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