The Anxious Years: Politics in the Age of Mulroney and Chrétien

Paul G. Thomas is a professor of political science at the University of
Manitoba, and the co-author of Canadian Public Administration:
Problematical Perspectives.

National affairs columnist for The Globe and Mail, a regular panelist on
CBC’s Sunday Report, and the author of three previous bestsellers,
Jeffrey Simpson has garnered widespread

respect for his balanced, well-informed commentaries on national events.
This book consists mainly of selections from the more than 2200 articles
he wrote between 1984 and 1996.

Simpson observes that the columnist plays many roles: reporter,
commentator, analyst, and satirist. He describes columns as “pen
sketches of time and place” whose meaning and context are quickly lost
in the rush of history. If Simpson’s work is history on the run, it is
very good history. The columns are arranged thematically rather than
chronologically, and the topics covered include debts and deficits,
constitutional reform, Quebec, free trade, the cultural and political
differences between Canada and the United States, and, most prominently,
the three Ps: politics, politicians, and political parties.

While the book includes an excellent essay on what it means to be a
modern conservative, Simpson’s philosophy bears no resemblance to the
simple-minded nostrums of the radical right. In his introduction, he
states his belief in “the selective, creative use of the state for
collective purposes,” such as promoting national unity, furthering
social justice, and enhancing “life chances” for its citizens.
Simpson was one of the first commentators to call for action on rising
deficits and debts—a message that upset those on the political left.
However, the main theme underlying these columns is our declining trust
and confidence in politicians, political parties, and most of the
institutions of Canadian democracy. The economic slowdown and the
decline in the standard of living have contributed to Canadians’
frustration with the political process. So too have the misdeeds and
incivilities of the politicians themselves. The adoption of the Charter
of Rights and Freedoms has transformed the Canadian political culture
and in the process weakened governments, emboldened pressure groups, and
fostered a more litigious mentality. Finally, there is a growing sense
among Canadians that our social and cultural fabric is unraveling. These
and other important themes are explored with the clarity and subtleties
that lead thousands of Canadians to turn first to Jeffrey Simpson’s
column when they open their morning Globe and Mail.