Memos to the Prime Minister: What Canada Could Be in the 21st Century

David E. Smith is a professor of political Studies at the University of
Saskatchewan. He is the author of Building a Province: A History of
Saskatchewan in Documents, The Invisible Crown, and Republican Option in
Canada, Past and Present.

Canada could be in the 21st century.” Not unexpectedly, the range of
responses is broad; too broad to be informative or, even, very often
interesting.

Short but not always succinct, the memos veer between being over- and
underfocused. In the few pages allotted them, the authors have to decide
whether to frame their communication so as to make a balanced argument,
or to pack a punch by hammering home a favorite idea—flat tax, digital
economy, bold vision, entrepreneurship, shorter workweek, and much more.
The contributions of those who opt for the former strategy appear
excessively general, while the remaining contributions appear
inexcusably narrow.

To criticize the efforts is not to deny the problems they inadequately
address. Social integration, productivity, education, and responsible
government, for instance, have and will continue to be the concern of
politicians and citizens alike. Unsolicited mail pressing some pet
project is unlikely to exert the necessary influence.