Published on April 30, 2025
Dear Prime Minister,
Let me begin with a note of sincere appreciation.
It is not every day that a country is led by someone who could be heading a global institution, teaching at Oxford, or shaping monetary policy in a G7 boardroom—but who instead chose to lead a federation of 40 million hopeful, weary, and wonderfully diverse Canadians. That, Prime Minister, is an act of national service. And it deserves to be recognized not just with applause, but with support.
You’ve run a campaign rooted in policy, not personality. You didn’t need to take cheap shots or play political theatre to earn our trust. And that, to me, is the mark of a leader: a person who elevates a country not by tearing others down, but by lifting our collective ambition.
Now the real work begins.
Quebec gave you their full confidence. The rest of the country—diverse as it is—wants to believe in something again. This is your moment to knit the country tighter, not just in constitutional terms, but in shared purpose. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I’ve spent enough time thinking about where we’re stuck—and where we might go—so allow me to offer this, humbly and wholeheartedly:
1. The Canadian Identity: Beyond the Flag and the Frost
Let’s build a version of Canada where being Canadian isn’t just about geography, but about values—about what we build, protect, and teach. Quebecers are proud. So are Albertans. So are newcomers in Brampton and retirees in Gaspé. But national identity isn’t something you ask for—it’s something you earn by showing up.
Let’s start showing up. Create civic programs that cross borders—economic, linguistic, generational. Let young Canadians from different provinces work together before they vote. Let community projects speak louder than election ads.
2. Public Education: Investing in Our Future Minds
We need to seriously rethink our public school system. Not with another round of standardized testing, but with a re-commitment to excellence.
We need more engineers. More doctors. More researchers and public health leaders. That future begins in Grade 4 classrooms, where science needs to be taught with wonder, not worksheets.
Let’s show kids what’s possible—not just through textbooks, but through mentorship, storytelling, exposure. Let’s make public education the engine of ambition in this country again.
3. Justice, Governance, and the Great Canadian Maze
The justice system isn’t broken—but it is outdated. So are many of our regulatory systems. Canadians are exhausted by circular complaint processes, toothless oversight, and a patchwork of agencies that often duplicate more than they deliver.
We can do better.
Start with a single intake model for complaints—consumer, housing, licensing, etc.—triaged by real people with real authority. Merge agencies where duplication is costing us more than it's protecting us. And empower the justice system with tools that speed up—not sidestep—accountability.
4. Finance: Bring in the Best, Keep the Loonie Steady
Canada needs a finance department that’s world-class—not just in managing debt, but in managing confidence. Appoint someone who understands markets, who can explain currency pressures to the public, and who’s not afraid to steer steady when the winds shift.
5. Healthcare: Efficient, Humane, Global
Our healthcare system is straining. Not for lack of talent, but for lack of direction. We have brilliant doctors bogged down by paperwork, and patients waiting months for procedures that take minutes to perform.
Let’s be bold:
- Partner with international centres of excellence, like those in South Africa, where care is affordable, ethical, and efficient.
- Allow Canadian physicians to both heal and research without having to choose between the two.
- Empower nurses and allied health professionals.
- And above all—bring compassion back. A patient should feel seen, not processed.
Also—revive the volunteer ecosystem. Imagine high school students as trained elder companions instead of deep-fry apprentices. It’s grit either way—but one leaves a legacy.
6. The Role of Technology: Fix What’s Broken, Power What’s Next
We’re in the digital age, but too much of our government still runs like a filing cabinet. Technology must be a tool of dignity, not just efficiency. Use it to:
- Centralize access to services.
- Enable real-time public data on housing, health, infrastructure.
- Automate what can be automated, so humans can focus on what matters—judgment, compassion, service.
We don’t need to build fancy things. We need to build functional ones.
Let Canada become known as the country that made public service work in the 21st century.
7. Roads, Traffic, and the Psychology of Commuting
Let’s talk about the 401. The average Ontarian spends more time in traffic than with their kids. Part of the problem isn’t infrastructure—it’s driving behaviour. We need:
- A national awareness campaign on lane discipline and driving courtesy.
- Real-time traffic tech, not just signs that say “Expect Delays.”
- And yes, pay-per-use tolling where appropriate. Roads are public goods, but congestion is a public cost.
8. Seniors and Youth: A National Partnership
Canada is aging, but seniors don’t have to be sidelined. Let’s build a national program that connects retired citizens with students, caregivers, communities. Let high schoolers earn credits by caring, not just working cash registers. Let retired professionals teach, mentor, and lead.
The future isn’t just young. It’s intergenerational.
Final Thoughts
Prime Minister, you have both the training and the temperament to lead in a way that transcends political cycles. This is your mandate—to build a smarter country. A fairer one. A place where public systems earn the public’s trust again.
If ever you wish to hear more from a regular citizen who thinks about these things far too much, my door is open. Or at least my inbox is.
Writing through the voice (and occasional mischief) of Sir Looniesworth, a citizen (and part-time public philosopher)
Email: maple@eh-conomics.ca