After 60 years of preparing speeches, one would think that I could prepare at least one good one. I have concluded that that is out of reach.
I was warned long ago that you should never speak to a group that knows more about the subject than you do. That didn't leave me many choices so I scrapped that.
Joubert once wrote "We live in an age where superfluous ideas abound and essential ideas are lacking". There are many impractical ideas, self-serving ideas, emotional ideas and unsustainable economic ideas.
Ideas abound like falling leaves,
Grabbed up by politicians like busy bees,
But they often seem to hit a glitch,
And end up wallowing in the ditch
I have chosen the title of my remarks, "Travelling in the Ditch"
I recognize that Canada has made great progress in its short history - progress of which we can and should be proud which Robert Lewis, former Editor in Chief of MacLean's Magazine pointed out when he wrote, "We have accomplished great things as a nation. In fields such as science, communications, medicine and commerce, our citizens stride the world stage. Our performers, writers and athletes compete with the best around the globe. In transportation and technology, we are the leaders."
We should take pride in our accomplishments. I could give you a positive, motherhood address, which people like to hear, extolling our successes and suggesting that the 21st century will belong to Canada.
I believe, however, that it is more helpful, as we enter a new century , to look at some of our weaknesses and failures, for if we are to progress, we must not ignore our infirmities. So I have chosen this less popular approach to look at where we seem to be "travelling in the ditch".
The Toronto Dominion Bank recently reminded us that the "1990's" was the worse decade for Canada since the second world war. The average growth in the Gross Domestic Product has declined every year since 1962. This was a very surprising statement.
The Business Council on National Issues recently stated that, despite strong growth indicators, Canada is likely to have trouble holding its own in the fast paced new world. What is the problem?
In order to remain competitive, many companies seem content to depend on the low Canadian dollar and on government assistance. As an example, I note where Bombadier, a large wealthy company, is receiving 1/2 billion dollars in government loans. These policies lessen the need for efficiency and productivity and lessen wealth creation.
A rooster wandered into the ostrich department and was amazed as he picked up an ostrich egg. He took it home, called all the chickens together and said "Ladies I don't want to belittle your previous efforts, but I want to show you what others are doing - he produced the ostrich egg.
We must not lose sight of what others are doing in regards to productivity.
Our policies have frequently discouraged productivity not only as mentioned previously, but by emphasizing the distribution of wealth. Certainly, distribution is necessary as we see the outrageous salaries of sports figures and the disparity between the poor and undeserved wealth. Distribution without productivity, however, just makes us all poor. Production is the forerunner of sharing.
Society is made up of a triumvirate - really two triumvirates, I shall mention later. It includes the individual, the public sector and the private sector. Progress depends on each functioning effectively but also depends on the cooperation of the three parts. This understanding seems to be lacking.
- The Individual
For generations, the individual by means of incentives, initiative, imagination, the accumulation of knowledge skills, the development of a sense of values and hard work, has been the cornerstone of progress.
The great discoveries and inventions have sprung from the minds of individuals. Helping networking individuals to achieve their potential is probably the best means of improving quality of life.
Recently, the influence and contribution of individuals are being greatly diminished through policies of both the private and public sectors. They tend to concentrate power in their collective hands thus causing many individuals to become dependant and inactive. Never underestimate the importance of individual initiative.
- The Private Sector
The private sector creates jobs and wealth, is an engine of growth and a key of democracy. It has some built in accountable factors because it must be reasonably competitive, productive and efficient or it will likely go bankrupt or cease to exist unless it is pampered by governments.
Recently however, the private sector through globalization, merging companies and down sizing staff, sometimes without adequate concern for its workers and for its responsibility to society, has become less of a favourable factor than it might be. As I have mentioned previously, we must not discount the need to be productive and successful, but I believe that it can be coupled with values brought to our attention from an unexpected source.
Michael Gorbachev of Russia recently wrote a book in which he said "Consumerism and the desire for things have pushed into the background any desire for spiritual enrichment or cultural progress".
The private sector and we consumers, must understand the need for endorsing a broader view of stability, values, fairness and our country's well-being.
- The Public Sector
The public sector, the third part of the triumvirate, tends to be concerned with services values which vary widely.- for socialists, value is compassion
- for an intellectual, value is knowledge
- for an aesthetic person, value is beauty
- for a believer, value is knowing God
The public sector, however, tends to be less concerned about economics and under less pressure to be efficient and accountable. Governments, for example, just levy more taxes or go into debt to meet their perceived requirements while other sectors frequently depend on the distribution of wealth rather than its production.
The public sector also tends to spread its tentacles by usurping powers that rightfully belong to the individual, thus including not only the deserving but also others who are quite willing to drop out of the race and live on the efforts of others. Empire building can be a disservice to the deserving and to society - an example is to take parenting away from the parents. These three cornerstones of society must do better by working together and understanding one another's role if we are to meet our expectations and potential.
What are some of the problems that we face where we seem to be travelling in the ditch as we enter the next century? I shall comment on a few briefly
- Immigration
Canada is a country of immigrants who have made a great contribution to our development. Successive governments have implemented policies which include what might be called, regular immigrants, refugees, family sponsored immigrants and entrepreneurial immigrants. None of these programs seems to be working.
The problem is that governments, desperately wanting to be seen as enlightened and tolerant, used frequently with political electoral motives, have made it almost impossible to exclude anyone who reaches our shores. The immigrants gain rights to social assistance, legal aid and appeal procedure with the result that whether legal or illegal, desirable or criminal, few are ever deported.
It has been estimated that the illegal immigrants who arrived off the coast of British Columbia will cost taxpayers $123,000.00 a person by the time they are processed.
I am reminded of a man who was carrying a large clock down the street to a jewelery shop. It tended to block his view and he bumped into a woman knocking her down. After gathering her parcels and her composure, she scathingly inquired , "why can't you carry a watch like everyone else?".
Why can't we legislate workable immigration policies and stop travelling in the ditch?
- Multiculturalism
Clearly related to immigration is the matter of multiculturalism. I believe it adds to our culture for ethnic groups to retain their language, cherish their customs and respect their heritage. Governments have encouraged this by establishing organizations granting millions of dollars in support.
Worthy as this may be, it seems to me there is another at least as worthy objective and that is to encourage a pride in being Canadian, to develop a feeling of unity, loyalty and harmony in our chosen country. To encourage both is not mutually exclusive. Yet there seems to be no visible attempt to promote our unity with similar vigilance. Surely we don't want to develop in Canada a multitude of ethnic, religious and linguistic enclaves functioning in isolation.
George Jonas in one of his newspaper columns wrote "An entire industry has grown up around the forces that attempt to divide us. Bureaucrats, consultants, activists and academics specialize in the policies of fragmentation. It has sent us into orgies of "hyphanation."
We need to provide some balance and get back on the road.
- Health Problems
They seem to rank first among current problems and I would not suggest having the answers to these complex problems.
When one notes our over-crowded hospitals, overflowing doctors' offices crammed walk-in clinics, one is tended to conclude that we are the sickest society in the world.
We at least need to ask some questions.- Is more money the answer to our 80 billion behemoth where tentacles keep reaching for more?
- Is the health problem too inclusive where transitory ailments are causing major life threatening ills to be neglected?
- Is there lack of accountability by its users and providers?
- Is the perception that its use is free leading to overuse?
- Are governments more interested in electoral advantages than in legislating an efficient, accountable system?
- Employment Insurance
This is another illustration of a good idea being poorly implemented, poorly managed and generously expanded for purposes not intended until for many it has become a way of life. A seasonal job and employment insurance rounds out the year for many workers. We have a plethora of part time workers.
Also, with the cooperation of business and workers, four workers have been known to share a job for 12 weeks and each then draw unemployment insurance for the balance of the year.It seems that efficiency and employment insurance are like the gingham dog the calico cat - natural enemies. Unfortunately this is part of the productivity problem.
Frank McKenna, former premier of New Brunswick, commented that the policy not only destroyed initiative but adversely affected the entire economy of the Maritimes
- Charter of Rights
Rights and freedom are very important in a democracy. I shall not flog this one since I have been talking about rights and responsibilities for many years.
The implementation of the Charter of Rights however, seems to have given more power to the Rights Tribunal and the Supreme Court, both appointed bodies, to establish policies than to the governments elected by the people.
We seem to have become a culture of entitlements with a lessening of personal responsibility. Descendents are now claiming that their ancestors were abused or treated unfairly and expect this generation to pay for perceived wrongs committed long ago. A recent immigrant is suing the government claiming the government shouldn't have let him into the country. What has happened to personal responsibility?
- Fiscal Responsibility
Lastly I shall refer to fiscal responsibility in my examples
Will Rogers once said "Income taxes have made more Americans liars than golf has".
Pushed by the Baby Boomers, federal governments have created a debt of approximately 550 billion dollars costing over 100 million dollars a day for interest and paid by increasing taxes by 46% over the last seven years. Now with a surplus, the baby boomers are encouraging the government to continue spending rather than cut taxes or pay off this debt.
Ilana Mercer recently wrote about the dangers of a nurturing government "Unlike a parent, this guardian would not be preparing people for adulthood, but seeking to keep them in perpetual childhood by sparing them the trouble of thinking and living. This nurturing stupefies a people until a nation is reduced to nothing better than a flock of timid animals of which the government is shepherd.".
Mark Twain once said "Perhaps its well that we don't get all the government we pay for.".
Sometimes our national problems don't cause us as much harm as do the solutions. Government solutions are sometimes based on the amount of credit it will receive.
It reminds me of the man brought before a judge for going through a red light. When asked if he had anything to say, he replied "I'll admit I have gone through some red lights but I have also stopped at many for which I have received no credit.".
I wouldn't want to be a young worker in 10 - 15 years when the boomers retire and be faced with the double burden of servicing the debt and paying to keep them in retirement
I have not referred to Workers Compensation where claims can be made for stress applicable to almost everyone, nor to welfare, education, aboriginals, the juvenile court system and others that you could mention where people seem to feel that improvements are needed. So we are not lacking in problems to resolve and this is our future challenge.
All of these programs need to embrace another triumvirate in their solution - compassion, economics and efficiency. All must be in balance.
We have those that think only of compassion regardless of cost;
those who think only of cost without compassion and
those who ignore efficiency due to lack of knowledge and political will.
These are the factors that when working in harmony can solve many problems.
Fred Astaire made the observation that "the hardest job kids face today is learning good manners without seeing any". We might paraphrase that to say "the hardest job that adults face today is impartially considering a problem without seeing it in practice".
As I said in the beginning, I have attempted to look at our weaknesses - some areas where I think we should be trying to make improvements.
We are, of course, not alone in having problems to resolve. In spite of our short comings, Canada is a very fine place to be. We are a young country and we have made phenomenal progress in a relatively short time. Other countries look at us with envy. We have built a good foundation and now in the 21st century we must improve the structure. To do so, we must think about both our strengths and weaknesses.
William James once said "a great many people think that they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices".
Apropos perhaps is Churchill's comment to an opposition member of parliament who criticized him for his drinking habits. The member said "If all the alcohol you have consumed were in this room, it would fill it up to the wainscoting". Churchill looked at the wall then the ceiling and said "so much to do so little time".
The challenge is there for all of us, for as the poet reminded us we are all builders.
Isn't it strange that princes and kings,
And clowns that caper in sawdust rings,
And common folk like you me,
Are builders of eternity.
To each is given a bag of tools,
A shapeless mass and a book of rules.
each must fashion, ere life has flown
A stumbling block or a stepping stone.
Author Unknown
References: the Great Thinkers of the World
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