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In
A Canada Strong and Free
, Mike Harris and Preston Manning present a vision to make our
country the best democratic federation in the world, offering its
citizens the highest quality of life and economic performance,
and setting a new standard of international citizenship and
leadership. This vision expands freedom of choice and acceptance
of personal responsibility in every area of national life and
calls for a "rebalancing" of national priorities.
Critical Surgery for Health Care:
Canada is currently under-performing virtually all industrialized
nations offering universal health coverage. Harris and Manning
propose eliminating the federal role in health care management
and financing, strengthening health care financing by granting
the provinces the tax room vacated by the federal government,
eliminating barriers to private delivery and financing of health
services, giving Canadians freedom to choose their health care
providers, and giving those providers the freedom and incentive
to provide faster access to better care at lower cost.
More Wealth in the Hands of Canadians:
Canada's productivity and standard of living are in decline
relative to many other industrialized countries. Harris and
Manning propose a shift of $80 billion in national income over
the next six years from the hands of politicians and bureaucrats
into the hands of citizens, families, businesses, and civil
society. This shift - aimed at increasing the incomes and
opportunities of Canadians - is to be achieved through
constraining growth in total government spending to 3.1% per year
and passing the tax savings on to Canadians.
Strengthening Democratic Governance:
Harris and Manning contend that smaller governments, closer to
the people they serve, can be held more democratically
accountable than large, distant, and centralized governments.
While supporting institutional and electoral system reform, they
insist that such measures will succeed in reducing Canada's
democratic deficit only if the size of government itself is
constrained and the functions of government are decentralized and
localized as much as possible.
Trade and Security Through a Canada-US Customs Union:
After examining the decline in Canada's international influence
and relationship with the United States, Harris and Manning
propose advancing Canada's interests in continental trade and
security via a new Customs Union with the US. They propose the
creation of a common tariff and quota system, elimination of
rules of origin, mutual administration of common tariffs and
trade regulations, and mutual acceptance of responsibilities for
border security.
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