[grainfedprairieboy]

The Calgary Congress

With the recent election of a Conservative government, hopes for political reform have revived.

Unfortunately, any hope for deep and lasting progress may prove short-lived. The Harper government lacks both the numeric strength and the electoral mandate to fix the problems that are holding the country back.

Canada's main problem is that over time the role and power of the federal government -- and of the Prime Minister in particular -- have grown far beyond what they should be.

It is unrealistic to expect any Prime Minister, no matter how well-intentioned he and his party may be, to solve this. Rather, it requires a serious constitutional initiative by provincial governments to reclaim their proper rights and responsibilities for the good of the whole country.

To help start this process, the Citizens Centre is lining up some of the best political thinkers in Canada to address a grassroots assembly on how to make these constitutional reforms a reality. It will be called the "Calgary Congress -- Restoring Responsible Government," and will take place in Calgary from September 29 to October 1.