Unlike former prime minister Kim Campbell, The Globe and Mail believes an election campaign is the right time to debate serious national issues.
Our VoteSmart series presented eight topics critical to Canada's future that the candidates should have debated extensively — but did not — during the campaign for the Jan. 23 election.
All topics were presented in the same format — a story outlining the issue, a Comment Page debate offering two contrasting views on it, and an on-line conversation between our readers and the Globe journalist who wrote the main article on each topic.
Week 1: Medicare
Editorial board member Sean Fine took an in-depth look at the issue in the wake of last year's Supreme Court of Canada decision on private care. His report: Is medicare dead? What's next? Week 2: Immigration
Globe reporter Marina Jimenez discovered that at least some EU countries speak longingly of the "Canadian way," despite the serious domestic questions about: Is our immigration policy the best one for Canada?
Week 3: Quebec
Konrad Yakabuski talked to young Quebeckers from ethnic minorities to find out why they are increasingly backing sovereignty. The answer can be found in his article:
Why are federalists losing the new Quebeckers?
Week 4: U.S. relations
Political affairs columnist John Ibbitson found that Canada is less important to the U.S. than it was five years ago. Should we be worried? He posed the question in his article:Can this friendship be fixed? Should it be?
Week 5: Our best, brightest
On the election trail, no one talked frankly about the crumbling of the traditional manufacturing sector or the new jobs that must be created to fill specialty niches for new goods and services. That led Mary Janigan to pose the question:Can we be innovative enough to keep our best brains?
Week 6: Reshaping Canada
High energy prices mean power is following the money from Ontario and Quebec to Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Newfoundland and others. How will this affect the economic basis of federalism? Heather Scoffield investigates.
Week 7: Aboriginals
Globe reporter Julius Strauss found great progress on some reserves. However, there are also growing fears all that has been won may now be squandered. His report: Is the Canadian model for relations with aboriginals beyond repair?
Week 8: Youth
The Globe's Michael Valpy found a smaller portion of Canadians under 40 are going to the polls than ever before. His report: Can we get young Canadians interested in voting again?