Sir John’s Echo: The Voice for a Stronger Canada

As Sir John A. Macdonald intended, the federal government must be recognized as the nation’s voice.

Power matters. Power is the capacity to encourage and inspire. When expressed in a positive way, power is the ability of the state to strengthen the nation and improve lives. Provincial governments are essential, doing as the founders had hoped, tending to local matters, and sometimes acting as incubators for ideas that later grew to become national programs. In fighting for scraps of power, however, premiers have often distracted from and occasionally hindered national progress.

John Boyko argues that just as Sir John A. Macdonald intended when he and the founders located power with the national parliament, the federal government has been the primary force in nation-building and emergency response. As the only entity with the authority to speak for all Canadians, the federal government must be recognized as Canada’s only voice.