Not-so-strange bedfellows

Judith Maxwell, former head of the Economic Council of Canada and the Canadian Policy Research Networks, writes a very interesting article in today's Globe: Conservatives should see left-wing groups as partners, not foes - thanks to Warren Garrettt for the tip-off.

This captures something that I've felt - along with many others - for a long time. A conservative Canadian government should embrace the non-profit sector. A conservative Canadian government should embrace social enterprise. And a conservative Canadian government should embrace social entrepreneurship.

But they don't. They're still locked in a mindset that see civil society as a challenge to their authority. And what they need to do is leverage this incredible energy. What a truly conservative thing to do: to rely on Canada's citizenry to meet unmet social needs while pulling the public sector out of areas it doesn't belong. Smaller government and greater autonomy for individual and collective action. All it would take would be some targeted support. And a recognition that this setcor can solve problems that government can't address. With the right support.

Alas, at this stage it is still too good to be true. Judith Maxwell neatly ends with this quote, recognizing the challenge of fostering this approach:

"It is no surprise that a Conservative government brings a different perspective. But that is no excuse to drop the ball."

 It's worth a read...and some follow up too...