Maxime Bernier on Canada

"Asserting our place in Canada means committing to responsible co-operation with our Canadian partners, so that the country can function more effectively for every region."  This leads him to his third theme: that Quebecers should join with like-minded Canadians in other regions to push for further decentralization, within the existing constitutional framework.

There's a bit of cognitive dissonance between the first statement and the second, and that's before you get into the pervasive trend of the government Bernier serves working hard to centralize power into the PMO.

Co-operation is the way forward, though.  Strong individuals working together to build strong communities that collaborate, innovate and adapt together lead to a stronger society for all.  That's the goal.

While I agree it's a bad idea to put all control, decision making and resource-dissemination power in one place, there is definitely merit to having some sort of hub through which regional activity gets supported and empowered.  Society needs government the way the body needs a brain.

Which is why the first statement is key - assertion not as a tool to push for more of what you want, but to step up as an equal, engaged partner in the social fabric.

We should all want to collaborate and encourage, support and enhance collaboration from our peers.  This is the trend being established with flat organizational hierarchies as much as it is through the growing OpenGov/Open Data movement.

As I've written elsewhere, a major impediment to realizing this responsible society comes down to communication, emotional resiliency, stigma and other things generally associated with mental health. We've got a long way to go before we're ready to bridge that gap.

Regardless, the trend is promising.  I wonder if I'll live long enough to see this world emerge - it would be awesome to see.