Natalie St. Hilaire and Randy Royer examine what they see as Canada’s growing democratic deficit, from the concentration of power in the Prime Minister’s Office to strict party discipline, judicial power and barriers between provinces.
They trace many of these problems back to Pierre Trudeau’s 1982 Constitution and question whether Canada’s political structure still gives citizens and regions a meaningful voice. Royer says fixing the system may require something far bigger than another election: a new constitution built with direct public involvement.