Harper & Me

It's always dangerous to announce a work in progress this early, but I'm working on a new book about the starkly different views of Canadian nationalism and values that have emerged under Harper. It's more of a personal exploration of what it means to be Canadian and how my Canada is so different from Harper's, even though we are complete contemporaries - both born white, middle-class in 1959.

A recent radio show I did on the direction of the country and an article I wrote for Canadian Lawyer Magazine (out next month, I think) started me thinking about why Harper has had limited success winning Canadians over to his world-view. A recent poll shows Canadians in the last ten years are becoming more progressive in their beliefs as our government brings in increasing regressive policies. Harper's attempts to fit a square peg into a round hole fascinate me.

The book is shaping up as a look at Canadian liberalism & conservatism, the role of government, the Charter and rule of law, Canada's place in the world and how Harper has tried to drag the country's attitudes and values in a completely different direction than the last 50 years with limited success.

Writing so far is going very well, but I always do a mock up of the cover art to inspire me to complete it. Here's an early look.