The Centre Block Canadian Manifesto
A living statement of democratic principles for Canadians who still believe in facts, fairness, and the federation.
Canada did not come into being as a theory or a thought experiment. It was built over time through the interaction of three foundational peoples and legal traditions: Indigenous Nations, the French, and the English. Every province and territory reflects this shared constitutional origin in its own way, shaped by place, history, language, and treaty relationships. This manifesto starts from that lived reality — grounded in history, not abstraction, and oriented toward the future we share.
Indigenous Nations and Shared Confederation
We begin by recognizing that Canada exists on Indigenous land.
The sovereignty, languages, and self-determination of Indigenous Nations are not gifts from the state, they are inherent rights.
Reconciliation is not a policy; it is a responsibility that binds every level of government and every citizen. True Confederation requires partnership, respect, and recognition that Canada’s future depends on the full participation and leadership of its First Peoples.
We believe in a united Canada, one that celebrates the unique cultural identity of all provinces, territories, and traditional peoples.
Federalism must function through cooperation, not sabotage. Governments exist to solve shared problems, not to manufacture grievance or division.
There can be no just society until the treaties are honoured in both spirit and practice.
Truth and Accountability
We will not tolerate misinformation or the deliberate distortion of objective and reasonably stated facts.
A democracy cannot function without truth, and truth cannot survive without accountability.
Those who profit from deception, through media manipulation, algorithmic outrage, or political distortion, undermine the very foundation of civic life.
Truth is not partisan. It is the common language of democracy.
The Right to Health
Healthcare is a universal right. It must never be treated as a privilege, a commodity, or a partisan trophy.
A healthy society ensures that care is available to all, regardless of income, geography, or circumstance.
Women’s reproductive health, including access to abortion and contraception, is a matter between a woman and her doctor, not politicians, not parties, and not ideology.
This principle, that every person deserves access to care, defines us as Canadians and binds our communities together.
Housing and Social Justice
We believe in a fair, housing-first approach to address Canada’s homelessness crisis.
Housing is not a reward for stability, it is the foundation of it.
Every person deserves a safe place to live, free from discrimination, neglect, or bureaucratic indifference.
A compassionate society measures its success by how it treats those with the least, and by how determined it is to ensure that no one is left on the street in the cold.
Faith and Freedom
Religion has no place in the machinery of government.
Our laws and institutions must serve all, not some.
Yet we faithfully uphold every person’s Charter right to practice their beliefs without fear or interference.
Freedom of belief means freedom for everyone , including those of no faith at all.
Equality and Human Dignity
Love is love. We see you. We support you.
Trans rights are human rights.
No one should ever be persecuted for who they are, whom they love, or how they identify.
This includes people with disabilities, who have the right to full participation, accessibility, and dignity in public life.
Diversity is not a slogan; it is the living truth of Canada.
Hate must be acknowledged, admonished, and outlawed.
We are explicitly anti-fascist, because fascism is incompatible with democracy, human dignity, and freedom.
A free society does not excuse prejudice as opinion, it confronts it as injustice.
Democracy and the Common Good
Government is not the enemy. Taxation is not theft.
Democracy functions best when citizens are engaged, informed, and willing to hold power accountable.
We reject authoritarianism in all its forms, populist, corporate, or ideological.
Democracy is not entertainment; it is shared responsibility.
Political parties are not private clubs but public trusts. To abuse data, silence journalists, or distort debate is to betray that trust.
Democratic renewal begins with transparency, integrity, and the defence of institutions that serve all Canadians.
The rule of law, judicial independence, and respect for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms are non-negotiable pillars of Canadian democracy.
Economy and Stewardship
We are pro-Canada and pro-social safety nets.
We believe in markets that serve people, not people who serve markets.
Fiscal responsibility means investing wisely in the public good, not cutting recklessly for ideology’s sake. An economy must measure success not only by profit, but by health, equity, and opportunity.
Canada’s wealth is built on fairness, in taxation, in labour, and in environmental stewardship.
Work has dignity. Workers have rights. The right to organize, to earn a fair wage, and to work in safety is essential to a healthy economy.
The Environment and Future Generations
Climate change is real and demands direct, evidence-based action.
Climate policy is not ideology, it is survival. We owe our children a country that is not burning, flooding, or poisoned by neglect.
Canada’s energy transition must balance sustainability with sovereignty, ensuring that workers and regions are supported through change.
We are stewards, not owners, of this land.
Sovereignty and Global Responsibility
We seek peace, not war, but sovereignty requires a strong, credible defence. Canada’s independence is not negotiable.
We will not allow our democracy to be defined by foreign political movements or imported ideologies.
Canada is a nation of newcomers as well as First Peoples. Immigration strengthens our country when it is fair, humane, and grounded in integration and mutual responsibility.
Partnership with allies is essential, but partnership does not mean obedience.
We lead best when we lead with integrity , through diplomacy, development, and the defence of democratic norms.
Media, Knowledge, and Public Discourse
A free and independent press is the lifeblood of democracy.
Public media is a public good, essential to holding power accountable and to ensuring that every region, culture, and language is heard. We support the right of journalists to question, investigate, and inform without fear or political interference.
Education is a public good. Civic literacy, critical thinking, and access to education at all levels are essential to a functioning democracy.
A Call to Citizenship
To be Canadian is not to agree on everything , it is to agree on how we disagree. Citizenship is not spectatorship. It carries obligations as well as rights.
An engaged public is the strongest safeguard democracy has.
We reject the politics of division, rage, and imported culture wars.
We believe that the centre is not the absence of conviction, but the presence of reason, restraint, and shared purpose.
We are the Centre Block, not a building, but a belief.
A belief that democracy can still work, that facts still matter, and that decency remains Canada’s greatest strength.
This manifesto will evolve. It belongs to every Canadian who believes that truth, fairness, and compassion are not weaknesses, but the foundations of strength.
The call for transparency as a pillar of democratic renewal is spot on. However, the current trend in House of Commons committees is to move discussions "in camera" whenever things get contentious. This procedural tactic effectively scrubs the debate from the Hansard record. Real accountability requires that we stop allowing MPs to turn off the microphones when they are drafting the reports that shape our laws.
This is what true democracy looks like.
There is nothing of this coming out of Trump 2.0!!