This election is a referendum on Stephen Harper and Canadians look ready for change. But are they just rejecting the politics of fear or are they getting ready to choose something else?Many of these voters feel the country has been pulled off course; and they want their Canada back. The long campaign is turning out to be a surprisingly cathartic experience. Not only has it raised some searching questions about who Canadians are, but who they want to be.Now, as the campaign approaches the finish line, the goals are getting clearer and it is starting to feel like real change is within reach. Perhaps we owe the prime minister a note of thanks.Here are five themes from the campaign debate that I think show where and why Canadians are not just ready to reclaim Canada, but to renew their vision of it.WAR vs. DIPLOMACYMany Canadians are offended by the Harper government's partisan and militaristic approach to foreign policy. Not that Canada was ever just a nation of peacekeepers. Canadians have fought and died in many wars, from the Great Wars to Afghanistan. They don't need Harper to remind them that the world can be a dangerous place.But armed intervention should be a last resort, not a first one. Nor do they think Canada should abandon its traditional impartiality in complex conflicts, like the one between Israelis and Palestinians. Canada is not only a peaceful and tolerant country; it is a fair and principled one. We serve the world best when we act on that basis.CANADIAN VALUES VS. THE CHARTERThe niqab debate exposed deep tensions over the balance between integration and accommodation. Should “Canadian values” override charter rights?While rights such as Freedom of Religion are basic and universal, Section 1 of the Charter recognizes that they can be limited in a free and democratic society. For example, in the late 1980s, Quebec's Charter of the French Language (Bill 101) banned the use of English on commercial signs.In the famous Ford case, the Court found this was an unacceptable limitation on free speech. However, the Court also ruled that protection of the French language was a justifiable goal; and that requiring that French be more prominently displayed on signs was a reasonable limitation on free speech.So this is not a black-and-white issue. The “Rights are rights are rights” argument and the “Canadian values” argument are opposite sides of the same coin. The Court's view is more nuanced. A basic right sometimes can be limited to protect other societal values, but such circumstances are rare and subject to strong criteria and tests.The lesson from the niqab debate is that our national government should always presume in favour of someone's Charter rights; and should only seek to limit them when the case for doing so is clear.ECONOMY VS. ENVIRONMENTThe environment has been at the centre of Canadian politics for two decades, yet the federal government has been slow to link it to economic development, especially around natural resources. Indeed, Stephen Harper seems unable to utter the words “sustainable” and “development” in the same sentence.Canadians are turning the corner. Whatever their differences on climate change, in this campaign they seemed to be in agreement on the basic facts: climate change is real, it is advancing, and it is a grave threat to future generations. Sustainable development therefore must become a genuine priority and cardinal concern of our national government.EDUCATION vs. INNOVATIONThere's been lots of talk in this election about the middle class. While many economists agree that education is the key to prosperity, this is about much more than acquiring new knowledge or upgrading our skills. It is no longer enough that an employee can install some pipes, draft a contract or wait on a customer. Employers need people who can also communicate well, recognize an opportunity and work with others to improve a product or service.In short, education and training must lay the foundation for a culture of entrepreneurialism and innovation. And that means elevating these “soft skills” and making them part of our core learning. Students must acquire them alongside the more practical knowledge and skills in their area. Together, the two are highly complementary, helping employees to leverage their work experience and change the way they do things, making them better, faster, smarter.OPEN vs. CLOSED GOVERNMENTStephen Harper has run the most secretive, controlling and centralized government in memory. But to be fair, governments have a history of secrecy. Harper didn't start this trend, even if he has taken it to new heights. Nevertheless, the culture of secrecy and control must end.We now live in a world where issues are increasingly diffuse and interconnected. Increasingly, solutions require huge amounts of information-sharing, discussion and collaboration. New and faster information systems alone will not transform the culture. Transparency is the key to real reform.Only transparency will ensure the public can hold government to account; and only then will the Prime Minister's Office finally relax its chokehold on the rest of the system and let ministers and officials get on with the business of governing.

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