The Hon. Preston Manning

Preston Manning is one of Canada's great political visionaries who has tirelessly championed the cause of democratic and political reform. Serving as a Member of the Canadian Parliament from 1993 to 2001, he founded two new political parties - the Reform Party of Canada and the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance - both of which became the official Opposition in the Canadian Parliament. Mr. Manning served as Leader of the Opposition from 1997 to 2000 and was also his party's critic for Science and Technology. In 2007 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada.

Prior to entering politics, Mr. Manning owned and operated a management consulting firm specializing in long-range planning and communications in the energy sector. Mr. Manning has published two books, The New Canada (1992) and Think Big (2002). He has also served as a Senior Fellow of the Canada West Foundation, a Senior Fellow of the Fraser Institute, and a Distinguished Visitor at the University of Calgary and University of Toronto.

He is President and CEO of the Manning Centre for Building Democracy, a national not-for-profit organization supporting research, training, and communications initiatives designed to achieve a more democratic society in Canada guided by conservative principles.

Mr. Manning continues to write, speak, and teach on a variety of subjects including the revitalization of democracy and Canadian conservatism, strengthening relations between the scientific and political communities, the application of market mechanisms to environmental conservation, and the management of the interface between faith and politics.

• J. Navigating the Faith/Political Interface

  More than 70% of Canadians profess to hold religious convictions, sometimes more deeply than their political convictions. Often these convictions impel faith-oriented Canadians to involve themselves in politics – sometimes over very contentious issues.
  
  Drawing upon his own experience as "a Christian in politics" and upon the lessons taught by William Wilberforce's campaign to abolish slavery throughout the British Empire, Mr. Manning provides instruction on how to conduct oneself with wisdom and graciousness at the interface of faith and politics.
  
  Audiences to whom this address will appeal: Christian-oriented conferences, conventions, and interest-group meetings. Faith-oriented groups wanting to explore the faith/political interface using the Wilberforce model might consider an evening featuring the full-length biographical movie on Wilberforce, Amazing Grace, followed by Mr. Manning's lecture on lessons to be learned from the Wilberforce campaign and a question and answer period.

• I. Bridging the Communications Gap between the Science and Political Communities

  Many scientists, scientific associations, and learned societies are frustrated in attempting to communicate their ideas on science, technology, and innovation to politicians. Many politicians are very insecure in communicating their ideas to, or responding to proposals from, the scientific community.
  
  Drawing on his own experience, Mr. Manning presents a number of practical suggestions for "bridging the communications gap" between the scientific and political communities.

• H. Ethical Lighthouses

  Mr. Manning frequently addresses graduating classes at universities, colleges, and professional training programs. Using the analogy of lighthouses along dangerous coastlines, he urges his audiences to provide a new level of ethical leadership to business, government, and society.

• G. Canada Strong and Free

  These addresses are based on a five-volume study done by Mr. Manning and former Ontario Premier Mike Harris for the Fraser Institute. They propose forward-looking, market-oriented public policy proposals for giving Canada the best-performing economy, the highest quality of life and the best democratic governance of any federation in the world, in order to assume a new and stronger position of leadership on the world stage.

• F. Environmental Conservation: Balancing the Ecological Budget

  The conventional approach to dealing with environmental challenges is to call for greater government regulation. Without denying the importance of regulation, Mr. Manning is a strong advocate of harnessing market mechanisms to the task of conserving our environment. He argues that "conservation" and "conservatism" are compatible and that people who believe we should "live within our means" fiscally should apply that principle to balancing the ecological budget as well.

• E. The Future of Canada/U.S. Relations: Explaining the Beaver to the Eagle

  This theme and address takes a look at some of the most endearing and exasperating characteristics of Canadians in the context of trying explain the humble Canadian beaver to the American eagle.
  
  Mr. Manning often combines this light-hearted look at Canadian strengths and weaknesses with an analysis of the future of Canada/U.S. relations and the issues facing both countries.

• D. Democracy: Strengthen the Foundations

  In these addresses, Mr. Manning tackles the problem of the democracy deficit – declining public interest in and respect for political parties, candidates, leaders, elections, and democratic institutions such as Parliament.
  
  If requested, Mr. Manning will explain the work of the Manning Centre for Building to equip the next generation of political leaders with the ideas, skills and networks necessary to serve the best interests of Canadians.

• C. Democracy: Follow the Flame

  Drawing on his own political experience, Mr. Manning explains how the tools of democracy can be used to advance your cause and change the agendas of governments.
  
  Mr. Manning concludes these discussions of democracy at work with a stirring three-minute recitation of the development of democracy over the last twenty-seven centuries, urging his audience to do their part to "follow the flame."

• B. Living and Leading in Turbulent Times

  What can and should governments, business, associations, communities, and individuals do to cope with the current recession and to emerge wiser and stronger when it is over?
  
  This address is attended to calm fears and inspire hope, as well as providing practical public and private policy proposals for this recessionary period.
  
  

• A. Scouting the Future: Identifying Dangers and Opportunities

  In the days of exploration, a Scout sent ahead of the main company to identify potential dangers and opportunities, and to report back to the main company to assist them in planning their future course.
  
  Using the Scout analogy, Mr. Manning explores various frontiers with his audience –political, economic, scientific, and others, to equip them to meet the challenges/opportunities they will encounter.

• 
  October 2003

  Think Big: My Life in Politics

  This is a candid account by Reform's founder, and the father of the Canadian Alliance, of the most extraordinary story in contemporary Canadian politics. Manning describes Reform's first battles: the election of "Senator-in-Waiting" Stan Waters, the grassroots campaign against the Charlottetown accord, and the hard-fought 1993 federal election. He frankly acknowledges some of his party's early missteps in Ottawa. But he also recounts with vigour the cynicism - and worse - that was evident in the behaviour of the governing Liberal party. Manning denounces Mr. Chrétien's mishandling of the Quebec referendum. And he recapitulates in devastating detail the full story of Shawinigate.