Preston Manning proposes facilitator role for government

There was an interesting article posted on Ottawa, Canada-focused iPolitics today, titled Preston Manning wants government to be a facilitator.

Author Don Lenihan (Vice President of Engagement at the Public Policy Forum in Ottawa) reflects on a vision laid out by Canadian conservative politician Preston Manning, of “government as facilitator.”

The article begins…

“Government as Facilitator” was the theme of a two-day conference in Ottawa this week, where Preston Manning laid out his vision for the modern role of the state. The event attracted senior ministers from the Harper government and the thinking elite of the Conservative Party.

Manning tells us that “Government as Facilitator” is about government that focuses on creating the conditions in which private and voluntary sector organizations, communities and individuals can achieve their goals more effectively. Moreover, it is a distinctively “conservative” approach to government.

What should we make of this? Does the facilitator metaphor clarify government’s role? And, if so, is it a distinctively conservative view? Let’s start by asking what a facilitator does.

See the full article here, and please share your reactions and thoughts below.

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