Christopher Moore writes about the confederation debates in the 1860s, and relates them to the constitutional conferences of the 1980s and 1990s. He explains the context in which the "fathers [of confederation] made a deal", and contrasts that with modern-days processes and politics. Especially interesting, to me, was the changing role of Parliament. In the 1860s, members of paliament were expected to function as representatives, not delegates. They were to bring their best judgement to issues, and there was no perceived need to consult the public through referenda or other means. Responsible government meant responsible to the House, and party discipline did not prevent individual members from voting as they saw best.

Today, democracy has come to mean direct democracy. As Christopher Moore puts in, everyone in Canada has an opinion on major issues, except those elected to the House of Commons, who must toe the party line.

So, not only a fine history of Canada's origins, but also a thought-provoking commentary of today's political landscape. Well worth the read. ( )