A provocative case for the special balance and uniquely Canadian nature of the Conservative imperative throughout our history.

In a manner that reflects his long-time academic and practitioner's association with conservative politics and ideas in Canada, Hugh Segal traces the deep historical roots of Canadian conservatism and the themes that unite its pre- and post-confederation reality with today's challenges and issues. The Right Balance connects the historical roots and exclusive intellectual principles of Canadian conservatism to the fundamental idea of Canada with a new and insightful perspective.

 

Provocative and timely, this book puts the present Stephen Harper-led Conservative Party of Canada into a dynamic historical context and gives readers fresh insights into how Canadian conservatism is different and why, providing depth and texture to today's headlines. The Right Balance will appeal to both adults and students who are interested in the economics, ideas and DNA of our present political debates.

HUGH SEGAL is a Senior Fellow at the Queen’s School of Policy Studies. Between 1999 and 2006, he was president of the Institute for Research on Public Policy in Montreal. He is a former chief of staff to the prime minister of Canada, and associate secretary of cabinet in the Ontario government. A graduate of the University of Ottawa, he holds an honorary doctorate of laws from the Royal Military College, Kingston. He has authored, co-authored and edited six books on politics and public policy, including No Surrender, Beyond Greed: Confronting the Neo Conservative Excess, In Defence of Civility and Geopolitical Integrity. In September 2005, he was sworn into the Senate as a Conservative, having been appointed by prime minister Paul Martin. He was active in the 2006 election, visiting ridings across Canada on behalf of the Conservative Party. A member of various corporate and not-for-profit boards, he has served on the National Finance, Agriculture and Foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate. Hugh Segal lives in Kingston, Ontario.

Hugh Segal's profile page

Pamela Wallin is a Canadian journalist, broadcaster, and author. Born on April 10, 1953, in Wadena,

Saskatchewan, she began her career in journalism as a reporter for CBC Radio in 1974. Wallin went

on to work for a number of media outlets, including the Toronto Star, Global Television, and CTV

News, before becoming a co-host of CTV's daily talk show "Canada AM" in 1985.

 

In addition to her work in broadcasting, Wallin has been active in public service. She served as

Consul General of Canada in New York from 2002 to 2006 and was appointed to the Canadian

Senate in 2008 by then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper. She is currently a Canadian senator and

has been since 2009.

 

Pamela has written three other books titled “Speaking of Success,” “The First Man in My Life,” and

“Since You Asked.” She received numerous awards and honors for her journalism and public service

contributions, including the Order of Canada in 2007.

Pamela Wallin's profile page

"Hugh Segal is one of the great shining lights of Canada, a man unafraid to find the right balance politically, socially, morally -- even whimsically. This is a wonderful screed from a fine mind, a mind honed on both principles and the art of the possible."

John Fraser, Master of Massey College at the University of Toronto

"The Right Balance is downright peppy."

CBC.ca

"Canadian conservative roots are unique -- finally, a book that explains why and how...a great book for the Political Science and History departments at our educational institutions..."

William Davis, Rt. Honourable

"Segal insists The Right Balance isn't an ideological exercise pitting right against left...[he] describes Conservative party history as a long-running dialectic between competing interests."

Toronto Star

"Senator Segal strikes thoughtful recollections of values in conservative politics over the past three centuries. He shows with intelligence there is more than meets the eye to conservatism."

Pierre Marc Johnson, Former Premier of Quebec

"The Right Balance is a meditation on Canadian conservatism. Neither derivative nor transplanted, it is a native perennial, only occasionally in bloom, enduring across the years as a voice of moderation, civility and reason."

Globe & Mail

"Segal sets out less to define an ideology than to link up Tory history, always contrasted against Liberalism...On his own party and its deep roots, Segal offers a warm and timely family history."

Maclean's

"The new book by Hugh Segal, Conservative senator and longtime party operative, is among the most engaging of the books attempting to situate and explicate Canadian conservatism that have been published since Stephen Harper's ascension to the prime minister's office. While it is by no means a page-turner, The Right Balance is downright peppy compared to many of its predecessors...Segal...issues a carefully calibrated plea to the Conservative Party leadership to remember its roots, and maybe even restore them."

Quill & Quire

"What Segal's legacy may be, like William F. Buckley's...is the legitimation and popularization of a political party which has, more than once, threatened to fall into the abyss."

Winnipeg Free Press

"The Right Balance...provides a historical look at the development of Canadian conservatism under party leaders dating back to pre-Confederation years."

National Post