I have always believed governments must adapt to the needs of the people, not the other way around.

On the same day I was sworn in as Prime Minister of Canada, I announced the most sweeping reform ever undertaken in the structure of our federal government.

An increasing number of Canadians must juggle the demands of work with the need to care for children, or for family members who are ill or too frail to care for themselves. Our programs have simply not kept pace with these societal changes.

Our first Prime Minister saw a country that would be known for its generosity of spirit. And so it is.

Canadians want to see real hope restored, not false hopes raised.

I believe that Canadians have the common sense to see that a better future cannot be built on fragmentation.

Quebecers have rarely in their history been better represented than they are right now - at the highest levels of the federal government.