Saying this does not award top marks to the Conservative government's latest road map for where it would lead Canada. There were, in the throne speech delivered by Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean, only a few times when the Conservatives came close to galvanizing the nation, when they abandoned the pedestrian rhetoric of bureaucratic managers and aspired to speak with the inspired tones of visionaries.

Are their questions about, as well as flaws in, this throne speech? Absolutely. The Conservatives speak the truth when they say it is impossible for this country to meet its Kyoto accord commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions. But though the throne speech says they want to start making substantial cuts in those emissions as soon as possible, the Conservatives need to show Canadians a more detailed plan to convince them that those cuts will actually come. This, in fact, is their most important test.