There will be four party leaders debating in Montreal Thursday night, all making their pitch to voters. But will the prime minister that Canadians need, at a time of national crisis, be on that stage?

The prime minister that Canadians need would talk about the national interest, and how we can all help to build a better Canada: a more resilient country that can stand on its own and is placed to stand with our allies against authoritarianism and aggression. That person would not aim so low as to bribe slices of the electorate (with their own children’s money) to eke out a narrow victory. They would aim high.

The prime minister that Canadians need would understand the importance of nurturing national unity. That is always important in a country as sprawling and diverse as Canada. But it is critical now, as the United States exerts economic pressure on Canada and as the West, still bruised by the callousness of the Trudeau government, wonders if a new administration will truly treat it as an indispensable partner in Confederation.

The prime minister that Canadians need would have a fundamental respect, even awe, of this country’s democratic institutions. They would make it a first order of business to relinquish the tightening grip of the Prime Minister’s Office, and empower cabinet and Parliament. They would believe, and make real the belief, that opposition to their plans is not only honorable but also necessary. And they would gladly accede to the will of Parliament – understanding that they are, after all, acceding to the will of Canadians.

The prime minister that Canadians need would respect this country’s institutions, understanding that it is all too easy to tear down what took decades to painstakingly construct. But they would also understand that many of those institutions are in dire need of reform.

The prime minister that Canadians need would be eager to question orthodoxy and discard it as needed.

The prime minister that Canadians need would have an unswerving commitment to the highest ethical standards, starting with a pledge that any minister found guilty of an ethics breach would be dismissed from cabinet. They would rewrite the ethics act to raise its standards, and give the federal ethics office the power to mete out meaningful sanctions. And they would make this the simple test: is someone acting in Canada’s interest or their own?

The prime minister that Canadians need would know that their tone matters, and that it damages the country if they resort to base insults, name-calling or questioning the patriotism of their opponents. They would speak with purpose, and so would speak plainly. They would not seek refuge in the shadow of technical evasions. They would listen to Canadians (including the Canadians who are their opponents).

The prime minister that Canadians need would be a PM for the entire country, not just those who voted for their party. They would understand that while they might never win the support of some Canadians, they could win their respect by listening to their concerns. They would never seek to play one part of the country against another, or tailor policy to favour those parts of the country friendly to their party.

The prime minister that Canadians need would manifest a generosity of spirit and humility, understanding that they are only the custodian of the federal government, not its owner.

The prime minister that Canadians need would understand that Canada is a big country. They would know that the federal government is only part of that country, and that the provinces are not branch plants of Ottawa but partners in Confederation.

The prime minister that Canadians need would swing for the fences, challenge voters with big ideas and ask the question: Where should the country be when my term is done? And they would what know that the answer must be: stronger, and freer.

Most of all, the prime minister that Canadians need would be unafraid to talk about the need for sacrifice. They would know that the days of coasting on the contributions of earlier generations, and on the luck of favourable geography, are done. They would tell the country that, without sacrifice, the Canada that our children deserve will not exist.

The prime minister that Canadians need would be brave enough to ask – to require – that Canadians themselves be brave.