The next Prime Minister must unleash a growth agenda for Canada.The sad reality on the ground today is that we are being failed by the politics of distraction. With a Liberal government that is more focused on photo ops than ribbon cuttings – credit to Scott Aitchison for that line – Canada is not living up to its potential.Need evidence of that? Consider a recent report from the OECD, which projects that Canada's economic growth will lag behind that of our peers over the course of the next decade-plus. Record “stimulus” spending has failed to stimulate much of anything, aside from debts and deficits that push outside the bounds of normalcy. Years of politicians passing the buck and kicking the can down the road on a meaningful economic agenda have led to a point in our history defined by low productivity, lagging growth, and an uncertain future. Canadians deserve more. Canadians deserve better.The good news is that 'better' should be very possible for a country such as ours. But, it's going to take bold leadership and an aggressive plan to get us there.The traditional Conservative calls for boutique tax credits and miniscule reforms around the edges won't get the job done. Nor will wild conspiracy theories about the World Economic Forum or empty cries for freedom.Instead, the next generation of Conservative leadership in this country must consider two linked priorities to set us on a path for growth.The first is meaningful tax reform. The last time Canada undertook a major review of our taxation system was in the late 1960s. And, in case you hadn't noticed, the world and competitive landscape around us have changed significantly since then. Questions of who we tax, what we tax, how we tax, and how much we tax shouldn't be off the table or confined to the limits of our existing framework. When seeking answers to those questions, no potential idea should be offside – whether it be a move away from income taxes toward consumptions taxes, or a drastic reduction in corporate tax rates, or a rapid acceleration in capital cost deductions for investment, or something else completely. There is a real need to look at the 21st century economy and identify how we can collect tax dollars in the most effective, efficient, and investment-friendly way possible.Along those same lines, the next priority is capital investment. Getting meaningful tax reform done right means helping to make Canada an attractive place to invest and deploy capital. If we can combine that with an ambitious agenda to reduce red tape, free up potential for foreign investment, and increase competition in currently restricted sectors, Canadians will benefit. We'll benefit directly in the form of more jobs, lower prices, and more choice in the marketplace, but we'll also benefit indirectly. As the size of the capital investment pie grows, the tax base grows with it.The best modern-day Canadian example of these two policy pillars at work is in Alberta. While many are quick to credit the price of oil alone for the province's economic rebound, there's more to the story than that. A deliberate choice to lower tax rates and improve the investment environment has allowed Alberta to re-write its story – not just in the traditional oil and gas economy, either. Alberta is setting venture capital records across a wide variety of sectors, including tech and clean energy. And there's a palpable excitement on the ground in both Edmonton and Calgary as a result.Canada as a whole should experience that excitement, too.In this federal Conservative leadership race, fighting about who was a bigger supporter of the freedom convoy isn't going to create jobs. Pandering to the fringes of the fringes on vaccines isn't going to put the economy on a growth trajectory. Scorching rhetoric about firing the Governor of the Bank of Canada isn't going to give global investors the confidence to place their capital here. Conservatives must offer much more than that.Our country's underwhelming economic track record under Prime Minister Trudeau presents a compelling case for a new generation of Conservative leadership, but we need serious candidates to seize the day and outline the growth agenda Canadians deserve.Michael Stuart is an Edmonton-based Chartered Professional Accountant, law student, and co-founder of Centre Ice Conservatives.