President Trump’s speech to Congress this past week has received praise because it seemed less off kilter than his recent Twitter pronouncements and spontaneous performances. True, he didn’t throw up on stage or physically assault anyone. He even had a couple of “shout outs” for Canada and Justin Trudeau.

But, in substance, it is the same recipe for policy both foreign and domestic: the answers lie in quick fixes, trade protectionism, and emotional appeals to nationalism. It was heavy on more policing, more enforcement, “rounding people up,” “winning wars” by “eradicating the enemy,” and, of course massive increases in military spending, and budget cuts everywhere else, including the State Department and other agencies.

Our own Prime Minister has made a point of not arguing publicly about the wisdom of these moves, but this week signalled that Canada’s support for planned parenthood will stand in stark contrast to the slashing of any support for women that included abortion services.

This should be part of a broader re-framing of Canadian public policy, both at home and abroad. This involves new actions as well as new words. The government has made reconciliation a central theme in its domestic agenda. The “new relationship” with First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples needs to be matched by deeper institutional change on the ground. The close to $1 billion that is spend on administrative costs at the federal Department of Indigenous Affairs needs to be transferred to self governing institutions that are controlled by indigenous people themselves.

No treaty should force indigenous people to abandon their historic claim to a shared sovereignty of the land and resources, and budgets that accompany self government have to do more than reallocate the poverty and discrimination that has been a hallmark of Canadian public policy for literally hundreds of years.

Reconciliation needs to be given real meaning, and lead to a genuine capacity for sovereignty. Federal institutions themselves need to show they can change, and work differently with both the provinces and indigenous governments.

If we can make these changes, it will enhance our vision for Canada’s role in the world. The struggle against extremist violence will require more than bombs and bullets. It also demands an understanding about creating stronger institutions, better education and social conditions, and the stability and security in which businesses can thrive and create jobs. “Aid,” “Emergency Humanitarian Assistance,” “Defence,” “Diplomacy,” are not separate silos but have to be made to fit together.

We learned these lessons after much trial and error in Afghanistan, but the sheer bureaucratic inertia of vested interest mean we have to re-learn them over and over again. It will take ministerial leadership and co-ordination to give us the ability to perform at maximum capability on the ground.