I find the National needs three goals to bring it on track:
1) Balanced news. Getting views on both sides with equal airing time. That's how were learn and understand each other even if we have opposite views, building tolerance in society.
2) Canada wide news - not 60% Toronto news which the rest of Canada does want to hear about. I am a Torontonian.
3) A solid news anchor who has the respect and viewers and who have a decades worth of street credit.
I tried to watch the new National but switched to CTV about 1 year in and stayed with them. I missed the in depth coverage CBC does but satisfies the three points above. I was a CBC National viewer for 25 years.