On the Tuesday, October 22nd, 2019 morning on Canada’s west coast, the day after the consequential 43rd Canadian federal general election, the sun shone in the skies for the first time in nearly 42 days on British Columbia’s stormy, coastal rainforest, since that fateful day when Justin Trudeau dropped the electoral writ on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 11th.
Clearly, sunny ways and sunny days had once again blessed our nation, as the gods above celebrated our collective good fortune that in the infinite wisdom of the Canadian people, voters had elected what will in all likelihood turn out to be a stable, four year Liberal minority government.
Yes, for six, long, dreary, relentless weeks, the rains poured down from the heavens like the cascading tears that tumble down our cheeks when life seems so uncertain, when we don’t know what will occur next in our lives.
But all now seems well — fighting climate change remains at the top of the political agenda, Greta Thunberg will rally with west coast citizens on Friday (at the Art Gallery downtown), affordable housing, the very real prospect of both a long promised national pharmacare and dental care closer to realization than, perhaps, ever before — and indigenous reconciliation, and public transit also at the top of the federal government’s political agenda.
In the next short while, Canadians will be afforded a unique and expansive opportunity to get to know our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau better than we’ve ever known him, as he sets about to make an historic decision as to what form governance will take over the course of his coming mandate …
-
1. Will Justin Trudeau choose to become Stephen Harper redux, and adopt the former Conservative Prime Minister’s approach following the 2008 federal election — when he won only 143 seats in the House of Commons, 11 seats shy of forming a bare majority government — and govern as if he has a majority, and damn the consequences?;
- 2. Will Justin Trudeau, if he is truly a progressive, adopt some form of a co-operative ‘Confidence and Supply’ agreement (as we have in B.C. between the NDP and the Greens), with Jagmeet Singh and the NDP (as well as Elizabeth May and her two Green Member of Parliament colleagues), as did Lester Pearson in 1963 with NDP leader Tommy Douglas — when in a two year period, Canadians saw the introduction and realization of universal health care, the Canada Student Loan programme, the Canada Assistance Programme, and the Canada Pension Plan — or as did his father in 1972 when his government achieved only a minority in Parliament, but working closely with NDP leader David Lewis set about to create a made in Canada solution to the provision of socially just affordable housing, constructing 2500 housing co-ops across Canada, housing more than 130,000 Canadians?;
- 3. Or, will Justin Trudeau govern on a catch-as-catch-can basis, looking for support from the NDP and Greens when such support is deemed necessary (say, on reconciliation or climate change issues), or from Yves François Blanchet and the Bloc Québécois when it comes to issues of importance to the citizens of Québec, or from Andrew Scheer and the Conservatives when it comes to pipeline issues?
Whatever the case, over the course of the next four years (many pundits believe the Trudeau government will realize a full mandate), Justin Trudeau will be sticking much closer to home, he and his Ministers traveling the globe much less, particularly should he choose option one or three above.
None of the federal parties want to return to the polls anytime soon.
Jagmeet Singh’s New Democratic Party is flat dead broke, having mortgaged their party headquarters in Ottawa to pay for the 2019 campaign. Andrew Scheer faces what is sure to be a contentious review of his leadership next spring, and should he fare as Tom Mulcair did in 2017, the Conservative Party will be looking for a new leader. Elizabeth May will be gone within a year to 18 months, with (in all likelihood) Jody Wilson-Raybould stepping into the breach to become national leader of the Green Party of Canada. The Bloc? Thirty-two seats — far, far better than Mr. Blanchet believed was possible only a month ago. Already he’s told anyone who will listen that Mr. Trudeau deserves a four year term in office.
The next order of business for Justin Pierre James Trudeau (who will turn 48 on this upcoming Christmas Day) will be for the Prime Minister to appoint a new Cabinet, which he announced yesterday would occur on Wednesday, November 20th.
Early speculation has Mr. Trudeau pleading with recent Alberta Premier Rachel Notley to join his Cabinet (given that the Liberals lost all four seats in Alberta), as well as appointing outgoing and defeated Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale to the Senate, after which he would appoint Mr. Goodale to his new Cabinet (no Liberal elected in Saskatchewan, either).
Canadians proved their wisdom in consigning Andrew Scheer and his far right-of-centre Conservative Party to her majesty’s loyal opposition, so there is that to celebrate. What else might we celebrate in the days, weeks, months and years to come? Only time and good fortune will tell.
