While Justin has undeniably proved himself as an MP, slogging it out for seven years in opposition, his pedigree – along with his poufy hair – was not the political Achilles heel the Conservatives had hoped it would be.
But with 50 women elected to the Liberal benches last Monday – among them Waterloo’s Bardish Chagger – Trudeau’s pledge of parity, doesn’t have to come at the expense of skill, Peckford said.
Numerous left-leaning voters are glad for a change in Ottawa but are not pleased a Liberal government is not in favour of repealing the Conservatives’ anti-terror law.
Phasing out fossil fuel subsidies. So what is next for the new Liberal Prime Minister and his Government? Monday night’s results were being described as a bloodbath by party loyalists, who watched in disbelief as Conservative stalwarts and rookies alike saw their seats stolen by Liberals, even in areas like British Columbia, where the party had thought their chief opponent was the NDP. This should be an area where civil society groups keep up the pressure. Almost three million more people voted in 2015 (68.5% of registered voters, or about 61% of the adult-age population) compared to 2011. “I see that it is going to be a huge problem in the coming years”. They were voting against meanness and nastiness, voting against the abuse of the political system.
Change is in the air as the dust starts to settle from last week’s federal election.
Bringing back door-to-door enumeration.
“People are increasingly aware that a majority government was given to a party that 60 per cent of Canadians not only didn’t vote for but actively tend to dislike”, he declared.
They remain open to most new bitumen pipeline proposals (with the exception of Enbridge’s Northern Gateway proposal) and have merely promised to strengthen the National Energy Board review process. “It’s going to be very important that the government indicate it’s prepared to move on the shortfalls for funding for aboriginal education, health care and welfare”, he said. “This is a commitment to equality”, she said. That’s simply not good enough – the climate crisis is too urgent. A “climate justice” lens should also be incorporated into the work of the secretariat, to ensure climate actions are fair and enhance equality, to ensure the needs of particularly vulnerable populations are met, and to maintain public support for bold action. The good news is, whoever is elected will likely be in a minority.
This is a vital step, but one of many that is needed. The people who say minority governments are the best are correct. During the first few years in government, the Conservatives spent a lot of time expanding their base, honing a message that appealed to new Canadians, for example. On the other side, there are those who believe the party’s losses can be attributed to poor preparation and not taking advantage of its wealth of previous experience. This is still a party with, at the minimum, deep ties and obligations to Canada’s corporate elite. But, of course, no one can accuse Gandhi of being charismatic or of connecting with the urban youth, who were at the vanguard of Trudeau’s recent victory.
During the CTV interview, Chretien was also asked if the Liberal position to end Canada’s participation in the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant could raise concern among allies. So on to the Liberal agenda. What exactly the character of today’s Liberals will remain unclear though Trudeau’s cabinet choices will provide an important signal. What is certain is that progressives must not sigh with relief at Harper’s loss and then wait politely for change. And it’s a lesson that will be reiterated next month in Paris, when Justin Trudeau, now a world-renowned political hunk and, even more importantly, Canada’s undisputed political victor, will begin the conference already well ahead on points.
