Autopsy: Canada’s Turbulent Federal Election
Major Canadian Party Leaders before a televised debate. Left to right: Green Party leader Elizabeth May, Incumbent Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of the Liberal Party, Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, Maxime Bernier of the People’s Party of Canada, Yves-Francois Blanchet of the Bloc Quebecois, and Jagmeet Singh of the New Democratic Party. (Image)
On Oct. 21, Canadians went to the polls to elect a new government. Pundits predicted that races for the 338-member House of Commons would be tight countrywide. The election was largely seen as a referendum on the premiership of Justin Trudeau. The incumbent won a landslide victory in 2015, pledging to institute a variety of policies ranging from recreational cannabis legalization to an electoral system overhaul. Public opinion of the progressive darling, however, has since soured.
Trudeau has recently been criticized for his interference in the investigation of SNC-Lavalin, a Montreal-based engineering firm. His actions were condemned by independent ethics watchdogs, and two female cabinet members resigned in protest. Photos of Trudeau wearing blackface were also recently published; these damaging images undercut the prime minister’s professed support of multiculturalism. With a tough election over, it is necessary to review the profiles and platforms of Trudeau’s major opponents.
Andrew Scheer of the Conservative Party of Canada was recognized as the most formidable challenger. His center-right party pledged to reverse the federal deficit in five years, cut taxes and scrap Trudeau’s national carbon tax program. Scheer, a devout Catholic and social conservative, promised to preserve existing abortion and gay marriage laws. He positioned himself as a pragmatic alternative to an untrustworthy incumbent. Polls indicate that climate change was a key issue for voters in the election, a troubling situation for the Conservative Party. Scheer faced scrutiny for his environmental proposals, which critics decried as catering towards the interests of oil and gas companies. The Conservative Party ultimately failed to attract enough political support outside of its rural base to secure a majority.
The New Democratic Party is a center-left alternative to the incumbent leadership. Jagmeet Singh, a practicing Sikh and first non-white federal party leader, was praised for his responses to bigotry on the campaign trail and his debate performances. The NDP opposed policies of the Trudeau premiership that its perceived as “right-wing.” Singh criticized a Canadian-Saudi arms deals and the Liberal Party’s failure to address disparities facing indigenous communities. The party supported ending all fossil fuel subsidies, heavy investments in renewables, and the conversion of every public transportation system to clean energy. Despite its potential for major success in the election, the NDP struggled to field candidates, and lost seats.
The Bloc Quebecois threatened to prevent any major party from capturing a majority. Led by Yves-François Blanchet, the party focused on defending the interests of the French-speaking province rather than favoring outright independence. The Bloc Quebecois supported the devolution of political powers to the provinces. Yves-François Blanchet opposed the construction of a new oil pipeline, and endorsed the imposition of carbon taxes on provinces with higher greenhouse gas emissions. The Bloc was also an ardent defender of Bill 21, a controversial act passed by Quebec’s government that bans public employees from wearing religious symbols. Trudeau has spoken out against the legislation, and has not ruled out federal intervention to block its implementation. The Bloc Quebecois performed well in the election, unpending the political balance in Ottawa.
The Green Party of Canada and the newly-created People’s Party of Canada were also possible spoilers in the upcoming election. The former, under the command of Elizabeth May, presented itself as the foremost authority in tackling environmental problems. The party pledged to overhaul the Canadian electric grid, and transform the fossil fuel industry into a green energy powerhouse. May was also highly critical of Prime Minister Trudeau’s approval of the TransCanada pipeline. The Green Party picked up seats at the expense of both the Liberals and NDP. The populist People's Party of Canada is the brainchild of Maxime Bernier, a controversial former Conservative minister. The new political party opposed immigration, deficit spending, and the Paris Climate Accord. The People’s Party had the potential to siphon voters away from the center-right, but received limited support during the election.
It is evident that Trudeau faced the most significant challenge of his political career. After assuming power four years ago, the Liberal Party has implemented ambitious reforms while seriously reneging on other promises, especially electoral reform. While Trudeau secured enough support to form a government, he lost his majority in the House of Commons. The prime minister must now build a coalition, and rebrand his policies to ensure success for the next four years.