Canadians have spoken, but are the Federal Parties listening?
by Greg Rodman
L ooking at the results from this year’s election it seems as Canada is more divided now than ever, but this time it is more region against region than party against party. When the numbers started to roll in from polls in Atlantic Canada, social media started to light up. With comments coming from those in the heart of the energy sector of Canada out West pointing their finger at those In Atlantic Canada for voting Liberal red. With the early results in Atlantic Canada it was soon understood that Trudeau’s Liberal Government would win a minority and what some were expecting to be a blue Conservative wave across Canada, turned out to be little more than a splash with the Bloc soaking up most of the votes in Quebec.
Trudeau’s Liberals captured 157 ridings, 36 more seats than the second-place Conservatives, lead by Andrew Sheer, but 13 short of a majority, which could prove to offer a more stable government than many were expecting after the polls closed. The Bloc Québécois under the leadership of Yves- François Blanchet had the best showing with the party capturing 32 seats, up from only 10 before the election was called. Jagmeet Singh and the New Democratic Party captured 24 seats, down 15 from the 39 seat they had prior to the election, losing the second most seat, with the Liberals losing 20 seats from the results of 2015. The Bloc Québécois and New Democratic Party might have finished third and fourth in the polls, but both parties now control enough votes to be deal makers in the House of Commons. Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet said he was uninterested in being anyone’s formal partner, but would collaborate any legislation that he deemed good for his province. Jagmeet Singh, who revived the NDP’s swagger during the campaign, even though he lost 15 seats, which most going to the Bloc in Quebec, listed pharmacare, affordable housing, eliminating interest on student loans, a cap on mobile-phone bills, ending oil subsidies and taxing the “super wealthy” as his priorities. “Canadians sent a clear message they want a government that works for them, not the rich and powerful,” Singh said in his post-election speech.
It will be interesting in the months to come what parliamentary alignment will take place. It will be hard for Singh and the New Democratic Party to demand too much. As for energy projects, The Bloc’s Blanchet said he opposed new oil pipelines in Quebec, not British Columbia; so we might see the Bloc’s support the Liberals on this front as it would come at a much lower price than teaming up with Singh and the NewDemocratic Party. Plus do not forget that the Sheer lead Conservatives could simply team up with the Liberals to block any legislative effort to reverse existing pipeline construction as it would be a win for both parties in what most likely set the stage for another election in eighteen to twenty-four months. The Liberals are well aware of the feeling towards their party in the West with Trudeau saying, “You are an essential part of our great country,” about Alberta and Saskatchewan, which rejected every Liberal candidate. “Let us all work hard to bring our country together.” If Trudeau truly means what he is saying than the Liberals best look at some of the Conservative’s election platform, and not just the wish books of the Bloc and the NDP.
During the election, Scheer said he would have called a meeting of First Ministers in January to start work on an enhanced internal free-trade agreement; Trudeau could do the same, as the Liberals also promised to get serious about erasing trade barriers between the provinces. However, it’s unclear if Trudeau and Scheer along with their respective parties are capable of working together. On election night, Trudeau broke convention and began his victory speech in Montreal minutes after Scheer had begun addressing his supporters in Regina, denying the opposition leader a moment on live television, which might be a sign of things to come in the “can we all get along” political picture that now exists in Canada. The Liberal platform features numerous items that are similar to promises made by the Conservatives and the NDP. The question then, is whether the 338 newly elected members of Parliament are humble enough to work together? Trudeau would have to acknowledge that the Conservative Party won the greatest share of ballots cast with 6,155,662 votes, or 34.4 percent of the popular vote.
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NOVEMBER 2019 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2019
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