After the 2011 federal election, the Liberal party secured 34 seats of the available 308 within the House of Commons. As of the 2015 federal election, the Liberal party, under the leadership of Justin Trudeau, managed to procure 184 seats of the available 338 (the ceiling on the number of MPs in-house is routinely adjusted to better reflect population growth among provinces). The Liberal party’s 148-seat growth was the greatest increase in any Canadian election thus far. So, how did they do it?
Critics have declared the Liberal majority election win a Stephen Harper rejection rather than a Conservative defeat. Although that statement may seem shallow, it could be indicative of a more profound thought process.
Both the Liberals and the NDP were looking to unseat the Conservatives—Canada’s ruling party since 2004. The Conservative party seemed to be an impenetrable giant, and tackling it would be no small task. After all, this was the same Harper government that claimed to have steered Canada through the 2008 recession—one of the biggest global events of this generation. At some point, a giant just seems way too big to fall. Yet, the giant did fall, and it fell to the group who lobbed the only rocks they had in their corner.
Whereas the Conservatives campaigned on maintaining economic stability, the NDP and Liberals campaigned heavily on the prospect of change.
So, how did the Liberals win the way that they did? There are some clues. Some say that it was the youth vote, which was promoted not by the Harper government, but by the other major parties. Others say that the Liberals intentionally took note of the benefits provided by the ancient “divide-and-conquer” trick.
The Liberal Party of Canada began their 2015 campaign in third place and steadily moved up the polls through the 78-day historic campaign with a strong message that wasn’t full of attack ads, but promise. After ten years of the Harper government controlling their political messages through extraordinary efforts, using the politics of fear to cause uncertainty about Canadian’s safety, perhaps Canadians—young Canadians in particular—were ready for a more hopeful message, a beacon of hope that includes caring about the people, their vote, and their future.
Prime Minister-designate announces plans for equal gender Cabinet
On Oct. 20, 2015, Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau announced that his new Cabinet will have gender parity. For the first time in Canadian history, the federal Cabinet is set to have an equal number of male and female ministers. Trudeau will announce his new cabinet on Nov. 4, 2015, which will also be his first day in office.
Typically, Cabinet ministers are expected to vote the party line. As such, while social media has expressed excitement at the possibility of Green Party Leader Elizabeth May being appointed as Minister of the Environment to Trudeau’s future Cabinet, she would most likely vote along the Liberal party’s platforms.
While it would be a historic bi-partisan event if Trudeau was to welcome members of Parliament from different parties without cracking the Liberal whip, the chances seem small.
Forming an equally gendered Cabinet will not be Trudeau’s only on goal in terms of equality, however. Prime Minister-designate Trudeau will likely consider how to ensure that a wide variety of individuals are represented from Canada’s minority groups.
In addition to demographics, regional representation will also be considered when planning who sits in Cabinet. This is historically how Cabinet membership is decided. If there is not enough representation, Trudeau could appoint a senator from the general population and invite them to sit in Cabinet. When the Harper administration realized that there was a gap in representation in Montreal, they appointed Michael Fortier to the Senate, who then sat in Cabinet. With so many members of Parliament to choose from, it would be a controversial decision to appoint an unelected member, but it’s not against the rules.
Ultimately, the choice will be up to the future prime minister, and any surprises will be revealed on Nov. 4, 2015.
Marijuana: More than the Legality
Throughout the entirety of the 2015 federal election, one of the most discussed, debated, and questioned topic was marijuana. Each of the major parties’ candidates had their own respective answers, but they all addressed the same issue: legality.
Considering that the Liberal party ran on the promise of running a three-year deficit, it is certainly surprising that they never mentioned that the legalization of marijuana may be a significant contributor to the bottom line. Well before any bill signing, stock prices in the major medical marijuana suppliers took a sharp turn up after the election results were announced. So why hasn’t the Liberal leader brought forth the economic aspect as a justifier for legalization?
Those who support the idea of a taxable industry bring up points around the removal of drugs from organized crime and increased flows of capital. While these are great points, they still leave some unanswered questions. Of course, there are those that lay out the plan a little more clearly, stating that the market demand could mean billions of dollars in the hands of the government, which may or may not be a good thing, depending on who you talk to. Regardless, this massive capital gain could be the answer to Trudeau’s prayers. No need to run a deficit if there is that much money to be made from legalizing marijuana.
With serious discussion over whether or not to follow through with his promise, Trudeau has been speaking to leaders from areas that have begun the legalization process and the news sound counter-productive. With regulations and bylaws needed to be created at multiple levels of government, new training for police, and legislation having to be written at the federal level, the leaders warn that the legalization of weed is a long and expensive journey—one that may not be worth the price.