On Nov. 23, 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rallied his ministers at a First Minsters Conference in Ottawa, to discuss plans for his Liberal government moving into 2016. This meeting, however, marks the first time that federal, provincial, and territorial leaders have met in seven years. The last time a First Ministers conference occurred was in 2009, under former prime minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative government.
Climate change was at the top of the agenda for the meeting, in preparation for Prime Minister Trudeau’s trip to Paris, for the United Nations Conference on Climate—set to take place from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11, 2015.
However, the Nov. 23 meeting did not result in any major changes to environmental policy, as a result of the lack of time available to Prime Minister Trudeau to formulate a concrete plan. The First Ministers’ conference served as a platform to discuss ideas that Prime Minister Trudeau will take with him to the Paris climate summit, where he hopes to present a Canadian approach to climate change.
This involves highlighting the efforts of each province, and constructing a new plan to move forward based on these results. Following the Paris summit, Prime Minister Trudeau and the Liberal party will work on building a climate change reform policy that should be presented in the House of Commons within 90 days of Dec. 11, 2015.
The second major topic of discussion at the First Ministers’ conference was the Syrian refugee crisis. One of the key campaign promises of the Liberal government was to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada before the end of the 2015 year. This has been a concern for many Canadians who believe that expediting refugees could put a financial and security strain on Canada.
According to the Toronto Star, the Liberal government indicated that their goal of getting the refugees into Canada will likely spill into 2016. Controversy surrounding the refugee crisis is high, as the financial demand of immigrating 25,000 refugees into Canada is large. A document obtained by the Canadian Press suggested that the expected cost of the commitment is expected to be over $1 billion.
Each refugee is expected to cost a minimum of $20,000 for the first 12 months. This is a concern for many, considering the Liberals only reserved $250 million for the process. Safety is also a concern, as the Paris attacks still loom over the minds of many Canadians.
On Nov. 23, 2015, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall was quoted by the Toronto Star, stating that “we also need to make sure that we’re getting it right in terms of settlement and security and …a looming deadline that was part of a political campaign promise … should not drive the process.”
Though the meeting represents a healthy first step towards governmental accountability and cooperation, Canadians have concern on their minds.
According to a recent poll conducted by Global News and Ipsos, climate change and immigration rank as some of the lowest priorities for Canadians at the moment. Health care topped the list at 40 per cent, while unemployment ranked second, with 39 per cent.
As such, the First Ministers’ conference seemingly failed to address main Canadian issues. With the climate talks currently taking place, it is understandable how climate change could be a top priority. It will be essential for Prime Minister Trudeau and the Liberal government to start addressing issues about the economy, a flawed health care system, and the lower class, so Canadians can truly begin to believe that “real change” is on the horizon.