Listen Up! Another federal election? | Commentary

There’s talk about yet another federal election this fall. I don’t believe it, but it’s out there. The Prime Minister himself is ramping up speculation with his campaign-style electioneering across Canada this summer. Perhaps he thinks that with the current uncertainty and the disfunction of the Conservative Party, he could pull the plug and romp to a majority government, something he has twice failed to do in the past three years.

Whether that is true or not, it would be unconscionable to put Canadians through almost annual federal elections simply for a power grab. In fact, constitutionally, the Governor General doesn’t have to allow it.

 If the Prime Minister goes to the Governor General and says he cannot effectively govern after heading two minority governments, in less than three years, the Governor General has the option to call upon another Party Leader to form a government. The Prime Minister would have to be pretty sure he had the Governor General in his pocket, before approaching her for another election.

The very notion of a third federal election in three years, raises the issue of competence and confidence in leadership, not just in the Liberal Party but in the Conservative and New Democratic Parties as well. Let’s take a look at that.

In the last two national elections, the major reason the Trudeau Liberals were handed a minority mandate was not a rousing endorsement of that government, but rather because there was no real indication of a better alternative. Whenever the next federal election will take place it will be a tug of war between folks who have had enough of the Trudeau government and seek a better path to good governance and those that see no alternative to the status quo.

I find it somewhat ironic that in an attempt to remain in power, the Trudeau government is resorting to some of the same tactics they condemn other politicians for. The hypocrisy of posturing as the champions of climate change and then blocking the tracking of carbon emissions from the Prime Minister’s travels is a revelation of to whom they believe the rules apply. And threatening media representatives invited to photo-ops for the Prime Minister with police action if they dare to ask him any questions at these events is a sign of entitlement and control that should concern all Canadians.

On top of that, real action by the Trudeau government about the serious issues facing Canadians today is underwhelming.  Many years ago, U.S. President Ronald Regan said, “We don’t have inflation because people are living too well. We have inflation because governments are living too well.” There is some truth in that today, right here in Canada.

While I continue to believe that the Trudeau government has met its best before date, I do not at this point see a better path for leadership in any other federal political party. Some would argue that would be the Conservatives under the leadership of Pierre Poilievre. I disagree.

From a practical perspective, there are more people on the left of centre of the political spectrum than there are on the right of centre. Many Canadians would have a hard time supporting a leader who shies away from the middle to the far right.

As well, the so-called Freedom Movement Pierre Poilievre is leading in an attempt to gain power, is in my view, more about control  than it is about freedom. Someone should ask Mr. Poilievre if, as leader of the Conservatives in Ottawa, he would allow members of his caucus a free vote on all government-proposed legislation. Or, would it be, ‘My way or the highway’? I think I know the answer to that.

When Pierre Poilievre registered as a candidate for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada he agreed to abide by their rules. That he has declared now that he will not, raises the question of whether he will abide by any commitments he makes or positions that he takes.

 It also raises the question of whether the Party Itself has two standards, one for Mr. Brown and one for Mr. Poilievre. It is notable that Poilievre himself has recently said, “In the real world, people who don’t do their jobs get fired.” He has declined to do the job he signed up to do when he entered the leadership campaign. Assuming this is the real world, in his own words, he should be fired.

Also disturbing is the acrimonious and divisive tenor of the Poilievre campaign. Much of it is led by Jinni Byrne, the same individual who managed the failed Harper campaign in 2015. She goes for the jugular, giving no quarter and she did this on behalf of the Poilievre campaign in a blistering statement rejecting his appearance at the third leadership debate, authorized by the Conservative Party of Canada.

Related to that attack-style statement against the very Party Ms. Byrne wants her candidate to lead,  Bruce Anderson, a respected political strategist said, “ I can’t recall such a poisonous campaign on behalf of a senior figure in Canadian politics. Being so vicious is a choice that seems personal rather than strategic and bound to divide some Conservatives and send some packing.”

If nothing else, one must wonder if this style of pit-bull politics is an appropriate and safe one for an individual who seeks to be Prime Minister of Canada.

Then, of course, there is Jagmeet Singh, current Leader of the NDP. His Robin Hood approach to all things political is alarming and smacks of socialism.  His commitment to survival over principle, in supporting the Trudeau government, is at best hypocritical. I really have nothing more to say about him.

What I do want to say, however, is that assuming Pierre Poilievre remains the front-runner in the Conservative race, we have in my view, a big problem with senior leadership in Ottawa with all three political parties that have a reasonable chance of forming a national government.  It is no wonder that Canadians may be unwilling to give any of them a majority mandate.  

There are good people in each of these parties who are not into divisive politics, that respect different perspectives, and want to govern for all Canadians from the middle and not from the extreme ends of either the left or the right. Because that is not what we have now, perhaps it is time to listen to some of them.

I think of people in the Liberal Party like Anita Anand, currently Minister of National Defence, and Jonathan Wilkinson, federal Minister of Natural Resources. In the Conservative Party I think of people like Jean Charest and yes, Scott Aitchison and Rona Ambrose. And in the NDP, folks like Peter Julian and Charlie Angus. All of these are political partisans but also folks who are moderate and inclusive in their approach to government and who would be good leaders of their respective political parties.

It may be too much to hope for this kind of political leadership in the immediate future. Surely, however, in comparison to what we have now  (or may get) from all three political parties, it is something to strive for.

It could only be better.

Hugh Mackenzie      

Hugh Mackenzie has held elected office as a trustee on the Muskoka Board of Education, a Huntsville councillor, a District councillor, and mayor of Huntsville. He has also served as chairman of the District of Muskoka and as chief of staff to former premier of Ontario, Frank Miller.

Hugh has also served on a number of provincial, federal and local boards, including chair of the Ontario Health Disciplines Board, vice-chair of the Ontario Family Health Network, vice-chair of the Ontario Election Finance Commission, and board member of Roy Thomson Hall, the National Theatre School of Canada, and the Anglican Church of Canada. Locally, he has served as president of the Huntsville Rotary Club, chair of Huntsville District Memorial Hospital, chair of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, president of Huntsville Festival of the Arts, and board member of Community Living Huntsville.

In business, Hugh Mackenzie has a background in radio and newspaper publishing. He was also a founding partner and CEO of Enterprise Canada, a national public affairs and strategic communications firm established in 1986.

Currently, Hugh is president of C3 Digital Media Inc., the parent company of Doppler Online, and he enjoys writing commentary for Huntsville Doppler.

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