I have been out and about for the past few weeks. In fact, as I write this article I am still in England.
During our travels, I have had many people ask me about Canada. Most speak highly of our country. Some, however, many more than I remember from previous travels, have questions about Canada and wonder if we are in decline, especially in terms of international respect.
Some of the questions I have been asked are:
Is Justin Trudeau really a dictator?
Does Canada now have a coalition government?
Is Canada now a socialist country?
The answer to these three questions is clearly: no. Nevertheless, it is understandable, given current circumstances, that the questions are being asked. Let’s deal with them one at a time.
I was surprised at how viral charges by Lethbridge, Alberta Conservative MP Rachel Thomas to the effect that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is a dictionary-defined dictator have become, aided and abetted by a mainstream media intent on exposing the flaws of the Conservative Party. All the same, it was a stupid comment, harmful in its intent and totally inaccurate in its messaging.
As many will know, I am no fan of our current prime minister. But under our electoral system, he and his party won the latest federal election. He did not seize power. Power was granted to him. As much as, at times, we may not like the outcome, that is what democracy is all about and that is worth preserving at all costs.
I am saddened but not surprised at the handful of Conservatives—Rachel Thomas, Andrew Scheer and Pierre Poilievre being three of them—who will say almost anything, accurate or otherwise, to get attention and to promote the extreme right of the political spectrum, which leaves many people with middle-of-the-road conservative leanings—people like me—out in the cold.
Pierre Poilievre, a candidate for the federal Conservative leadership is already morphing his campaign into a ‘movement’ scaringly reminiscent of the so-called freedom movement that so recently disrupted many parts of Canada. Ultimately, the outcome of the leadership race will determine if this is the true voice of the federal Conservative Party. If it is, it could be a cold day in hell before they ever govern again.
As to the question of whether Canada currently has a coalition government, technically the answer is no. That would require the New Democratic Party to be part of the Trudeau Government with representatives in cabinet.
However, there is definitely an accord between the NDP and the Liberals, similar to the accord between David Peterson and Bob Rae in Ontario in 1985, which will allow the Trudeau Government to survive for at least three more years. In exchange for legislation to implement some of their priorities, the NDP, the third party in the House of Commons, has promised to support the government in any motion of non-confidence—effectively giving the Trudeau Liberals a majority government, something the Canadian electorate opted not to grant to Justin Trudeau.
By definition, then, this Liberal government, already further to the left than most previous Liberal governments, will now be forced by their alliance with the NDP to move even further in that direction. I believe that is something to be concerned about.
That brings us to the question of whether Canada is a socialist country. In the strict sense of that word, we are not. We still encourage free enterprise and pay a little more than lip service to capitalism and the importance of individuals being able to succeed on their own merits. But the pendulum is swinging in the wrong direction as government in Canada is taking over more and more of our lives.
It is easy to argue that government should be all things to all people, but it simply cannot be. As one pundit put it, ‘If too many people enjoy the free ride and not enough people help to pull, the wagon isn’t going anywhere.’
Left-of-centre governments tend to be less concerned about deficits and debt than those in the middle or to the right of centre. Right now, that is a big problem as Canada’s annual deficit soars and its debt load is close to being out of control.
Not all Liberals are happy about the leap to the left the Trudeau Government has taken in its dance with the New Democratic Party. The Globe and Mail reports that John Manley, both finance minister and deputy prime minister when Jean Chrétien was prime minister, said recently that he is worried the Liberal-NDP alliance is “all about spending” and lacks metrics for ensuring that expenditures will be managed responsibly.
The more programs, that government offers to people for “free”, the higher both our debt and deficit rises. The more this particular government caters to the NDP, the less they have to be accountable to a minority Parliament and the deeper that problem becomes.
Taxing the so-called rich, a mantra of the NDP, doesn’t solve the problem either. Eventually, that money will run out as well. With rising inflation, enormous deficits and uncontrolled debt, every parent and every grandparent have reason to be concerned about the future of their children and grandchildren.
The key to a reasonable future for all Canadians is less spending, not more spending, with money we don’t have. Can we expect a government controlled by a Liberal/NDP alliance to get that message and, more importantly, abide by it?
I seriously doubt it.
That may not be socialism, but it is one giant step to the left and deeply disturbing.
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 Muskoka and as chief of staff to former premier of Ontario, Frank Miller.
Hugh has 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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Poilievre says he will be “the champion of freedom” which includes cryptocurrency to “take big banks and the government out of your wallet”. His followers love to hear that. But he doesn’t explain, and his followers haven’t thought about, which unelected invisible rogue controls the algorithms that determine the value of your cryptocurrency. Facebook? Putin? And he doesn’t explain how in such an unmanageable wild west monetary regime he or anyone other government would be able to manage a budget to pay for roads, snow ploughing, garbage collection, electricity, health care, the Canada Pension Plan, Old age security, policing, national security, and a few little things like that. With governments out of the picture, everyone would be on their own just like when Christopher Columbus landed in 1492. Does that sound like fun?
“government in Canada is taking over more and more of our lives” and here … is the proof? Quite a statement to leave empty.
Mr. Caswell; not all protests are comparison of ‘oranges to oranges’. Also, laws have been enacted and enforced in some of the ‘other than trucker’ protests. Consider the duration, location, threat to public health, and safety in the surrounding areas, whether the protests have been registered (legal/illegal), the use of existing law enforcement and get back to me on how these are all comparable.
Hugh, thank you for a balanced and thoughtful opinion piece. What we need to do now is follow a path of our best choosing, not be over influenced by past mentors such as the UK or the US. But we can still be alert to the best ideas to use and adapt, we’ve always tried to do that.
Mr. Markle, thank you for pointing out the newest election version of “buck-a-beer” from the DF Conservatives. He and his party remain out of touch on climate change and the new offers of gas tax cuts merely exemplify the same. All the while, contrasting news from the UN concerning the environmental readings.
Thank you too, Mr. Markle for pointing out billions lost (car license stickers) which could be allocated as public investment in our torn, worn health care system.
I am hopeful that Green policy will win the day in Parry Sound-Muskoka. This could be the best strategic vote for us this time around.
Well said David Caswell! Clearly Hugh is a Liberal who doesn’t want to see Trudeau for what he has become !
Thank you for your comment.
Well said Allen Markle. So glad you are turning Green this spring! This election Green is my favourite colour.
Sort of injures one’s soul to hear that Canada escapes being a dictatorship on a technicality. Because we had an election!
That election was bought at great cost, was inconclusive, and is still being paid for, by reducing another party to the status of ‘crutch’. Can’t buy enough votes, then rent the other guys!
Now, provincially we have a party anteing up for an election. No more license tags. Be still my heart!! If $100.00 or so won’t but your vote, how about lower priced fuel for a few months? Once elected we will have it socked to us again.
I’ve heard that little reduction will mean the coffers are depleted about a billion dollars, plus, per year. Maybe if that had been turned into health care funding, it would have indicated that the portly gent has a plan. But that money is just a bit of bait dropped here and there.
Provincially and federal, politicians feel a few bucks (actually a lot of bucks) offered to us will excuse their lack of foresight, vision or any kind of long term plan. They simply want to secure their election or re-election. Then, they can get back to the job of having no idea.
Muskoka has been electing mainstream Liberal/Conservative members forever. I hoped to remain conservative, but this is nowhere near my type of government and has availed this district little..
Think I’ll be like our lawn this spring, and come up a little ‘green’. Don’t try to tell me that’s a waste.
Just look around.
A decent viewpoint and well-expressed, Mr. Mackenzie; I can understand your concerns and no doubt you will provide a watchdog eye on the unfolding events.
However, the Lib-NDP connection is of no surprise with the unite-the-right outcomes. In fact, I would say, it is about time.
Canada’s socialist historical roots are not from a Communist base (as those Conservative MP’s ignorant of this fact have expressed) – but rather from a Christian social gospel ideology. It may have been a Tommy Douglas (NDP, Saskatchewan Premier, Baptist minister) advocating & instituting publicly run medicare/hosptial care, but it was a policy supported and funded in Canada by Progressive Conservative Prime Minister John Diefenbaker (WWI vet, Lawyer, grew up in both Ontario and Saskatchewan). In addition, Liberal Prime Minister Lester Pearson (WWI vet, Modern History Academic, Canadian diplomatic core, External Affairs) also forwarded these goals.
There is no question that Trudeau was elected. So by definition not a dictator. However his actions are very self centred.
He flaunted the law in the SNC Lavalin affaire. Then got rid of the Attorney General who opposed his actions.
Next theWE situation he blatantly gave a huge contract to friends, This was washed under the carpet.
Fortunately he has a marvellous propaganda machine in the form of the CBC , CTV ,The Toronto Star..
Next is this a coalition government. No. The NDP will be gone the second Trudeau believes he can get by with out them.
Yes we are a socialist country. It is not totally socialist or it would have failed. Governments do not create wealth they redistribute it.
On the subject of the convoy, is there a double standard? It is OK for indigenous people to camp on parliament hill, block Via rail, various logging roads. There were no emergency measures. Black Lives Matter a movement originating in the USA was welcomed by Trudeau.
We have a leader who thinks Castro was a great man. Maybe the questions you received Hugh when you were travelling are not as absurd as you think.
Many centrist, business friendly Liberals are even more outraged by this alliance than Conservatives are. One of them is David Herle, who worked for both Paul Martin and Kathleen Wynne.On his podcast recently, Herle bemoaned the fact that Michael Ignatieff and Stephane Dion both weakened the Liberal party so badly with their poor leadership, that out of desperation the Liberals turned to a person who was so poorly fit for the job. Herle maintains that Trudeau’s push to the left is setting the Liberal party, and Canada up for disaster. Some of the possible scenarios is both Quebec and Western separation. The centrist Liberal party has successfully governed Canada for 70 of the past 100 years. This new “Trudeau party” will be remembered at best as a mistake, and at worst as a great shame and disgrace. It is time for centrists among the Liberals and Conservatives to fight back and regain control. Otherwise it is likely that our grandchildren will be Americans, or else impoverished citizens of the country of “Ontario”