We are entering a potentially very worrisome time in our history. Recently, Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has stated that he will resign as Liberal Party Leader and Prime Minister of Canada after a new Liberal Leader is selected. With this being the case, the function of parliament will be disrupted - meaning that the ‘work’ of parliament has been shut down or prorogued until March 24, 2025. This will allow time for the Liberal party to come up with a new leader, who will be sworn in as Prime Minister. The Liberal Party currently has a minority government, and the other parties have stated that they will “ bring the government down” by initiating a non-confidence motion, which will defeat the current government. If this is the case, then the current government will be dissolved, and a federal election will soon follow.

Does this all sound confusing? Or maybe you really don’t care?

Confusion would result from not understanding how our government/ political system works. Why does it matter, you ask? Well, I presume most of us would want a “friendly” government governing our country. By friendly, I mean that it is there to support the people. For example, by ensuring that there is a healthy tax base, being aware of wealth distribution. More importantly, the government must be aware of the people’s and the country’s needs - needs like reducing poverty, adequate funding for education, infrastructure (e.g. roads, water treatment), laws, policies, guidelines, regulations, police and emergency services, and so on.

And, yes, you should care, because if an election is called, the current polls tell us that the Conservative Party, with its leader Pierre Poilievre would win. Now, that is the worrisome part! I think that it is fair to compare Pierre Poilievre to Donald Trump. Under his government, we will be led by someone who is very right-wing, who will cut taxes and as a result cut back on social programs, and distribute more wealth to the wealthy. He will be supported by far-right Evangelical churches and may ban same-sex marriages, restrict abortion, and/or advocate for banning of books in schools. He calls safe injections sites “drug dens”. He wants to “axe the tax,” but never speaks about the climate change crisis and how he would decrease greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, he called people concerned about climate change “environmental loons that hate our energy”. Now, if you don’t want to take my word for it, take time to look up a number of columns written by Deveryn Ross in the Brandon Sun about Pierre Poilievre.

In contrast, while the Liberals have been in power, some of the programs and policies introduced were: 1) Canada Child Benefit, 2) Housing Accelerator Funds, 3) dental care for low-income Canadians, 4) $10 per day childcare, 5) methane regulations, Carbon Tax, and greenhouse gas emission caps, 6) a focus on Indigenous reconciliation, and 7) a new tax bracket on the top 1% - incomes over $200 000 were taxed at a rate of 33%.

Once again, these and many other “friendly” policies and programs were implemented while the Liberals have been in power. For those that don’t like Justin Trudeau - he will be gone soon, but the party stays.

SO! Let’s look to have a stronger turn-out for that upcoming election. Show that you care by exercising your right to vote, and show your civic pride by doing so!

Scott Blyth
83 Ashgrove Blvd, Brandon, MB, R7B1C7 (204) 573-3571