GORDON WILSON – Trudeau’s been the main target of his rivals, May, Singh and Scheer, who have been relentless and personal in their efforts to point out this man’s imperfections

There is only one outcome in this federal election that makes any sense to me and that is to restore a majority Liberal government in Ottawa.

Why?

Because Canada will only survive as a nation if we recognize that this country, Canada, is greater than the sum of its parts.

The practice of politics and the electoral process has vastly improved as more progressive social values shape our selection dynamic.

And yet, this election campaign has been centered around issues that cater to limited special interest groups, provincial premiers and, in the largest urban centers, an attitude of “what’s in it for me?”.

This is unfortunate, because we have a broad cross-section of Canadian society represented by many really talented candidates who have stepped forward seeking the honour of elected office.

I am sure that most are sincere in their appeal for your vote.

But in their effort to gain that coveted seat in Parliament, you should push back when they say that they want to represent “your interests” in Ottawa.

A strong Canadian nation governed by its Constitution, and protective of individual rights and freedoms as spelled out in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, advances and protects all our interests.

What exactly are those interests?

The right of a federal government to implement national programs that advance the interests of all Canadians and is not held hostage by pugnacious provincial authorities, foreign-funded interest groups, and a minority populace of hyphenated Canadians who somehow think their special interests should get priority when demanding government attention, and that the state and the tax payers who support it, owes them whatever it is they deem they need.

Elizabeth May and the Greens, suggest that their particular response to the climate crisis represents your interest.

May would have us believe that a fundamental restructuring of our national economy which will, in the short term at least, result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of high paying jobs, is in your interest because new, as yet unspecified, jobs will result from the “single greatest economic opportunity of our time”; the climate crisis.

Jagmeet Singh, performed well in the national debates and comes across as a personable fellow who cares greatly for every Canadian and who is going to “work for you”... that is, provided you don’t mind him spending massive deficits, doubling the national debt and provided you support his planned assault on the earned wealth of high-income Canadians from whom he plans to take money to give to “Canadians who need it”.

When Singh smiles into the television camera and says I am going to be working for you, he isn’t talking to Canadians who earn more that $100,000 per year.

And when he suggests that he will permit the premiers veto power over national projects and give them ability to protect provincial statues that deny minority rights, he isn’t speaking to those Canadians who believe in a strong constitutionally founded national government that has a broader interest than those exhibited by parochial provincial politicians.

Andrew Scheer’s solution to almost every problem is to get rid of Justin Trudeau, leaving us to our imagination as to what exactly he would do for Canada should he be given a mandate to succeed him.

To be sure, Scheer has brought forward a number of policy initiatives that reinstates a fairly substantial part of the economic and tax programs of past Prime Minister Stephen Harper, which is odd considering Canadians so soundly rejected those initiatives four years ago.

And so, we come to, Justin Trudeau.

As the incumbent, Trudeau has been the main target of his rivals, May, Singh and Scheer, who have been relentless and personal in their efforts to point out this man’s imperfections.

What makes Trudeau stand out from the others in this election is his steadfast commitment to Canada as a strong federal state.

In the English Leader’s debate, he was the only person on stage to take on Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet, by defending Quebecers as Canadians and was the only leader to clearly state his opposition to and potential action against Bill 21 which strips minority rights in that province.

Trudeau is also the only leader who has stepped forward with concrete action to build infrastructure that will allow Canadian product to reach Asian markets and thus remove the strangle hold the Americans currently have on our raw materials.

Ironically, standing up for Canadian interests and defending Canadian values might have made his government vulnerable in this election because his rivals have tapped into regionally organized and funded campaigns that give weight to those parochial provincial political ambitions over the interests of Canada, and Canadians as a whole.

May’s opposition to the Trans Mountain Pipeline has caused friction with Singh in British Columbia as they struggle to demonstrate to a segment of BC urban and Vancouver Island voters just who is more “green”

 

(L to R) Elizabeth May, Andrew Scheer, and Jagmeet Singh

Singh’s discomfort during the federal English leader’s debate was palpable when faced with the obvious contradiction of his passion to protect minority rights in every province except Quebec.

And Andrew Scheer has been unabashed in his stumping with Conservative Premiers to gain provincial electoral favour in a combined effort against a national carbon tax that is critical to the ongoing effort to meet national carbon emission targets.

If we are to believe the public opinion poll projections, this is a very close election. Pundits tweet, post and speak on TV to a variety of possible scenarios that may result from the October 21st vote.

When I look at the mess over a looming Brexit crisis in Britain today, or witness the farce that passes as American Federal politics, my faith in the wisdom of voters is severely tested.

Canada is one of the most stable, well governed countries in the world. So, let’s NOT do a Joni Mitchell… “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone”.

Gordon Wilson is a writer and business consultant who served as an elected MLA from 1991 -2001.  During that time, he held several cabinet posts including Minister of Forests, Aboriginal Affairs and Minister of Finance. He has consulted widely matters pertaining to the Canadian resource economy, and the Canadian Constitution. He currently lives on a small sheep farm in Powell River.