Canada’s culture does not match its leadership. The divide between the average Canadian and those who fill the halls of Parliament is growing further and further part. The Prime Minister’s ethics have heightened political polarities, resulting in a push towards Canadian populism and conservatism.
Trudeau presented himself as average Canadian who just wanted what everyone else wanted – competent, commonsense people running the country.
The separation of thought between the leftists who make up Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s rank and file and the average Canadian, whose politics lean center-right, is not good news for his Liberal Party.
Before the age of Trump and Brexit, Canada ended its 11-year-relationship with Conservative leadership under Stephen Harper. Although by most accounts the former Prime Minister steadied the course during the recession years, this did not appeal to the youth vote (which saw huge increases in turnout), favouring a more progressive approach, resulting in a wide gap in support for ages 18-29 between the Liberal and Conservatives.
Exit polls showed vote switching stemming from a promise of infrastructure spending and the Conservatives stance on Niqabs. The overall highest voting issue however, was simply a ‘Need for a Change in Ottawa’.
With Trudeau, the public was initially glad to have a politician that spoke about investments for the future, into jobs and Canada’s crumbling infrastructure and transit sectors. He wasn’t a stuffy old man in a suit, warning us of the dangers of marijuana. And that’s not all – he promised a more transparent and honest leadership.
Trudeau presented himself as average Canadian who just wanted what everyone else wanted – competent, commonsense people running the country.
But what Trudeau promised; a balanced budget, better infrastructure...he could not deliver.
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Justin Trudeau, Creative Commons[/caption]
Peaceful rebellion against Trudeau’s regime is taking place on social media instead.
It tends to be the privileged youth of the country, as expected, that are most willing to abandon classical liberal beliefs of their parents and cast their votes leftward.
Average Canadians, tucked away in the north, whose politics seem irrelevant to the despots who run Big Tech companies, have thus far flown under the radar.
There are no high-profile bans, and few attempts to de-platform louder voices on Canada’s right.
The loudest outbursts come from a few AntiFa-driven protests of the psychologist Jordan Peterson, whose stance on political correctness rubs the woke brigade the wrong way.
Admittedly, Canada is farther left than America, so even its Conservative Party does not align entirely with that of its counterparts in the GOP. However, it’s not as far-left as the ruling parties of France or Germany either. For example, new polls show Canadians want fewer refugees, and more skilled-labour immigration.
The monolith of cosmopolitan thought predominantly exist in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. The rest of the country remains politically diverse, which keeps the country grounded. Most Canadians are willing to give new parties a try, but quick to vote them out if they don’t live up to expectations.
A stream of well-earning immigrants from the Caribbean, India, Korea, and China doesn't necessarily bring an automatic vote for the liberal party. Chinese communities have dug their heels in against illegal border-crossing, while Indian-Canadians are seeing a problem with Trudeau’s friendliness to alleged Sikh-extremists.
It tends to be the privileged youth of the country, as expected, that are most willing to abandon classical liberal beliefs of their parents and cast their votes leftward.
And that's exactly what is happening.
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Justin Trudeau, Creative Commons[/caption]
Demands for wokeness are pushing young voters further left to the New Democratic Party (NDP); a party of forced outcomes and social justice.
A perception of being deserving of power is perhaps Justin Trudeau's downfall.
Classical liberals and right-leaning citizens have joined either the Conservatives, or the new People's Party of Canada.
Liberals have been on such a sharp decline they didn't even garner enough seats to retain official party status in the province of Ontario, resulting in loss of funding for research and staff salaries.
Of Canada's 10 provinces, seven center-right or conservative leaders have been elected since 2016, with only 2 liberals on the east holding onto power, the remaining being an NDP leader.
A perception of being deserving of power is perhaps Justin Trudeau's downfall.
Exposing himself as too far left for most people, and not far enough for others, Trudeau’s party has chosen to forget liberal principles like free speech (Motion 103), while abandoning promises of a balanced budget and better infrastructure; promises that possibly were never meant to be kept. The result, a disintegrating voter base and a push towards conservative populism.
Andrew Says is a political commentator & freelance writer whom has garnered millions of online views through his remarks and analysis on Canadian & US politics. With a background in Public Relations and Radio Broadcasting, he is a regular man-on-the-street interviewer and online-personality.
