blueprint

Thursday September 23, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday September 23, 2021

Trudeau didn’t win the majority but still has chance to pass sweeping legislation

Justin Trudeau went into Monday’s federal election with one of the world’s highest Covid-19 vaccination rates, billions spent on pandemic aid and the hope that he could convert the earned goodwill into a majority government.

September 21, 2021

He fell short of that aim: after a 36-day campaign and a C$610m election, the makeup of parliament remained largely unchanged, with the Liberals holding roughly 158 seats – short of the 170 needed for a majority.

The Liberals received a smaller share of the popular vote than any other winning party in the country’s history – suggesting the prime minister’s popularity is waning, despite his party’s electoral advantages. And while the math in parliament remained largely the same, three of Trudeau’s cabinet ministers didn’t win re-election.

Trudeau will be forced to navigate a parliament that he needs to woo in order to survive. But it may yet give him the rare opportunity to pass sweeping, legacy-defining legislation.

When he called the election in mid August, Trudeau was asked about his future as party leader if the Liberals once again fell short of majority government. Trudeau declined to answer, but said that more work was required on crucial issues such as child-care and housing, adding that he is “nowhere near done yet”.

Making his victory speech early on Tuesday, Trudeau showed no sign that he intends to step down, telling supporters that Liberals had won a “clear mandate” from the public to pursue sweeping policy initiatives.

October 23, 2019

“I think retiring from politics would be the furthest thing from Justin Trudeau’s mind right now … it’s a four-year mandate unless the government is bought down,” Gerry Butts, Trudeau’s longtime friend and former adviser told CBC News.

Despite falling short of his goal, Trudeau is unlikely to experience as severe a backlash from his own party as that facing the Conservative leader.

Erin O’Toole ran a centrist campaign, hoping to pick off disaffected Liberal voters who might otherwise be put off by a socially conservative leader.

But the gambit failed, and the party made no electoral gains, prompting questions about how long O’Toole can stay in power.

May 15, 2021

Still, Trudeau – who ran in 2015 as a progressive candidate with promises to upend the status quo – must increasingly contend with the reality of politics: as the incumbent, he bears the weight of his government’s successes – and failures.

“Even if this election hadn’t happened, he’s been prime minister for six years – and there’s only so long you can be in power before voter fatigue sets in,” said Lori Turnbull, a professor of political science at Dalhousie University.

The Liberals pledged big spending initiatives, including affordable, $C10 per day child care across the country – a plan the Conservatives had said they would scrap if elected. And Trudeau’s climate plans have won plaudits from economists and were called “bold and thoughtful” by a former top Green party leader.

Federal Election 2021

While the parliamentary math remains largely unchanged, Trudeau has the opportunity to pass key legislation with the help of Jagmeet Singh and his left-wing New Democrats, who hold the balance of power.

The NDP spent millions on the campaign and has little appetite to head back to the polls, suggesting Trudeau has a cushion of votes to keep him in power for the coming years.

“If he’s willing to work with Singh, he can be prime minister who delivers a national childcare program, and be the one who delivers a real plan in place on climate change – something that has the support of multiple parties,” said Turnbull. (The Guardian) 

 

Wednesday August 11, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday August 11, 2021

Get set for a Ford reversal about vaccine passports

Pressure is growing — pretty much daily — on the Ontario government to mandate vaccine passports, or at least some form of vaccine certificate. 

April 29, 2021

So far, Premier Doug Ford and his ministers remain adamant they won’t go there. But that is exactly what Ford said about paid sick days and we all remember what happened on that front. Public pressure from just about every quarter eventually forced Ford to reverse himself. Yes, he tried to blame the federal government, but the truth is he should have yielded to widespread calls for paid sick days long before he eventually buckled.

It says here, along with many other pulpits of punditry, that Ford will end up doing the same thing on vaccine passports. He won’t have a choice.

Not everyone agrees that passports (or a certificate) are essential. Respected co-medical director of infection control at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Dr. Zain Chagla, has said there are a “litany of ethical and legal privacy issues” that are “difficult to wrangle within that context.” (He does support a vaccine passport being implemented for international travel.) Chagla says he has nothing against passports, but doubts they will succeed as a standalone measure, without other measures like raising vaccination rates also at play.

July 21, 2021

Fair enough. Credible voices should be heard. But a growing chorus is calling for passports/certificates. The Ontario Medical Association and the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario support them. All Ontario’s opposition parties agree. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) backs the idea. Manitoba has issued vaccination cards and Quebec just announced it will introduce passports. 

Even the Ontario Chamber of Commerce — not exactly an advocate of state intervention — agrees.

In an interview with Torstar’s Rob Ferguson, chamber president Rocco Rossi said: “The last thing anyone wants is to be shut down, but that’s what will happen if we don’t use every tool in the tool kit … It’s about mitigating risk as much as possible. We are going to be living with this for a while.”

With respect to credible dissenters, we think the majority is right on this subject. Vaccine passports are no panacea, but they are one more arrow in the quiver as we get set to fight it out with a fourth wave.

Passports would allow those who are fully vaccinated to come closer to a normal life. They would allow vaccinated patrons and staff at places like restaurants and gyms to feel safer and more likely to take part in a robust economic recovery. Proof of vaccination would allow businesses and institutions (concert venues and the like) to only allow fully vaccinated people (or those with a negative test) to take part. Conversely, fully vaccinated patrons could choose to avoid businesses and institutions that do not have proof of vaccine requirements. 

March 11, 2021

To a point, that will happen regardless of whether the government does this or not. But leaving it to individual businesses and organizations is a recipe for inconsistency and possibly disaster. The government must do it to ensure a level playing field. 

Premier Ford, sadly, does not agree. He has said a “hard no” to reconsidering the idea, insisting it will create a “split society.” 

But if you want proof that is just deflection, consider that Ford also says the federal government should implement proof of vaccination requirements. So it’s clear Ford’s ideological objection to passports/certificates are not particularly strong, he just doesn’t want to be the one to do it. Too bad. The feds will need to be involved from the international travel perspective, but pandemic management is a provincial responsibility. Ford cannot continue to duck his on this issue. (Hamilton Spectator Editorial)