From the Editor / L. Ian MacDonald

Welcome to our issue on the new Parliament which, interms of MPs by party affiliation, looks almost identical to the old one. So, what was that all about? It was about a campaign that cost $600 million, and produced another minority government. 

A prime minister who asked for a majority to “build back better” after the pandemic was told to go back to work with the opposition. A humbling experience for Justin Trudeau, except that at the end of the day, a win is a win, and he’s still in office.

An election the voters clearly didn’t want resulted in the fifth minority government in the last seven elections, beginning in 2004. Maybe that’s the new normal.

To look at all this, we’ve brought together an exceptional group of writers, whose expertise speaks to the high standards of discussion of politics and public policy in Canada.

We begin with Kevin Page, head of the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD), and previously Canada’s first Parliamentary Budget Officer. With an assist from Jiayu Li and Xuan Liu, economics students at University of Ottawa, Page asks: “If building back better is the goal, how can political leaders and policy makers use the light from the cracks to take us to a more equitable, sustainable promised land?”

The dynamic duo of Kevin Lynch and Paul Deegan write that we need to move beyond “the fierce partisanship, centralized control, short-termism and inadequate committee resources that characterized the last few parliaments.”

Tom Axworthy sees the opportunity in this minority House, based on recent minority parliaments, and even more from his own experience as a young aide during the Pearson years from 1963-68 “regarded as the Golden Age of minority governments.” Lester B. Pearson’s Liberals partnered with the NDP to give Canada universal health care, the Canada-Quebec Pension Plan, and the Canadian flag, among other enduring policy achievements.

Lori Turnbull looks at ways of making this House work and observes: “Whether they like it or not, the parties are stuck with each other in this minority Parliament for a while.” Columnist Don Newman looks at Canada’s foreign policy in the context of western allies responding to economic, intelligence and military challenges posed by the Communist regime in Beijing.

And then our cover package looks at “The Parties—Leadership and Issues” in the wake of the campaign. Former NDP president Brian Topp considers his party’s eternal dilemma. “Given the choice between two liberal parties,” he notes, “voters will choose the real one, as they did in 2015.” Yet Jagmeet Singh, despite gaining only one additional seat, “remains Canada’s best-liked and best-regarded federal leader, by far.”

Conservative strategists Geoff Norquay and Yaroslav Baran say “Tories must be governed by a clear-eyed analysis of what worked in the recent election, what didn’t, and what must be adjusted in the future.” Leader Erin O’Toole faces opposition to his leadership from social conservatives, with Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party of Canada bleeding Conservative votes on the right.

And John Delacourt, former head of Liberal research, writes that, instead of a “mandate as transformative as the New Deal,” Trudeau has been reduced to a “recitation of platform commitments from a Pyrrhic victory.” Still, he sees progress on a progressive policy agenda.

In Canada and the World, Jeremy Kinsman offers his thoughts on the prospects for a revival of American leadership in a world facing the rise of China. And in a letter from the United Nations, Canadian Ambassador Bob Rae also sees China on an agenda of global challenges, including COVID and climate change.

Looking ahead to the holidays, we offer book reviews of interesting new Canadian titles.

Historica Canada’s Anthony Wilson-Smith looks at Peter Mansbridge’s Off the Record, his “often compassionate, always engaging” memoir of a life in broadcasting. James Baxter enjoyed Aislin’s Favourite Covid Cartoons, a collection from Terry Mosher of editorial cartoons from Canada and around the world. Wilson-Smith also looks at Talking to Canadians: A Memoir from comedian Rick Mercer. And Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard offers high praise for A Matter of Equality: The Life’s Work of a Senator, a memoir from Don Oliver, Canada’s first Black senator.

Finally, a note of tribute to Monica Thomas, our graphic designer since the beginning of Policy nine years ago. Monica is entirely responsible for the distinctive look of our magazine and website. The print edition is something you want to hold, while the online version stands out. This issue marks Monica stepping back to retirement, as she says, to a life of sailing, hiking and other pursuits outdoors with her husband, Pat Klassen. But she’s agreed to advise us occasionally as a design consultant, and she leaves with our enduring friendship and deep gratitude.