The Pearson Centre for Progressive Policy

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A time for Fundamental Debates (Cardozo)

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August 18, 2021

A time for Fundamental Debates (Cardozo)

By Andrew Cardozo

Election 2021: a time for some fundamental debates more than ever before

An early summer election has got to be more about who’s going to win with a minority or a majority.
The last two years has seen governments step up to help Canadians like never before. We have seen governments at all levels being there to help Canadians in new and innovative ways, seeing us through a national emergency, the likes of which we have never seen.

So where do we go from here?
Over recent decades we have seen a growing view that government needed to be out of the way while the economy and much of society needed to be led by the private sector and individual Canadians. Then came the Corona Virus and turned that all on its head. Suddenly, government was the one institution that could hold society together, protect Canadians and save the private sector from annihilation. Government saved business in spades.

But it may be safe to say that government can be a victim of its own success.
Most Canadians faced some level of hardship, some a reduction of income, a loss of jobs, kids schooling at home, seniors alone in long term care homes, among others. Difficult, often heart breaking, but…..but, it could have even been a lot worse. A lot.

It would have been monumentally catastrophic and very widely so if government had not been there as the legendary safety net. Throwing open the coffers like never before. So efficient was it, that most Canadians were not forced to think deeply about how bad things could have been. We were not forced to the edge of the abyss. And so as we begin recovery, it is easy to forget and rush to get back to the old normal. That comfortable place.

Alternately, we can take a good hard look at what flaws the pandemic revealed, and to build back better, or build a more perfect union, choose your slogan. Despite the devastation of Covid, the confluence of various major issues has been notable. Some have said – the Covid pandemic met the health care pandemic, the economic pandemic, the climate change pandemic and the racism pandemic. That’s a lot of pandemics at one time.

But here’s the thing. Rather than despairing, we can see this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to re-think a lot about our society and make it a lot better for all. At the least we need to try on all fronts.

These are the issues we should be looking at:
• The future of work. As technology advances, can more people work from home and what are the implications? What will that mean for where people live, and what is the future of the centralized workplace, the office?
• Technology. How do we train people to keep up with technology, beyond just working remotely? Room for life long learning.
• The gig economy. As more people work on their own, how do we train all workers to be entrepreneurs, and should we provide them the benefits of a fulltime job?
• Inequality. Whether gender, racial or Indigenous inequality, what can we do to bring down barriers that inhibit individuals and hamper their overall participation in the economy and society? How do we effectively combat racism and sexism? Is there the national will to advance reconciliation.
• Basic Income. What can we learn from the experience of CERB and other Covid-era supports to advance a more secure and stable workforce?
• Seniors care. Much to learn from what was so tragically highlighted in all forms of seniors care and housing. What will do for this field with a rapidly ageing society.
• Childcare. At last this has moved from being “just a women’s issue” where it was constantly ignored, to being an essential economic policy
• Climate change. An issue that took a backseat to Covid, but just as Covid is winding down (hopefully) we are seeing searing heat, wild fires and rising seas like never before.
• Housing. A range of policies are needed to counter the extreme lack of housing for Canadians who want to rent or buy.

This may seem like a long shopping list, but these are the issues that can allow us to fundamentally improve a pretty good thing we have going in Canada, making amends for historical inequality, building structural improvements to our economy and society.

We have to talk about the role of government. Is it a force for good or a burden to be avoided? Do we care about those less fortunate than ourselves or should they just work harder and get over it?
Calling all federal parties. Speak up now or forever hold your peace!

Andrew Cardozo is president of the Pearson Centre.
A version of this column appeared in the Hill Times, August 29, 2021.