The Pearson Centre for Progressive Policy

Progressive Dialogue and Policy for a Better Canada

IMAGINE, BETTER POLITICS IN CANADA!

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October 23, 2015

IMAGINE, BETTER POLITICS IN CANADA!

By

From Andrew Cardozo

This election was a huge win for progressive politics in Canada and for the Liberal Party and Justin Trudeau, but more than that it is about a fundamental change in our national culture. A change in how we do politics and how we describe who we are as a people and how we function as a society.

It is an end to winning by meanness and division and a rebirth of old-fashioned Canadian values of respect and working together within Canada and internationally.

We can really imagine focusing on positive over negative, hope over fear, unity over division. And we can imagine more….

1. Imagine a new kind of politics that treats opponents as neighbours and not the enemy to be crushed.
2. Imagine a government that does not regularly scare Canadians about the terrorism and danger facing all Canadians at all times.
3. Imagine a Canada that works on the world stage in a multi-lateral way working with as many countries as possible to build solutions.
4. Imagine a government where public servants can speak truth to power. That means they can advise government based on facts and evidence rather than on ideology, that scientists can speak of their findings and that we have a long-from census.
5. Imagine a government that understands that climate change is real, that time is fast running out for governments and societies to take serious measure domestically and internationally….and that will go to Paris
6. Imagine a government that does not attack and undermine the non-profit and charitable sector when they have different views from their own.
7. Imagine a Parliament that is elected though a system that is modern and reflects all voters in Parliament and where all political parties are treated with respect.
8. Imagine a Parliament that will repeal all those sections of C-51 that contravene Charter rights, and that will install Parliamentary oversight and place a sunset on national security policies; and will repeal C-24 which makes it all too easy to repeal citizenship of Canadians if they have dual citizenship, and will repeal all those sections of recent omnibus bills that decimated almost all environmental oversight of land and water.
9. Imagine a government that focuses on the Canadian public and the economy as a whole and does not focus on one successful sector only, hoping it will be the answer to all our economic woes.
10. Imagine a government that cares about Canadians and aims to bring them together in a national purpose, be they Indigenous Peoples, new immigrants, urban or rural dwellers, easterners or westerners, young or old, business or labour, within Canadian or abroad. Imagine that they cared for Canadians beyond their own political base.

It’s a tall order for a government to deliver all the great things we can imagine but we can imagine and expect and demand. Just imagine!