Liberals about to learn how difficult it is to pursue policy while trying to ensure the trains run on time

OTTAWA—Well that was fun! As the carcass of the 43rd general election continues to be picked over in search of political ammunition or insight, it might be useful to step back and examine what actually happened and what, if anything, it might mean. There is a strong consensus that this election was one of the nastiest on record and there appears to be enough blame to go around. The messages and messengers were attacked with equal venom, and an unhealthy dose of misinformation was torqued through the Google machine to create a dog’s breakfast of negativity which any normal person would run away from. However, Canadians responded in a way that reflected the culture of the campaign; by not rewarding any party with a clear mandate. It was almost as if the Canadian voters were the disappointed parents and saw the election squabbling as a teaching moment and put the parties in one of those multiple-siblings-should-get-along T-shirts. Whether they like it or not, hug-it-out is the new screw you and agendas will only advance through cooperative efforts. In that regard, I think confirming the existence of irony could very well be the first major accomplishment of the new Parliament. In terms of the individual political parties, this campaign presented any number of challenges as they tried to act and react in an attempt to stay on some sort of message. The People’s Party of Canada apparently never told the people this was their party, with predictable results. The Greens came close to doubling their vote, but it did not transfer into seats. Their new relevance seemed to cause friction with the NDP and at times they looked and behaved more like a traditional party than in the past. I think the government should revisit the vote subsidy policy, as there must be way to ensure that legitimate, informed, and passionate voices are at the table. The NDP had a very interesting campaign and Jagmeet Singh was certainly one of the bright lights. Although the New Democrats lost seats, his late campaign composure helped them retain enough to potentially hold the balance of power going forward. The NDP is now both relevant and powerful, they literally made the best out of a bad situation. The Bloc did what the Bloc do, present a safe place for Quebecers to put their vote in times of uncertainty or indifference. The voters can use the threat of separation without actually committing to separation. Yves-François Blanchet was the right person at the right time and his debate performances fed his momentum. The Conservatives had a strong showing, increasing both their popular vote and their seat count, but I think they would view this election as a lost opportunity. If we ever needed a reminder that politics may not be fair, just watch the leadership review at their next convention. Finally, to the Liberals belong the spoils of victory, although in this case the spoils may be aptly named. Although they retained power, they should not confuse what happened with an electoral victory. When all the votes were counted, we end up a House, and a country, divided. The Liberals are about to learn how difficult it is to pursue policy while trying to ensure the trains run on time. A minority Parliament adds an extremely complex procedural layer on top over everything that occurs either in the Chamber or at committee. The executive branch will find out that their greatest resource is their caucus. The relationship between the whip and the backbench will be a critical component to the success, and length, of the Liberal mandate. Every day the House sits, the keeping of quorum, the defeating of dilatory motions, passing legislation, keeping committee agendas clear of nonsense and ensuring the government has enough money to continue operations will resemble the final scene in a Cirque de Soleil production. If politics is a team sport like hockey, then minority government politics is a team sport like mixed synchronized swimming with your in-laws. My advice to the government is that tone matters, whether it is with your caucus, the opposition, the Senate, or Canadians. Don’t worry about losing government worry about being government, as who ends up winning, or losing, the 43rd general election will only become clear through the lens of the 44th general election. Joe Jordan is a former Ontario Liberal MP and today a senior associate at Bluesky Strategy Group. The Hill Times

Liberals about to learn how difficult it is to pursue policy while trying to ensure the trains run on time

Whether the political parties like it or not, hug-it-out is the new screw you and agendas will only advance through cooperative efforts.

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Liberals about to learn how difficult it is to pursue policy while trying to ensure the trains run on time

Whether the political parties like it or not, hug-it-out is the new screw you and agendas will only advance through cooperative efforts.

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