Election promises are the Hallmark of any political party, but so are the disappointments once they make it into office.
By Dami Igbinyemi
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will address the nation on Sunday evening to outline the reason his government has chosen to send Canadians to the polls in the middle of a pandemic. The Trudeau Liberals currently have 157 of the 170 seats needed to form a majority in the House of Commons making them a minority government. This means that to pass any meaningful legislation, the Liberals must collaborate with other parties. History has shown, minority governments rarely last, and the current administration is no different.
The Liberal Party has been in power since 2015; it won a majority government in that same year and was reduced to a minority government in the 2019 election. Their top priorities heading into the fall election are more money for middle-class families, real action toward the climate crisis, and stronger gun control. Their platform focuses on building a stronger middle class, investing in middle-class jobs, protecting the environment, and moving the Canadian economy forward, building a stronger Canada, building a better future with Indigenous peoples, and securing Canada’s place in the world.
The Conservative Party of Canada governed Canada from 2006 to 2015 with Stephen Harper as their first leader. The Conservative Party wants to help rebuild the economy and provide a better future for all Canadians by providing new jobs to replace the ones lost due to the pandemic, create a new Anti-Corruption Law to allow accountability and secure mental health through Canada’s Mental Health Action Plan.
Bloc Québécois is a political party in Canada that only represents Quebec. The party was stripped of their official party status in the election of 2011 and 2015 but came back strong for the 2019 election with 32 seats. Bloc Québécois is only focused on the independence of Quebec. Their Priorities are climate change, international trade reform, promotion of multilateralism, fight against tax havens, and Quebec’s authority concerning its jurisdiction.
The New Democratic Party of Canada currently holds 24 seats in the House of Commons and had a disastrous election in 2019. The party’s loss of 20 seats puts current leader Jagmeet Singh in the hot seat. Their platform consists of making everyday life more affordable for people, building a better economy that works for everyone, tackle the climate emergency, strengthening public health care, reconciliation with Indigenous communities, and building stronger communities.
The Green Party of Canada currently holds 3 seats in the House of Commons, an increase from the previous election of 1 seat. Their platform focuses on reconciliation with Indigenous people, addressing the climate emergency, transitioning to a green economy, educating people on ecology, renewing the social contrast involving health care and education, and international relations and defence. The Party has lost credibility and lack of focus with the airing of their party’s differences out in the public and within the courts.
Though it is uncertain whether or not the promises will be kept by these political parties, these promises are the foundations of the parties’ campaigns. Regardless of who wins, it is the responsibility of citizens to hold politicians to these promises. If politicians cannot do what they based their platform on, they do not deserve to be in office.
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