Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre lost Monday’s federal election because of U.S. President Donald Trump, whose madcap tariffs and musings of Canada becoming the 51st state galvanized Canadians. That enabled Liberal leader Mark Carney to bring about a historic turnaround for the Liberals. But 鈥
The more profound message of this election is the unmistakable assertion of the national zeitgeist that Canada is not the United States, that our historic reasons for defining ourselves as not American are more relevant than ever.
Unlike America, Canada is not broken. In fact, it is all-the-more cohesive for the realization that our strength lies in being who we鈥檝e always have been 鈥 compromisers for the common good. Not for us the Trumpian tribalism of Black and White, Us and Them, the endless internal warfare, and the drumbeat of polarization where half the population deems the other half as the enemy.
We ought also to celebrate that our parliamentary democracy works. Very well.
The transition from Justin Trudeau to Mark Carney was smooth. The election campaign wasn鈥檛 peppered with lies and conspiracy theories. Leaders and candidates debated serious issues seriously; ignoramuses were ignored, not glorified. Canadians elected Carney principally because of his gravitas.
The election itself, conducted by an independent federal commission, was efficient. No party tried to suppress votes. Billionaires couldn鈥檛 buy the politicians, let alone dream of taking the chainsaw to government; the best some of our rich could do was to buy full-page ads pleading with people to vote Conservative. No party questioned the veracity of the results. Poilievre聽and Jagmeet Singh were gracious losers. The premiers, even Danielle Smith of Alberta, promised Prime Minister Carney support in the trade war with the U.S.
The national consensus on immigration held, despite the tensions created by too many temporary workers. , the leading nativist, came fourth in his own riding in immigrant-averse Quebec. When Poilievre wanted to satiate the nativists among his base, he had to speak in code 鈥 promising 鈥渟ustainable immigration levels,鈥 and to 鈥渒eep the rate of population growth below the rate of housing, job growth and health care.鈥 Nice try.
The things that got Poilievre鈥檚 base so excited are the very things that did him in. In Canada, you win elections from the centre. That includes being civil, not nasty; being a uniter, not a divider.
Poilievre lost not just because he couldn鈥檛 pivot from being a Trump copier to a Trump critic; when he tried, he did it gingerly, given that a quarter of his Conservative base admires Trump. More to the point, he is, himself, in many ways聽Trumpian.
An attack dog, forever trash-talking opponents.
A creator of corny slogans: 鈥淐ar-ney tax.鈥
Self-absorbed, shunning people who could鈥檝e been useful to him 鈥 Premier Doug Ford, Quebec’s Jean Charest, Premier Tim Houston of Nova Scotia.聽
Most at home addressing rallies of adoring supporters. . Denying climate change. Promising to do away with carbon levies, freeing oil and gas industries from rules and regulations, rolling back the federal mandate on automakers to make electrical vehicles. The only thing missing was 鈥淒rill baby, drill.鈥
Promising to even reverse the ban on single-use plastic bags.
Demonizing mainstream media, happily wading in the cesspool of social media, which also happens to be a good tool for raising cash聽鈥斅$77 million in the last two years.
Undermining confidence in government and the country 鈥 everything is broken and only I can fix it.
Promising to slash taxes聽鈥斅 Slashing foreign aid. Ending 鈥渨oke-ism.鈥 Deporting 鈥渓aw-breaking newcomers.鈥 Signalling an anti-Palestinian witch-hunt, mischaracterizing their protests against the Israeli slaughter in Gaza as 鈥渉ate marches.鈥
And, like Trump, Poilievre can be shameless in his contradictions.
Posing as tough on law and order after having flirted with the law-breaking Truck Convoy on Parliament Hill, which is partly why he lost his own Ottawa area riding.
Railing against deficits for years only to present an election platform projecting deficits.
Demonizing the public sector but being on public payroll all his life and living in Stornoway mansion, the public housing for the leader of the opposition, in the upscale Rockcliffe area.
Trump won by being Trump. Poilievre lost trying to be Trump. That鈥檚 the difference between the United States and Canada.
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation