This election was unwanted and inconclusive. Ultimately, only one take-away from the wasteful exercise emerged: this country desperately needs new political ideas..There were no winners. Everyone lost. Justin Trudeau didn’t get his majority. .Erin O’Toole’s gambit to move the Conservatives to the left reaped no rewards, and left significant numbers of otherwise Conservative voters out in the cold. .Singh — seen as the up-and-coming star — received few new votes or seats. .Quebec Premier François Legault’s power play fizzled. Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet’s indignation at calling out Quebec’s race-based legislation changed little at the ballot box in the end. .The People’s Party caught the COVID-19 related rage, but failed to elect any MPs. .The Maverick Party’s dream of a Western regionalist bloc received scant attention. .Everyone lost. .They lost because they missed the mark. The public wanted something new in the campaign. However, nothing new was forthcoming; nothing captured the public’s imagination. There were no new ideas. .Instead, the electorate was subjected to the same old political garble from the past. The three main parties rushed to use our money (or our grandchildren’s money) to buy our votes; each desperately tried to out-bid the others. They stumbled over each other to appease Quebec above all. .The electorate also got a healthy dose of American-style politics. The Liberals pulled out “gun control” and abortion, issues that play well in the US, but are not contested here between the main parties. They and the NDP sought and received endorsements from big political names from America. They assumed it would once again create awe in their Canadian voters. US style anti-establishment demonstrations only served to shift momentum back to Trudeau. .Even the independence and nationalist movements turned out to be duds. After 50-plus years, Quebec nationalism has become an industry, rather than a political movement. The passion is all gone. All that remains is a constant threat and demand to get as much from the other parties in confederation as possible. The attempt was bland and made little difference. .Western independence — or even regionalism — was largely ignored. It wasn’t addressed. It wasn’t resolved, and it didn’t catch fire with voters. Perhaps it was eclipsed by the immediacy of the pandemic, particularly as Alberta suffered the fourth wave. The Maverick Party tactically floundered, dulling its distinctions with the Tories. .We need new political ideas. .We need something that reflects who Canadians really are. Something that’s built upon the strengths of the country and the people. We can dwell on our failures —residential schools, continued indifference to Western alienation — or we can build on our successes. Consider our over-sized contribution to support freedom in the Second World War, the historically enlightened treatment of the francophone community after the victory of the British at the Plains of Abraham, the unifying desire not to be American, or the fact that we collectively chose to make treaties and not war when Canada expanded across the great northern plains. .Where are the ideas that unite us and bring out the best in us? Divisive and adversarial tactics imported from the US and Europe only serve the selfish interests of the political elite, not our nation and not the people. .Everyone lost in this election because the electorate was left feeling hollow. The real issue of building a new nation was not addressed. How can we build a country that respects our unique character, our indigenous roots, the strength of our diversity, and the power that is inherent in this majestic land? .Canadians want something to get excited about, new ideas and new solutions. .Randy Royer is a Columnist for the Western Standard
This election was unwanted and inconclusive. Ultimately, only one take-away from the wasteful exercise emerged: this country desperately needs new political ideas..There were no winners. Everyone lost. Justin Trudeau didn’t get his majority. .Erin O’Toole’s gambit to move the Conservatives to the left reaped no rewards, and left significant numbers of otherwise Conservative voters out in the cold. .Singh — seen as the up-and-coming star — received few new votes or seats. .Quebec Premier François Legault’s power play fizzled. Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet’s indignation at calling out Quebec’s race-based legislation changed little at the ballot box in the end. .The People’s Party caught the COVID-19 related rage, but failed to elect any MPs. .The Maverick Party’s dream of a Western regionalist bloc received scant attention. .Everyone lost. .They lost because they missed the mark. The public wanted something new in the campaign. However, nothing new was forthcoming; nothing captured the public’s imagination. There were no new ideas. .Instead, the electorate was subjected to the same old political garble from the past. The three main parties rushed to use our money (or our grandchildren’s money) to buy our votes; each desperately tried to out-bid the others. They stumbled over each other to appease Quebec above all. .The electorate also got a healthy dose of American-style politics. The Liberals pulled out “gun control” and abortion, issues that play well in the US, but are not contested here between the main parties. They and the NDP sought and received endorsements from big political names from America. They assumed it would once again create awe in their Canadian voters. US style anti-establishment demonstrations only served to shift momentum back to Trudeau. .Even the independence and nationalist movements turned out to be duds. After 50-plus years, Quebec nationalism has become an industry, rather than a political movement. The passion is all gone. All that remains is a constant threat and demand to get as much from the other parties in confederation as possible. The attempt was bland and made little difference. .Western independence — or even regionalism — was largely ignored. It wasn’t addressed. It wasn’t resolved, and it didn’t catch fire with voters. Perhaps it was eclipsed by the immediacy of the pandemic, particularly as Alberta suffered the fourth wave. The Maverick Party tactically floundered, dulling its distinctions with the Tories. .We need new political ideas. .We need something that reflects who Canadians really are. Something that’s built upon the strengths of the country and the people. We can dwell on our failures —residential schools, continued indifference to Western alienation — or we can build on our successes. Consider our over-sized contribution to support freedom in the Second World War, the historically enlightened treatment of the francophone community after the victory of the British at the Plains of Abraham, the unifying desire not to be American, or the fact that we collectively chose to make treaties and not war when Canada expanded across the great northern plains. .Where are the ideas that unite us and bring out the best in us? Divisive and adversarial tactics imported from the US and Europe only serve the selfish interests of the political elite, not our nation and not the people. .Everyone lost in this election because the electorate was left feeling hollow. The real issue of building a new nation was not addressed. How can we build a country that respects our unique character, our indigenous roots, the strength of our diversity, and the power that is inherent in this majestic land? .Canadians want something to get excited about, new ideas and new solutions. .Randy Royer is a Columnist for the Western Standard
