Canada’s recent election was won by Justin Trudeau who is the leader of the Liberal party in Canada. Like many people, you’re probably wondering why a Canadian election is such a big deal. Well the centre-left party jumped from only 36 seats in 2011 to 184 seats in 2015. In real terms, that would be the equivalent to the Liberal Democrats in the UK winning an election outright.
But it’s not just that which is the cause for this media coverage. It’s policy. The previous ruling party, The Conservative Party of Canada share more than a name with their UK counterparts. Being a low-tax, low-welfare led party, many parallels can be drawn with the British Conservative party. This makes the results even more astounding as the policies championed by Trudeau are the antithesis of the ideology held by the Conservatives:
- Cut income taxes for middle-class Canadians while increasing them for the wealthy
- Run deficits for three years to pay for infrastructure spending
- Do more to address environmental concerns over the controversial Keystone oil pipeline
- Take in more Syrian refugees, and pull out of bombing raids against Islamic State while bolstering training for Iraqi forces
- Legalise marijuana
For Justins Tredueas party to not only win, but win by quite a large amount speaks volumes on the stances Canadians take on social and political issues. But let’s be honest, why does this matter to the rest of the world?
Firstly, a large western country choosing to opt out of operations in Syria could affect other countires foreign policy. Similarly to French opposition to the invasion of Iraq, this policy could be said to have a impact on how the conflict will be viewed retrospectively. Also, Canada taking a humanitarian stance on the refugee crisis (despite the fact it doesn’t directly affect them) could set a precedent on how other countries react to the crisis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=wD5FAzvltpI
Successfully legalising marijuana could have a knock on effect on America and the UK as the Liberal Democrats are already pushing for decriminalisation, using Colorado and Washington (where cannabis has been fully legalised) as examples of how it can be successful.
Lastly, the left-leaning ethos of the party could serve as an example to other western nations of how higher taxes and increased spending can benefit an economy more so than austerity. This is particulary significant with the rise of prominent left-wing politicians Bernie Sanders of America and Jeremy Corbyn of the UK. Looking at Canada as a case study could prove to be hugely influential to the West and the UK.
Photos by BBC, Chuck Grimmet and Joseph Morris