My Thoughts: Plot thickens on the political landscape

TRURO, N.S. — And the next election campaign begins!
As has often been said, the first job of any politician is to get re-elected, and in our current situation, that opportunity may come up sooner rather than later. Welcome to a new Liberal minority government.
I would like to extend my congratulations to all the candidates who ran in the 2019 federal election. It is not an easy thing putting yourself out there under public scrutiny and judgment in this increasing negatively-charged environment. 
Over the days and weeks to come, analysts and pundits will break down all the numbers for us, twisting and turning them to suit whatever message they want to portray, so my comments here are just a first kick at the can.
It turns out it was a smart move on the part of Justin Trudeau, who, in leading up to the 2015 election, promised to reform the electoral system in Canada. We know he was not long in office after that election when he broke his promise and dropped the whole electoral reform issue like a hot potato.  
How was this a smart move you ask? The answer is simple. In this 2019 election, more Canadians voted Conservative than Liberal, although in our current first-past-the-post electoral system, this did not turn into a majority of seats for the Conservative party.
The morning after this most recent election saw the party seat count stand as follows: Liberals 157, Conservatives 121, Bloc Quebecois 32, NDP 24, Green Party 3, and 1 Independent. This was big win for the BQ, an insufficient win for the Conservatives, and a slight win for the Green Party who increased their seat count by 50 per cent.
Ironically, the two parties that lost seats in this election are the Liberals, who will preside over a minority government, and the NDP, which Trudeau will have to court in order to retain his right to govern in the house.
I was pleased to see the Independent seat won by former Attorney General and Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, who was so unethically treated by Trudeau and the PMO, and who was eventually kicked out of the Liberal caucus by Trudeau. A strong, capable, indigenous woman, Ms. Wilson-Raybould will be a thorn in Trudeau’s side as the new Parliament convenes and will be a constant reminder in the House that power wielded unethically does not always prevail.
In the coming days, weeks, and months, you will hear that we are a country divided, so this poses a serious challenge for Trudeau’s new Liberal minority government. After being considerably spanked by the Canadian electorate, Trudeau has to find a way to mend fences and try to reconnect Canadians from coast to coast to coast. I do not believe he will be up to this task.
Given these current election results, Conservative leader Andrew Scheer and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh may be safe in their roles in the short term, as they both have vital roles to play. Singh gets the opportunity to prop up the new Liberal minority government, while Scheer is poised to offer a Conservative minority government should the Liberal minority be defeated in the House by a vote of non-confidence, which could very well happen.
Had the Liberals managed to gain even 14 more seats in the House, providing them with a 171-seat majority government, Scheer and Singh would be getting their resumes polished up. This, then, is a new opportunity for Scheer and Singh to impress Canadians.
Something to watch for… you can bet that in order for Singh to offer to prop up this new Liberal minority, Singh is going to have a big ask to put to Trudeau. I’m betting he will be asking for a new free expensive Pharmacare program for Canadians. If Singh is persistent in this ask, and is not bought off by lesser favours, that purse you have wide open to pay for this Liberal government – well, be prepared to open it wider and wider until it hurts.
Minority governments can work well by being more representative of all Canadians, and they certainly can make for great drama in the House with the parties all jockeying for power and influence. It definitely will not be boring.
The story will continue.
               
Rob MacLellan is an advocate for education and non-profit organizations. He can be reached at 902-305-0311 or at [email protected].