Liberal-NDP deal paves way for Justin Trudeau to stay in power until 2025, at least
On a surface level, I am very, very down with this. Nobody wanted the last election and even less of us are clambering for another one. Plus, if this all works out as planned (a big if since three years is a long time and life comes at you pretty fast these days), look what we’re on a path to.
The implementation of a national dental care program is a key condition of the deal, and a long sought proposal from the NDP to support low-income Canadians. Working towards a national pharmacare program, another longtime NDP policy promise, is also on the table, with plans to pass legislation by the end of 2023.
Advancing reconciliation, tackling climate change, addressing housing and child care, delivering supports for workers, improving fairness in the tax system and removing barriers to voting and participation in elections are among other policy objectives woven into the agreement.
The deal also includes a pledge to pass an “anti-scab” law that would ban companies in federal jurisdictions from replacing locked-out or striking workers, and to pass a law on national long-term care.
These are all things, that while expensive and complicated, are objectively good. Despite what populists and other rich people who don’t want to pay their share for anything have always said, we have the money for them. The money exists to do almost anything we want. the problem is that when it comes to taking real steps that will make life better for everyone, the will often doesn’t. The people hording all of the money don’t care if life gets better for anyone else. Their lives are fine. And in fact, making your life better isn’t convenient for them. If things dramatically improve, they lose control of their worker bees and the balance of power shifts away from them.
That paragraph got away from me a bit there and I kind of answered my own question, which was going to be who could possibly have a problem with these policy goals? There is another answer though. What up, Conservative Party of Canada?
“No one knew they were doing this … we’ve got a war going on in Ukraine, we had the Emergencies Measures Act that was declared (and) backed by the NDP. One has to wonder when did these talks start? What kind of agreements were made? What was the quid pro quo that was given?” Bergen said.
“These are important questions that go to the very heart of our democracy. Democracy and openness has been replaced by backroom deals.”
Backroom deals, in this case, meaning a completely democratic process that the Conservatives themselves could and would take advantage of were they able to find enough wingnuts and cookaloons to play along. While they were busy campaigning for the PPC vote, stabbing each other in the back and generally slowing things down, the adults in the room decided to do some of that reaching across party lines stuff that politicians are so fond of talking about but rarely bother with.
Who knows, maybe none of this will work. Maybe the Liberals will, out of arrogance or necessity, make a choice that the NDP simply can’t swallow and the whole thing blows up. But in the meantime, I appreciate the stability. And even though stability isn’t on-brand for them these days, the Conservatives should, too. Rather than blubbering about the unconstitutionality of an entirely constitutional thing and aiming to grab power that they clearly aren’t ready for, the party that’s about to pick its third leader in five years thanks to its own disunity should probably go about its business and be quietly thankful for the gift it has been given. It won’t, but that would be my advice.
