Pundits are predicting Prime Minister Trudeau will call an election this fall.
It makes political sense for him. The provincial governments who chanced elections during the pandemic won the gamble. The Liberals are slightly ahead in the polls. Conservative leader Erin O’Toole isn’t making great waves. The NDP’s Jagmeet Singh has come up in the polls (one poll found him voter’s first pick as PM) but he’s asked the Governor General to say no to Mr. Trudeau if he asks her to dissolve parliament. The Greens have their own issues.
And how will an election help Canadians?
More people are beginning to realize climate change is causing many of our problems. Record high temperatures, devastating fires, floods, vicious storms, are affecting both our health and the economy. Given the growing physical evidence along with the science and common sense, climate should be the #1 topic on all politicians’ agendas. It doesn’t seem to be. The Liberals are more talk than action. A recent poll says only eight per cent of Conservatives believe it’s anything to worry about.
The Greens should be having a field day with it but they’re too busy infighting. The NDP does have a plan, they want to create good jobs and fight climate change. I’m not sure where the Bloc stands.
A federal election is not on my priority list. I’d rather all parties worked together to find ways to deal with the current challenges. That’s a dream, for sure, but at least Mr. Trudeau could keep some of the promises he made in past elections before he barges into another one.
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The smoke from the wildfires seems as effective as the COVID lockdowns in keeping people at home, but there’s no use protesting Mother Nature’s actions. She has no respect whatsoever for human rights or opinions.
Diana French is a freelance columnist for the Tribune. She is a former Tribune editor, retired teacher, historian and book author.
news@wltribune.com
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