It really could happen here

A second Trump presidency was the worst possible outcome for many people. For others, it was the day they had been waiting four years for. In Canada, we often reflect on American elections shrouded in our own bystander effect. ‘Well, at least it is not happening here. I mean, Canada would never elect Trump.’ This type of sentiment was expressed previously in 2016 upon Trump’s first election. Although his rival, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris stressed the threat that Trump posed to the democratic integrity of America if re-elected; the electorate cared most about the dispensable money in their pocket. Many Americans feel the same way many Canadians do when they are going to the grocery store, when they are paying rent, or when they feel the costs of transportation. People are hurting economically, that much is obvious. Yet, why do people feel as though no political party hears their struggles?

Many politicians in both Canada and the United States are taking advantage of these harsh economic times to push anti-immigration policies. Although not related to illegal immigration, the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) has been pressuring the Trudeau government this past year about immigration reform. Pierre Poilievre, Conservative leader, will often tout that the increased level of immigration caused by the Liberals has deteriorated the standard of living for the average Canadian. Such as causing raised rents, grocery prices, and a housing shortage. However, this rhetoric has led to many Canadians holding the same sentiment they once judged Americans for upon Trump’s election. If people wish to look to Canada as a shrine of liberalism and social democracy, the shift of the Conservative party farther to the right should be noted, especially within their policies.

      In the American election, many were primarily concerned about the economy and the security of their border; something the Trump campaign successfully blamed on the incumbent Biden-Harris administration. However, the Harris campaign, in hindsight, failed to appeal to the working class. The build of frustration among the American people about the value of their dollar reflected in the polling results. This can be extended to the reason why so many people appeared to have voted for Trump in comparison to previous years. Name-calling, lies, and disparaging campaigns do not face consequences without a coherent response from the Democratic party. As of now, the Liberals are facing a similar reality. Poilievre just saw a perfect playbook unfold in the United States about how to win when you are not a terribly serious political party. The fearful reaction that the Trump re-election evoked in many Canadians should be followed by a critical revaluation of what our political environment has evolved into.

      Moreover, many Canadians who oppose Trumpism must also be cognizant of far-right politics and economics creeping into their provincial legislatures. The turn away from publicly funded development into private hands, which then exploits the pricing of whatever they can, is an incredibly dangerous precedent. However, governments continue to fund private development projects that are allegedly for the good of the people. Failure to form an economic populist message has set the Liberals even further back in the polls than the Democrats.

As Nova Scotia and the Canadian federal government have elections approaching, it is important to take the records of the politicians running for office seriously. If the CPC has written and supported anti-choice policy, it should be taken as a threat to Canada’s reproductive rights as a whole. New Brunswick electing Susan Holt as premier allowed for a regulation, which restricted abortion access, to be repealed within her first week. Electing those, even provincially, who align themselves with pro-choice healthcare goals can make a big difference. Disregarding these issues, especially when access is already limited, can be equated to failure to act. 

Elections do not have to be scary. Participation and knowledge surrounding what candidates genuinely care about their constituents is what makes a free and fair election so great. However, as shown by the failure of the Biden-Harris campaign to appeal to the working class, the left leaning Canadian parties may want to stand their ground on improving the cost of living. Canadians deserve something better than Trumpism, before it begins to take more of a hold on our legislatures.