Reelected in 1980 at the head of a majority government, your father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, announced that he was going to ensure that this mandate, probably final, is brilliant, not bland. Among other things, he offered the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Ed Broadbent, to enter the government. “I’ll take five or six ministries,” replied the NDP leader. ” You know it ! Your father retorted.
The affair did not materialize, but the dream of a large center-left Canadian party has resurfaced regularly. Bob Rae, the former Liberal turned NDP and then Liberal again, made it a theme in his 2008 leadership race. Stéphane Dion and Jack Layton spoke about coalition in 2009. Jean Chrétien and Ed Broadbent had carried out preliminary merger work. in 2010.
You have the opportunity to make history and leave your mark, which, for now, is sorely lacking in the summary of your accomplishments. You also have the opportunity to make people forget the holding of these ridiculous elections by turning this blunder into a springboard for daring.
Offer to Jagmeet Singh to enter the government. Give him five or six ministries. Propose a four-year government pact and suggest that a founding convention of the Liberal Democratic Party be held in three years. You will not be a candidate for his leadership. Singh and Christia Freeland, perhaps, will dispute the direction, and therefore the post of outgoing Prime Minister. You will be the proud progenitor of a gathering that will have the potential to rule the country for a generation. (Negotiate the position of Governor General, it would look great on you.)
What will it cost you, exactly, in the meantime? Which you should be doing anyway. A timetable for setting up national drug insurance. A more substantial increase in corporate and ultrarich taxes, which Joe Biden is doing on the southern border anyway, giving you the coverage you want. Rather than just follow it, get a few steps ahead of it by seriously taxing capital gains. Finally, stop the long liberal flirtation with tax havens. Like us, you noticed that the Desmarais family deserted you to join the Conservatives at the start of the campaign. The 1% find you too progressive? Give them reason.
Name Steven Guilbeault Minister of the Environment and cut ties with the oil and gas industry. Bridges, and grants. This mandate must be the one in which you take your green commitments seriously. This is your last chance to look like a leader in international meetings about this. Enter it.
Note that 51% of Quebecers voted for blue parties that do not want you to intervene in health and against secularism. It’s simple: as you have started to do with your projects for CHSLDs (massive hiring, increase in salaries), set as a national condition exactly what Quebec has already done. On secularism, resolve the problem by making a simple reference to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality, but without sending your attorney general to plead for or against. Trust the Trudeauist judges to speak out all the bad things they think about the Caquist law.
Take one or two ideas from the Conservatives, just to piss them off. Exempting Christmas purchases made in stores (not online) from GST is a nice gift for voters. And you’re not close to a billion. When the fourth wave is behind us, reimbursing half of the meals eaten at the restaurant on Mondays and Tuesdays for a month will also be welcome. But while O’Toole refused to pay for the alcohol, agree to cover the cost of a glass of beer or wine. Like your father, you have class.
Also annoy François Legault by announcing that you would finally be ready to finance 40% of the third link… but only if cars are prohibited there and it is entirely reserved for buses or a tram. Fear not, it won’t cost you a dime.
You may know that I did not vote for you. I was not a big supporter of your father either. I nevertheless admit that he was one of those who make history. I bet if you follow my advice, your biographers will have a real pleasure in recounting your reign. For now, you are mainly the one who legalized cannabis. It’s a bit smoky, as an inheritance.
To break with Canada’s oil past, to make the country a green leader, to lead the international charge for tax justice and to leave behind a great party of progressive government, that would have the face, the scale, the brilliance. .
It would be, in a way, real Trudeau.