If last week’s federal election proved anything, it’s that nothing is certain in politics. Longtime Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh both lost their seats, while newly appointed Liberal leader Mark Carney won his first — helping the Liberals secure a minority government.
After the results were announced, we asked you for your thoughts on the outcome. Here’s what you had to say. These opinions are those of our readers and not necessarily shared by Broadview. The responses have also been lightly edited for clarity.
“I am truly pleased with the results of the election, but I also feel for the NDP. Conservatives…not so much. Given that state of affairs in Washington, the question looms: Where do we go from here?
Mark Carney is for sure the right person for the moment. One of my concerns is the far right movement gaining momentum in the west, Alberta in particular.
Now that the election is behind us, I don’t believe we can dismiss the growing frustration and resentment in the West. Their sense of alienation has to be acknowledged by Ottawa. Mark Carney was born in the Northwest Territories and grew up in Edmonton. For a politician who is centre left assuming the role of prime minister, he is well positioned to address their grievances. As a nation, we cannot afford to allow this movement to metastasize.
PM Carney should not wait for this movement to calcify any further. He should assign several of his leadership to open up genuine dialogue with our western provinces, with a view to resolving their issues while advancing their economies. Dismantling their grievances will do much to disarm their cause.”
—Steven Moore, Ottawa
More on Broadview:
“It’s not just the NDP — The Bloc and the Green parties are also progressive, and each lost support. The lack of proportional representation is a principle reason why so many people voted for only two parties, since the first-past-the-vote method is suitable only for two party elections.
Neoliberalism, embraced by the Liberals and Conservatives, has caused most of the problems the Conservatives promised to fix, thus appealing to younger, especially male, voters. Mr Poilievre also appealed to the labour voters, undermining progressive parties.”
—Ian Gartshore, Nanaimo, B.C.
“I was relatively happy with the outcome of the federal election. I have progressive views and although I tend to feel that Liberal policies are not progressive enough on some fronts, I felt that the NDP lacked enough popularity to win. I also didn’t want to risk the Conservatives getting in. I’m hopeful that Mark Carney will deliver on his promise to work with everybody, and that all MPs will use their votes for the benefit of all Canadians. Although minority governments tend to allow MPs more opportunity to better represent their ridings, they come with the risk of more frequent elections, which are expensive.”
—Diane Damario, Mississauga, Ont.
Want to read more from Broadview? Consider subscribing to one of our newsletters.
“I think, as a Church, we should be concerned about the growing influence of the religious right as it has evolved in the U.S. and now in Canada. For me, that means being more present through our commitment to protect minorities and vulnerable populations while avoiding the language of left and right that feeds partisanship.”
—John Ryerson, Toronto
“As long as our print media is dominated by publishers owned by a right wing Republican hedge fund and our social media is dominated by sites controlled by right wing oligarchs, progressive politics will struggle. People are fed deliberate misinformation steadily that favours hate, fear and greed.
People supporting policies favouring the wellbeing of communities and all their members need to understand what is happening and form alliances to counter the effects of that misinformation. We also need to be rigorous in ensuring the accuracy of the information we use to support our goals.”
—Rev Jim Kenney, East Hawkesbury, Ont.
“Many recognized billionaires are celebrated constantly by orthodox institutions, including the institutional churches, while very few of us ‘regular folks’ even make a million dollars in total during the course of our income-earning lives… I know I didn’t! So why isn’t there outrage coming from others demanding that we not tolerate this morally bankrupt reality? If we want to assemble a movement or party to push back, then maybe the NDP is our only hope.”
—Dale Perkins, Victoria
Thanks for reading!
Did you know Broadview is the only media organization in Canada dedicated to covering progressive Christian news and views?
We are also a registered charity and rely on subscriptions and tax-deductible donations to keep our trustworthy, independent and award-winning journalism alive.
Please help us continue to share stories that open minds, inspire meaningful action and foster a world of compassion. Don’t wait. We can’t do it without you.
Here are some ways you can support us:
Thank you so very much for your generous support! Together, we can make a difference.
Jocelyn Bell, Editor/Publisher, CEO and Trisha Elliott, Executive Director
Comments