COLUMN: Carillon Flashback – The cycle of politics

Justin Trudeau was elected Leader of the Liberal Party in April of 2013, and led his party to victory the next federal election, Oct. 19, 2015, winning a majority government over Stephen Harper’s Conservatives.

As prime minister, Justin Trudeau promised to lead a government that would work hard to continue moving Canada forward. His team, he said would focus on fighting climate change, creating good middle-class jobs, making life more affordable, keeping Canada’s communities safe, and moving forward on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

In four years, Canadian voters will decide just how well he has kept those promises, but in the meantime, Carillon columnist Michael Zwaagstra provides an extremely perceptive view of the cycle of politics, especially at the federal government level.

In his Think Again column, just days after Trudeau’s Oct. 19 victory, Zwaagstra reminds Carillon readers that this election is over and the public has decided.

“The federal election of 2015 has come and gone. Canadians have elected a Liberal majority government and Justin Trudeau will soon take over as Canada’s new prime minister.

“Many Canadians are ecstatic with these election results. They view Justin Trudeau as a visionary leader who will rescue our country from the dark days of Harper Conservatives. Others are despondent and believe voters have made a terrible mistake electing someone as prime minister who they feel is clearly not ready for the job. Both sides need to keep things in perspective.

“Let’s remember that we are all still Canadians. During his concession speech, Harper congratulated the Liberal leader on his victory and assured him of full cooperation in the transition of power. That is how it should be.

“One of the remarkable things about our country is that we can go from one government to another without a single shot being fired, or even a hint of civil unrest. Our longstanding democratic tradition makes this possible.

“In Canada, people can vigorously disagree with each other, fight an election with all their might, and then continue to work with each other the next day.

“Trudeau reminded his supporters on election night that ‘Conservatives are not our enemies, they are our neighbors.’ Conservatives should be able to say the same thing about Liberals.

“We need to remember that politics is a continuous cycle. The Liberals are up right now and the Conservatives are down. But it was only four years ago (in 2011) the Conservatives formed a majority government and the Liberals were reduced to third party status. Change is the one constant in politics.

“People have a right to vote for whomever they wish, and it is important for all politicians to never take their support for granted. At the end of the day, the final say always belongs to the Canadian people.”

Zwaagstra ended his column by telling Carillon readers, that whatever their political stripe they should always be grateful for the opportunity to live in a country as remarkable as Canada.

– with files from Michael Zwaagstra