The Liberals and New Democrats have reached an agreement to prop up the current federal government until 2025. It’s not ideal—it’s messy and it’s so much less than Canadians deserve. But with the all-too-real possibility of a Conservative government on the horizon, it’s time to take the wins when they come around.
Being optimistic about progressive political causes as a young Canadian student has began to feel akin to being optimistic that George R.R. Martin will release another novel within his lifetime.
Ideas such as substantial climate action or student loan forgiveness are both issues fully supported by the NDP from which young Canadian students could benefit greatly. They’re also likely to remain pipe dreams for the foreseeable future.
The current Trudeau government has held on through some scandals initially considered damning: SNC-Lavalin, blackface and WE Charity weren’t enough to sink Trudeau, but that doesn’t mean nothing can. This Liberal government is likely in its twilight years.
Since the “Freedom Convoy,” Trudeau’s approval rating dropped and has been on a consistent decline since Jan. 21. At the time of publication, the most recent rating sat at 39 per cent. The number is likely to fall even lower following Trudeau’s NDP agreement.
The frontrunner to take power if and when the Liberals are ousted, as usual, will be the Conservatives. And the favourite to take power within the party is Pierre Poilievre—a convoy-backing social conservative who would make the apathy of the Trudeau government seem fine by contrast.
Meanwhile, the NDP has gained ground at a snail’s pace; adding two seats and two per cent to the popular vote from 2019 to 2020. These are respectable but not exactly majority-making numbers.
The facts are not exactly on the side of Canadian progressives moving forward. Nothing seems to indicate a future with universal basic income, student debt forgiveness or comprehensive pharmacare in it.
But hey, we can expect dental care. And that’s worth something.
The seemingly perpetually predetermined outcome of federal politics between Liberal and Conservative leadership has provided young progressives the inclination to see any sort of breakthrough as a cause for celebration.
It’s not that social progress is impossible, only that viewing small victories as “not enough” serves to demoralize further. Maybe they’re not enough, but they ought to be seen as what they are: A building block for a theoretical slow burn which may lead to a brighter future.
Complete resignation among progressives should never be encouraged, quite the opposite. Everyone ought to continue to fight for what they believe will make their country—and the world—a better place.
The fact is that the progressive policies the NDP has backed have historically failed to be implemented. The federal government has not forgiven student debt, nor introduced a universal basic income program, nor, until now, shown promise of dental care coverage. This possibility shouldn’t feel earth-shattering. But here we are.
If there’s one thing the past two years have managed to teach us over and over again, it’s the necessity of taking the good with the bad—especially when the bad seems to outweigh the good a billionfold.
Maybe the NDP’s dental care agreement isn’t the last dying breath of progressive policy in Canada. Maybe it’s proof that in the face of overwhelming odds, which will likely swell even more in the near future, strategy and sacrifice can result in positive political change.
Time will tell. But even if not, it’s imperative that we take what we can get within those windows of opportunity before they close for a long time.
Featured image by Spencer Colby.
