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IN THIS ISSUE Election 2015: Trudeau's Surprising Majority (Duration 20:08) Canadians went to the polls in October 2015, but this was no ordinary election. For starters it was the longest federal campaign in recent history, and the Conservatives had held on to power in three prior elections. At the outset the official opposition, the led by Thomas Mulcair, was strong. And there was a new player leading the Liberals, but his name was not new to many Canadians — Trudeau.

News in Review Study Modules Related CBC Programs Justin Trudeau: Federal Liberal's Future? Interview November 2012 God Save Justin Trudeau The NDP Chooses a New Leader, May 2012 Justin Trudeau Interview Canadians Vote in a Spring Election, May 2011 Silence of the Labs The Conservatives and the Coalition, Interview February 2009 Thomas Mulcair Interview Canadians to Vote in Federal Election, October 2008 Stephen Harper: The Path to Power, March 2006 : Captivating a Nation, October 2000

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Copyright © 2015 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation News in Review – November 2015 – Teacher Resource Guide ELECTION 2015: Trudeau's Surprising Majority

VIDEO REVIEW Justin Trudeau is the son of Pierre Trudeau, who served as Canada’s prime Before Viewing minister from 1968‐79 and again from 1980‐1984. Pierre Trudeau is best When Justin Trudeau addressed his jubilant supporters on known for creating the Charter of election night he said that one reason for his success was his Rights and Freedoms in Canada’s positive message as he proclaimed a new era of “sunny ways” constitution. This is the first father‐son for Canadians. He was actually quoting a previous Liberal prime minister in Canadian history. prime minister, , who said:

“If it were in my power, I would try the sunny way…of patriotism, asking…to be just and to be fair, asking…to be generous to the minority, in order that we may have peace among all creeds and races.”1

What is the “sunny way”? What do you think of the “sunny ways” approach? Is it a reflection of the way you see politics working in Canada? Is the idea of the “sunny way” naïve or realistic and necessary?

Viewing

1. What were the advantages and disadvantages of having a longer election campaign period?

2. a) What was the main message of the Conservative campaign?

b) How did the opposition counter the Conservative claims?

3. What would have been the advantages and disadvantages of a Liberal/NDP coalition government?

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NOVEMBER 2015 – ELECTION 2015: TRUDEAU'S SURPRISING MAJORITY

4. What comments did Prime Minister Stephen Harper make that were seen as divisive?

5. What major issues and challenges await the newly elected Liberal government?

6. Why was Justin Trudeau so successful in the election?

7. Why was the Liberal’s promise of running deficits such an important factor in the party’s success?

8. For a new prime minister like Trudeau, unproven in a role as demanding and complex as running a country, what will be some of his biggest hurdles?

After Viewing

1. How did Trudeau exhibit the “sunny ways” approach in the campaign? Is the phrase “sunny ways” just a slogan or does it represent Trudeau’s message and actions?

2. When the election was called in August the polls indicated that the New Democrats had a slight lead followed by the Conservatives while the Liberals rested in third place. What do you feel were the positive aspects of the Liberal campaign that resulted in their rise from third to first? What were the pitfalls of the NDP campaign?

Source: 1. Timson, Judith (October 10, 2015). Is Canada ready for Trudeau's 'sunny ways'? The .

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NOVEMBER 2015 – ELECTION 2015: TRUDEAU'S SURPRISING MAJORITY

THE STORY

Minds On

Change…that seemed to be the key theme that explains the results of the October 2015 federal election.

Using that theme, the Liberal Party, under the leadership of Justin Trudeau, went from the third place party to a majority government, hauling in 189 seats in the House of Commons. This kind of shift has not happened since 1925! That was not the only change that happened on election night: the Conservative party went from 159 seats to 99 and the New Democratic Party, which had been the Official Opposition, plummeted from 98 seats to 44.

1. Why do you think voters were seeking a change in government?

2. What do you think real political change look like?

3. Do you think a shift like this one is more a reflection of voters turning against the Harper Conservatives or turning toward the Trudeau Liberals?

The beginning of a long campaign On August 2, 2015, Prime Minister Stephen Harper visited the Governor General and asked that Parliament be dissolved to make way for an election to be When Prime Minister held on Harper called the election October 19. he was seeking a fourth This would consecutive mandate. make the would see issues appear and disappear from the The last prime minister to campaign one political radar with Stephen Harper, Justin achieve such success was of the longest Trudeau and Thomas Mulcair each experiencing Sir Wilfrid Laurier who in Canadian the highs and lows of an extended campaign. In the end, the results would not only surprise these won elections in 1896, history. It would be an leaders but most of the Canadian population as 1900, 1904, 1908. election that well.

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Here is a look at the strengths and challenges faced by the main parties during the campaign:

Strengths Challenges Party (as promoted by party organizers) (according to the political pundits) Conservative Party – proven experience – weak economic performance Leader: Stephen Harper – strong economic policies – Senate scandal and subsequent trials – protector against terrorist – divisive policies such as promising to actions create a snitch line to report – the only “law and order” party “barbaric cultural practices” – use of negative attack ads – apparent lack of empathy for Syrian refugees Liberal Party – promise of real change in tone – Trudeau’s lack of governing Leader: Justin Trudeau and policies experience – willing to run deficits in order to – concern about running deficits spend money on infrastructure – resignation of chief election adviser and economic development for offering suggestions on how – repeal Conservative laws that companies could gain influence with limited individual rights a Liberal government – withdraw military commitment to the conflict in Syria – promise to admit 25 000 Syrian refugees – call an inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women New Democratic Party – proven leadership with – finding a way to promote change Leader: Thomas Mulcair experience while demonstrating fiscal restraint – $15.00 a day daycare for – by supporting the right of a woman parents to wear the niqab, the party risked – repeal the government’s anti‐ losing support in terror law which the party felt – the tone of campaign did not limited individual rights generate enthusiasm – vocal opponent of the divisive policies of the Conservative government Green Party – strong environmental policies – support traditionally too low for the Leader: Elizabeth May* – proven, competent leadership party to be considered a viable – careful economic planning that contender balances environmental policies – support mainly centered in British with economic development Columbia

*An important side note: Elizabeth May was excluded from a number of the leaders' debates. She was forced to use to weigh in on the issues.

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Trudeau: Exceeding expectations Coming in December 2015 A number of significant events in the campaign The idea of “barbaric cultural practices,” and contributed to the eventual Liberal formation of a the attack on the niqab in particular, majority government. The first big event was the generated enough controversy to warrant a leader’s debate. This was Justin Trudeau’s more detailed treatment of the topic in the inaugural campaign test and expectations were not News in Review December 2015 edition. high. In fact, one Conservative advisor said Check it out at curio.ca/newsinreview Trudeau would meet expectations if he just showed up with his pants on! Well Trudeau not only met Mulcair’s dilemma expectations, he exceeded them by taking a strong Thomas Mulcair, who earned his position as stand against Harper and downplaying the minority leader through the support of Quebec significance of the NDP. He followed his strong voters, faced a dilemma with this issue. Many debate performance with his party’s platform which Quebecers supported the Harper government’s highlighted the need to run deficits to spend money position. Mulcair rejected the “barbaric on needed infrastructure programs. The platform practices” idea even though he faced losing also called for transparency in government and Quebec’s support. Since the majority of his MPs justice for all Canadians. One concrete example of were from Quebec, this could have a devastating this policy would be the creation of a national impact on his election chances. He decided that inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal he could not accept the divisive proposals of the women. Conservatives as he felt it was an attack on individual rights. While his principled stand Barbaric Cultural Practices might have won him respect, it would come The second major issue involved the back to haunt him on October 19. Conservative Party’s attack on the cultural practices of certain minority groups (an issue The results in Quebec not only decreased the that few, if any, Canadians would have predicted number of NDP seats but saw the revival of the at the start of the campaign). The government separatist Bloc Quebecois. It went from four to demanded that a person taking the public oath of ten seats but the party leader, , citizenship remove any items that might conceal her/his identity — a direct attack on Muslim was defeated. women who wear the face veil and headscarf known as the niqab. The federal courts rejected Syrian refugees the government’s policy. Later, two The next issue surfaced when a photo went viral Conservative government ministers indicated across Canada and around the world. On that, if elected, the government would introduce September 2, news services and social media the Barbaric Cultural Practices Act which would platforms were all showing a picture of a young establish a hotline (dubbed a “snitch” line by the migrant boy who had washed up on a Turkish media) for Canadians to report what they felt beach. The boy had drowned along with were antiquated, cruel or evil cultural practices. members of his family trying to escape the civil The definition of such practices was vague and war in Syria. The impact of the photo served to many worried the proposed law could be abused. galvanize Canadians (and the global community) In the end, the Conservatives alienated many in their desire to help Syrian refugees to immigrant communities after it had spent years immigrate to Canada. The Harper government wooing these groups. indicated it was working on the problem while

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NOVEMBER 2015 – ELECTION 2015: TRUDEAU'S SURPRISING MAJORITY the opposition parties accused the government of aspects of the agreement, the NDP said it would doing too little in the face of such a huge scrap the TPP, which they described as humanitarian crisis. Harper responded by saying “Harper’s secret deal.” The Liberals indicated that the opposition parties were speaking they would need to read the entire agreement recklessly and their policies could result in before deciding whether or not to support it. terrorists entering the country disguised as Many observers wondered which of the three refugees. Both Trudeau and Mulcair then responses would play well with the electorate accused the prime minister of fear mongering with only two weeks left in the campaign and ignoring the seriousness of the situation. Eventually, Harper came across as less than The end of a long campaign sympathetic to the plight of refugees — a Finally, after 78 days of campaigning, the party position the opposition was quick to exploit. leaders went to their ridings to await the results. Shortly after the polls closed in , the Harper’s last hope: The TPP results from the Atlantic provinces came in and In the last weeks of the campaign, the Harper the electoral map was a sea of red with the government announced that it had agreed to sign Liberals winning all 32 seats! The red tide the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free-trade continued across Quebec and Ontario, where the deal. The TPP involved twelve Pacific Rim Liberals won the majority of seats. By the end of nations and was poised to become the largest the night, the Conservative Party was reduced to free trade agreement in Canadian history. Harper their typical allotment of western seats and the argued that the deal would increase Canadian NDP lost its once-coveted majority in Quebec. exports to the Pacific Rim. This seemed like Justin Trudeau emerged as the second youngest great news for the Conservatives as election day prime minister designate in Canadian history. drew nearer. However the Liberals and the NDP Canadians are now waiting to see what real both said the deal would have a negative impact change will look like. on the agricultural sector as well as Canada’s copyright laws. While the government indicated it would protect Canadians from the negative

To Consider

1. As the results of the election began to sink in, many Canadians wondered if Trudeau might be too inexperienced to take on the role of prime minister. Before entering politics he had been a teacher. As a former teacher, what qualities and experiences could Justin Trudeau draw on to help him lead the government?

2. Many observers of the election commented on the fact that the Conservative’s political ads tended to be negative attacks on the other parties while the Liberal and NDP ads tried to present a more positive spin on the issues that were important to Canadians. Find an ad for each party on the internet. Do you agree with the assertion that the Conservatives tended to use attack ads while the Liberals and the NDP tended to take a positive approach? Which ads did you find effective and which ads did you find ineffective? Does negative advertising (a) put doubt in voters’ minds about the party leader who is the target of the ad or (b) make the party leader who endorsed the ad look like he is resorting to the lowest common denominator?

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3. a) In this election, 68% of eligible voters cast their ballots. This is the highest voting percentage since the 1990s. Do you feel this is a satisfactory percentage or should it be higher? Why do you think there are still large number of Canadians who do not vote?

b) In Australia, eligible voters must cast a ballot. In other words, voting is compulsory (the penalty for not voting is a fine of approximately $20 and a possible criminal record). Should the same practice be mandated in Canada? Use the following organizer to organize your arguments.

Arguments in favour of compulsory voting Arguments against compulsory voting

4. As the campaign developed, news reports identified 19 candidates had posted inappropriate comments or pictures on various social media platforms. One candidate posted anti-Jewish comments while another had tweeted threats against another person. A number of candidates either resigned or had to apologize. These incidents involved all three major parties. Should people be held accountable for comments they posted prior to becoming candidates?

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