Don’t Let Anger Trump Justice

Lead image courtesy of Gage Skidmore (Flickr)

The election of Donald Trump on November 5th shocked people across Canada and the world. Americans chose him as their 47th President and rewarded Republicans with effective control over their federal government. Analysis of the Democratic defeat and the role of culture wars and billionaires will fill media platforms for months to come, but it comes down to this: faced with a choice between someone who represents the status quo and a system that many feel is letting them down, or a life-long scrapper who promises to shake up that system, a clear majority voted for change.  

Next January the entire world will be watching as things unfold. Mass deportations, tax cuts for the wealthiest people on the planet, slashing environmental standards and public services, Ukraine surrendered, the Middle East condemned to relentless violence, and so much more.

The consequences for Canada will be deeply troubling. Influential figures in corporate Canada will feel emboldened to dismantle any previous consensus on climate action, social programs or fair taxation, while demanding increased military spending and integration with the U.S. economy. Conservative politicians will be awash in funds from Bay Street financiers, mining magnates, land speculators and Alberta oil barons, and the governing Liberals know they are faced with certain defeat if the election happens anytime soon. 

What does this moment mean for the rest of us? People want answers they believe will make a difference in their lives. To find those answers, we can look back in our own history, and “ask the ancestors.” People like Tommy Douglas, Agnes McPhail, Jean Augustine, Charan Gill, Art Manuel and Murray Sinclair. Not all these names are well-known, but they deserve to be. How did these heroes and so many others harness the energy and spirit to succeed against overwhelming odds? How did they project a vision of a more just society while building the power necessary to challenge the economic and political elites of the day? 

The progressive movement today must focus on the issues that keep so many Canadians up at night: 

Good jobs

We need an economy that provides good jobs, respect and dignity to everyone who works in Canada. Strong public services are essential to healthy communities and our shared prosperity. 

Public health care 

We all have the right to full access to public health services, regardless of how much money we have. Privatization of health care will always cost us more, because profit is not the cure. 

Housing for everyone 

Instead of subsidizing wealthy landlords we need to tackle the affordable housing shortage by recreating past successful programs that built thousands of non-market homes every year. Rent and renoviction controls are essential. 

Affordable groceries 

We all deserve healthy, affordable food. Price-gouging by corporate monopolies should be illegal. 

Safety and security

Extreme weather threatens communities and our food supply. If we don’t take action to tackle pollution and climate change, our children and grandchildren will pay much more later. 

Respect 

When we take down the barriers of fear, prejudice and intolerance, we can shape a better future together, no matter where we come from, the colour of our skin, or our incomes. Respecting the rights and history of Indigenous peoples, and ensuring rights for the rest of us whose families have come from many places over many generations, are an essential part of the pathway forward. 

If progressive Canadians are clear about what we stand for now, we all have a much better chance of defending what we have won in the past. And in the face of the adversity to come, our commitment to building a stronger future together must be seen and believed by Canadians from all walks of life, in every part of this country. 

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