If the polls are to be believed, Mark Carney will continue to be Canada’s prime minister after this weekend’s election. If the media is to be believed, the choice is between an angry conservative and a cerebral conservative. Given the two options, I certainly understand why one might choose the more thoughtful, serious Mr. Carney. Faced with Pierre Poilievre’s brand of rage, it’s tempting to back the guy who at least seems calm in a suit.
But ask yourself this: When was the last time you turned to a corporate banker to fight for the rights of working people, or fight for lower housing prices, or champion public health care? And when was the last time you counted on the Conservative Party to improve the lives of the poor or to stand up for the trade union movement? The answer to those questions for most people is … never.
I totally understand that U.S. President Donald Trump represents an existential threat to Canada and that has become the ballot question for many Canadians.
But let’s not fool ourselves.
Carney has literally stolen many Conservative Party policies. He is not likely to change the status quo or challenge corporate control. He comes from that world.
Canada faces serious fiscal and economic challenges, and I worry that cuts to health care and other social programs will be on the agenda with Carney as much as they will be if Poilievre wins.
Nothing in Carney’s background suggests he knows the price of eggs or the price of bread. He has been thriving in the rarified world of a central banker.
The federal New Democratic Party has never formed government in Canada. But they have had a huge influence on what it means to be a Canadian. From pressure to create an old-age pension plan, to creating a health-care system with equal access for the poor as well as the rich, to the beginning of a national dental care plan — New Democrats have consistently fought for you.
In the last parliament, a national dental care plan was established only because Jagmeet Singh and outstanding MPs such as Don Davies, Jenny Kwan and Peter Julien demanded it. It is true that they have paid a price for supporting an unpopular government. But they did it to accomplish something that makes life better for thousands of Canadians.
We need New Democrats in parliament now more than ever to keep fighting for social justice — to keep the pressure on — no matter who wins.
Glen Clark is a former premier of British Columbia.
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