When Justin Trudeau announced his decision to step down as Canada’s prime minister, he was asked about his most significant regret during his tenure. His answer was both revealing and revealing: the failure to implement electoral reform.
As someone who has led Canada’s government for nearly a decade, Trudeau has witnessed a shift in political dynamics, yet his regret lies squarely on the electoral reform promise he made during the 2015 election campaign.
In this post, let’s examine how Trudeau’s vision for a new voting system fell apart and why he believes abandoning electoral reform is his biggest regret.
Trudeau’s 2015 Campaign Promise: A Better Electoral System
Back in 2015, Trudeau made an ambitious promise to Canadians: the 2015 election would be the last election held under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) voting system.
Under FPTP, the candidate with the most votes wins, even if they don’t secure a majority. This system has long been a point of contention for many, particularly smaller political parties that feel underrepresented. Trudeau argued that switching to a new system would better reflect the diverse political spectrum of Canada, giving more weight to voters’ preferences.
In the Liberal Party’s platform, it was clear: they wanted a system where voters could rank candidates by preference (known as ranked ballots) or switch to a proportional representation system, where seats in the legislature would align more closely with the popular vote.
The 2016 Committee and Its Recommendations
After the election, the Liberal Party quickly set up an all-party parliamentary committee to review various voting system options. The committee convened, and by December 2016, it released its report. It was not a simple recommendation but a call for a referendum on a change to proportional representation — a system in which the number of seats each party receives in the House of Commons would directly correlate to its share of the national vote.
This approach was supported by the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois, with some in the NDP and Greens suggesting a referendum might not even be necessary.
However, Liberal MPs on the committee diverged from the rest of the parties, offering a supplementary report that outright rejected these suggestions. They argued that a shift toward proportional representation could be too radical and rushed.
Trudeau’s Shift in Stance: From Promise to Regret
Trudeau’s backtracking began even before the committee report was released. In October 2016, the prime minister revealed that the public’s support for electoral reform had significantly dropped since his government took office. He argued that people were now satisfied with the government under the existing system, making the desire for change less urgent.
This sentiment didn’t sit well with many of his supporters. Despite this, Maryam Monsef, the minister responsible for electoral reform, immediately dismissed the committee’s recommendations, criticising the lack of a specific alternative.
However, things took a turn when Trudeau publicly abandoned his promise. In a cabinet shuffle, Karina Gould replaced Monsef and oversaw a major shift. Trudeau’s mandate letter to Gould stated that there was no clear consensus for a new electoral system and that moving forward with such significant change would not be in the country’s best interest.
Trudeau admitted that his decision not to push through electoral reform was motivated by the lack of broad support and the risk of making a change that could lead to further division.
Trudeau’s Thoughts on Ranked Ballots and Proportional Representation
Despite initially entertaining the idea of ranked ballots and proportional representation, Trudeau’s personal views on the two systems have been complex. Early in his leadership campaign in 2013, Trudeau explicitly stated his preference for a ranked ballot system, rejecting proportional representation, which he believed would create too much polarization in Canadian politics.
Interestingly, many experts argue that a ranked ballot system would have been beneficial for the Liberal Party, as it would likely have resulted in more seats for the Liberals due to the party’s strong centrist position.
However, Trudeau quickly learned that implementing such a change without bipartisan support was nearly impossible. Electoral reform was a politically charged issue, and the opposition parties simply didn’t share his vision for reform.
Reflecting on his tenure, Trudeau admitted that his failure to push for a ranked ballot system was a mistake. On a podcast with Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, a fellow Liberal MP, Trudeau lamented that his party didn’t have the political consensus required to make the change. He expressed regret that he didn’t push harder for electoral reform when his party held a majority government, but acknowledged the consequences of trying to change the system unilaterally without the backing of other parties.
The Legacy of Trudeau’s Electoral Reform Promise
Trudeau’s broken promise on electoral reform has left a sour taste for many Canadians who felt he misled them during the 2015 election. His decision not to pursue the reforms he had campaigned on raised questions about his political leadership and integrity.
In hindsight, the lack of bipartisan consensus was a significant barrier. The consequences of making such a radical change to Canada’s electoral system were, in Trudeau’s words, too significant to risk. It’s clear that electoral reform would require a broad, national consensus to succeed — something Trudeau found elusive during his time in office.
Trudeau’s Regret: A Lesson in Political Promises
Justin Trudeau’s regret over abandoning electoral reform serves as a poignant lesson in the challenges of political leadership. Promises made during elections often collide with the harsh realities of governance, where the need for bipartisan cooperation and the fear of divisiveness can derail even the most well-intentioned reforms.
It’s likely that electoral reform will continue to be a hot topic in Canadian politics, with future leaders learning from Trudeau’s experience and either following through on similar promises or avoiding them altogether.
Key Takeaways
- Justin Trudeau’s electoral reform promise from the 2015 campaign was never fulfilled, and he now cites it as his biggest regret.
- Despite the push for ranked ballots or proportional representation, there was no consensus on the issue.
- Electoral reform remains a polarizing topic in Canadian politics, with no clear solution in sight.
- Trudeau’s reflection on this broken promise highlights the complexities of political leadership and the risks of implementing radical change without broader support.
Photo credit: Yahoo News
