Domestic policy of the Justin Trudeau government
Several policies regarding interior and domestic issues in Canada were planned and adopted by the Canadian Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, following the October 19, 2015 election of the Liberal Party to a minority of seats in the House of Commons, such as social and environmental policies.
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Prime Minister of Canada Policies Scandals and controversies Elections Common Ground |
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The government's economic policy relied on increased tax revenues to pay for increased government spending. While the government did not balance the budget in its first term, it purported being fiscally responsible by reducing the country's debt-to-GDP ratio every year until 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.[1] Trudeau's progressive social policy included strong advocacy for feminism and abortion rights,[2] and introduced the right to medically-assisted dying.[3]
His environmental policy included introducing new commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% before 2030, and to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.[4] His main tool for reaching this target is a federal carbon pricing policy.[5] Trudeau's parliament also adopted legislation for marine conservation,[6] banning single-use plastic,[7] and strengthening environmental impact assessments.[8] However, Trudeau is in favour of oil and gas pipelines to bring Canadian fossil fuel resources to foreign markets.[9]
Under Justin Trudeau, Canada set targets to welcome an increased number of immigrants and refugees.[10][11] Canada also legalized cannabis for recreational use in 2018.[12]
Economic Policy
Infrastructure
During the 2015 election campaign, Trudeau said that if made prime minister, he would implement an infrastructure plan worth $60 billion (US$42 billion) in spending over 10 years.[13] Following his electoral win, in 2016, the Trudeau announced a 12-year, $180 billion (US$143 billion) infrastructure plan, with a focus on public transport, infrastructure in rural communities and Canada's northern regions, green infrastructure and affordable housing.[14] The Trudeau government also set up the Canada Infrastructure Bank to fund projects.[15]
Trans-Pacific Partnership
During the 2015 election campaign, Trudeau pledged to study the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) before making a final decision on ratification.[16] Trudeau said that Canadians should know what effects TPP would have on different industries, adding that he would hold an open and serious discussion with Canadians.[17]
After the United States withdrew from the TPP, Canada joined the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which incorporates most of the provisions of the TPP and which entered into force on December 30, 2018.[18][19][20]
Bombardier
Trudeau's government provided a CA$372.5 million bailout to Bombardier in February 2017. It was later revealed that Bombardier executives received US$32 million of these funds in bonuses, while laying off 14,500 workers around the world that year.[21] Patrick Pichette, a director of Bombardier Inc., sits as a board member of the Trudeau Foundation.[22]
Taxes
Upon entering office, Trudeau's government made some changes to the tax code. A new tax bracket on the top one percent of income earners was created in 2016. Incomes over $200,000 became taxed at 33%.[23] They increased taxes on companies' passive income when it is paid out as dividend. They also limited "the practice of “income sprinkling,” which involves paying income to family members, even if they don’t work for the business, so that business owners can avoid paying higher taxes".[24]
In the 2017 Canadian federal budget, excise duties on alcohol were increased by 2%, Uber became subject to the same taxes as taxis;[25] and tax benefits for public transit users, the tourism sector and employers who create childcare spaces were eliminated.[26]
Social policy
Abortion
Trudeau has stated that he wishes to form a party that is "resolutely pro-choice" and that potential Liberal candidates in the 2015 election who are anti-abortion would not be greenlighted for the nomination if they did not agree to vote pro-choice on abortion bills.[27] This stance was in line with a resolution passed by a majority of Liberal party members at its 2012 policy convention.[27] Trudeau's stance was criticized by conservative Catholics, with former MP Jim Karygiannis saying it will "definitely hurt the party",[28] and Toronto cardinal Thomas Collins writing to Trudeau urging him to reverse his ruling,[29] leading Trudeau to defend the position.[30]
Religious freedom
Trudeau has expressed opposition towards the proposed Quebec Charter of Values, a controversial charter in that province and elsewhere that among other things prohibited public sector employees from wearing or displaying "conspicuous" religious symbols, justifying that it would make the people of Quebec "choose between their freedom of religion and freedom of expression, freedom of conscience and their economic well-being and their acceptance in the workplace. That for me is a real concern."[31] Trudeau has remained on the sidelines of the debate regarding Quebec's Bill 21.[32]
Women's rights
Trudeau identifies as a feminist,[2] having stated, "I am a feminist. I'm proud to be a feminist," although his claim of being a feminist has been disputed.[33] Trudeau has also stated that "the Liberal Party is unequivocal in its defence of women's rights. We are the party of the Charter." After being sworn in as Prime Minister, when asked by a reporter why he felt gender parity was important when naming his cabinet, he replied, "Because it's 2015."[34] More recently, he has similarly answered to feminist organizations on social media that "On behalf of the Government of Canada, I am writing back to let you know that I wholeheartedly agree: Poverty is Sexist".[35]Then-Minister of Justice Jody Wilson-Raybould was mandated in the November 12 letter to introduce "government legislation to add gender identity as a prohibited ground for discrimination under Canadian law",[36] which was implemented in Bill C-16.[37]
In January 2018, in a speech at the World Economic Forum, Trudeau called for critical discussion on issues brought up by the Me Too movement.[38] Trudeau has also advocated a high standard and holds a "zero tolerance for sexual assault, harassment or other forms of misconduct by his employees or caucus colleagues".[39] As the leader of the Liberal Party, Trudeau initiated investigations on several Members of Parliament resulting in the dismissal of cabinet minister Kent Hehr, the resignation of MP Darshan Kang, and the suspension and later expulsion of MPs Scott Andrews and Massimo Pacetti.[40] In an interview, Trudeau explained that the zero tolerance standard applied to himself as well and stated, "I've been very, very careful all my life to be thoughtful, to be respectful of people's space and people's headspace as well."[41]
In an interview, Trudeau explained that the zero tolerance standard applied to himself as well, and stated, "I've been very, very careful all my life to be thoughtful, to be respectful of people's space and people's headspace as well."[42] However, in 2018, after it was revealed by a woman that a 'groping' incident occurred in 2000, Trudeau said there was no need to conduct an investigation into the allegation.[43] In March 2019, Liberal MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes resigned as a member of the Liberal caucus, citing that Trudeau shouted at her on the phone when she told him she would not like to run in the 2019 federal election. Caesar-Chavannes told The Globe and Mail that Trudeau shouted that she didn't appreciate him. As a result of this resignation, and the resignation of other prominent female liberal members of parliament Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott (who resigned from cabinet, but not from caucus following the SNC-Lavalin affair), opposition MPs, such as Candice Bergen, have accused Trudeau of being a "fake feminist".[44][45][46] In the April 2019 Daughters of the Vote event organized by Equal Voice Canada in the House of Commons, many of its delegates turned their backs when Trudeau spoke as a protest for his actions in the SNC-Lavalin Affair.[47]
LGBT rights
After the 2019 election, Trudeau directed his Minister of Justice and Attorney General, David Lametti, to prioritize banning conversion therapy under the criminal code.[48] The Liberals had previously deferred the issue to the provinces on February of that year, calling on them to ban it under their jurisdiction on healthcare, but began exploration on potential criminalization in the coming months. On September 29, 2019, the Liberals formally pledged to ban the practice for minors as a part of their platform, also vowing to work with provinces to eliminate it for adults.[49]
On March 9, 2020, Lemetti formally introduced a bill, though it would expire before being enacted due to Parliament being prorogued in August. On October 1, 2020 Lemetti re-introduced the bill, designed to create criminal offences for performing conversion therapy on a minor, forcing an adult to undergo it, removing a minor from Canada to undergo conversion therapy, while also prohibiting advertising or profiting of conversion therapy for both adults and minors.[50]
On July 3rd, 2016, Trudeau became the first sitting Canadian Prime Minister to march in a pride parade.[51]
Medically-assisted dying
In the November 12, 2015 mandate letter, Prime Minister Trudeau tasked Jody Wilson-Raybould—who was Minister of Justice and Attorney General from 2015 to January 2019—to work with Jane Philpott, then-Minister of Health, to "respond to the Supreme Court of Canada decision regarding physician-assisted death".[36] She tabled Bill C-14 (2016), which amended the Criminal Code to allow medical assistance in dying.[3][52] It received royal assent on June 17, 2016.
Environment policy
Climate change
During the 2015 campaign, Trudeau campaigned on increasing regulations for industries and increased action to respond to climate change. After being elected, prime minister Justin Trudeau outlined the Liberal government's Climate Action Plan:[53]
- “We will fulfil our G20 commitment and phase out subsidies for the fossil fuel industry over the medium-term.”
- “We will also work in partnership with the United States and Mexico to develop an ambitious North American clean energy and environmental agreement.”
- “Together, we will attend the Paris climate conference, and within 90 days formally meet to establish a pan-Canadian framework for combatting climate change.”
- “We will endow the Low Carbon Economy Trust with $2 billion in our mandate.”
Trudeau's first Minister of Foreign Affairs was Stéphane Dion. Dion is known as being very supportive of climate change policies. Catherine McKenna has been appointed Minister to the newly named Environment and Climate Change. McKenna is known for her legal work surrounding social justice. Trudeau and McKenna garnered the attention of the global media when they attended the COP21 summit in Paris.[54] Canada has committed to: arrest global temperature increase at 1.5 °C, phase out fossil fuels, financially support of clean energy, and assist developing countries to meet their targets.[53]
Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, Trudeau's national climate strategy, was released in August 2017.[55] Provincial premiers (except Saskatchewan and Manitoba) adopted the proposal on December 9, 2016.[56] Trudeau committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% before 2030, and to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.[4]
While the Liberal government has fulfilled many of its program commitments relating to climate change, environment commissioner Julie Gelfand described the country's lack of progress in reducing emissions as “disturbing" and noted that it was on track to miss its climate change targets.[53]
In 2019, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) released a report called Canada's Changing Climate Report (CCCR). It is essentially a summary of the IPCC 5th Assessment Report, customised for Canada.[57] The report states that coastal flooding is expected to increase in many areas due to global sea-level rise and local land subsidence or uplift.
Carbon pricing
The Parliament of Canada passed the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (GHGPPA)[58] in the fall of 2018 under Bill C-74.[59][60] The GHGPPA refers to charge or pricing instead of taxation. The charge which will rise to $50 per tonne of CO2 by 2022, begins at $20 in 2019[61] and increases by $10 per year until 2022.
Through the GHGPPA, provinces have the flexibility to create their own solutions to deal with GHG emissions in their own jurisdictions. Through the GHGPPA all provinces are required to place a minimum price of $20 a tonne of GHG emissions by January 1, 2019.[62] If their proposed system does not meet federal requirements or if the province or territory decides to not create their own system, the GHGPPA implements a regulatory fee. In provinces where a GHGPPA fee is levied, 90% of the revenues will be returned to tax-payers.[63] The carbon price is part of the Federal government's commitments to the Paris Agreement.[64][5]
Pipelines
A July 2020 Globe and Mail editorial said that, in spite of "long and ponderous", rigorous, regulatory reviews and a regulatory system that is "too slow" and the "high bar" that Canada sets for "meaningful Indigenous consultations", Canada, under Trudeau, has had more success in building pipelines than the United States under President Trump. By July 2020, the "all-Canadian" Trans Mountain expansion was under construction and it is expected to be in service by 2024. The Canadian section of Line 3 was completed while the "American section is in limbo". The northern section of Keystone XL pipeline is under construction but the American section is also in limbo.[65]
In a 2017 opinion piece in The Guardian, Bill McKibben wrote that Trudeau was "hard at work pushing for new pipelines through Canada and the US to carry yet more oil out of Alberta’s tar sands, which is one of the greatest climate disasters on the planet."[9] The provinces of Quebec and British Columbia have strongly opposed pipelines.[66][67]
On August 31, 2018, the Government of Canada purchased the "entities that control the existing Trans Mountain Pipeline, its Expansion Project and related assets for $4.4 billion" which was financed through a loan to CDEV, "an enterprise Crown corporation."[68]:21 The Government of Canada does not intend "to be a long-term owner of the Trans Mountain entities."[68]:21 By May 29 when the purchase was announced it was met with a "storm of criticism" from environmental groups, Indigenous leaders and opposition politicians.[69] The Green Party's Elizabeth May said it was an "historic blunder"; the president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs was "shocked and appalled."[69]
Environmental impact assessment
Bill C-69 repealed and replaced the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act with the Impact Assessment Act. Bill C-69 also replaced the National Energy Board with the Canadian Energy Regulator (CER). This law required that major infrastructure projects, such as highways, mines, and pipelines, go through a more rigorous regulatory process which includes more public consultations, better consultations with First Nations, and taking into account other broad considerations such as climate change in the decision to go forward with a project or not.[8]
The Bill was heavily criticized by Conservatives and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, who feared that the new regulations would stifle investments to natural resources extraction in Canada. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney dubbed it the "No pipeline bill". However, University professors Martin Olszynski and Mark S. Winfield believe these criticisms to be overblown. Winfred point out that these new regulatory framework is much weaker than the one that existed for 40 years in Canada before it was axed in 2012. The bill brings back some of the consultation requirements from that period, but according to Winfield, "the legislation is a relatively minor adjustment to what already existed". In fact, Olszynski believes that this bill would make it easier for projects to go forward, as project critics would be included in the decision-making process, and thus less likely to resort to litigation to make their voices heard.[6]
Marine protection
Bill C-55, a marine protection bill amended requirements under the Oceans Act regarding what constituted marine protected areas. The Liberals, the Green Party and the NDP approved the bill and the Conservative Party was opposed.[6] Bill C-68 restored provisions in the Fisheries Act, which protects more thoroughly fish habitat that Stephen Harper's government had removed in the 2012 Bill C-38—Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act.[70][71] The new Canadian Navigable Waters Act changed what constitutes 'navigable water'.[72]
Single use plastic
In October 2020, Trudeau's government announced it would ban 6 common single-use plastic items in Canada by the end of 2021. The list includes plastic grocery bags, straws, stir sticks, six-pack rings, cutlery and food containers made from hard-to-recycle plastics.[73]
Immigration
In 2017, the Liberal government announced Canada would welcome nearly one million immigrants over the next three years. The number of migrants will climb to 310,000 in 2018, up from 300,000 in 2017. That number was projected to rise to 330,000 in 2019, then 340,000 in 2020 and 350,000 by 2021.[74][75][76][11]
Refugees
The headlines made by the body of Alan Kurdi on a beach of Turkey in September 2015 made a significant turnover during the 2015 campaign. Then-candidate Trudeau made a plea that under his premiership, Canada would accept 25,000 refugees in Canada.[10] One month after taking office, the first plane of refugees was landing at Pearson airport in Toronto. Trudeau and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne were there to welcome arriving refugees.[77]
Trudeau has also advocated and supported open border immigration that starkly contrasts President Trump, publicly announcing "To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada", one day after Trump's executive order banning refugees and visitors from Muslim-majority countries Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.[78] In winter 2017, soon after President Trump took office in Washington, many Haitians who were in the United States due to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti decided to pass through the border in upstate New York to cross into Quebec. Afraid of being deported to Haiti, many decided to come illegally to Canada in hope of a better life. The RCMP, the Custom Agency and the Army set up a temporary camp in Lacolle, Quebec, in order to regulate the influx of people trying to come into Canada. As the Canadian government recognized the United States as a safe country for immigrants, they would not be taken as refugees if they arrived at a custom border from the United States. As a result, they needed to pass through illegally to be able to request refugee status. Both the Conservatives and NDP oppositions asked the government, both for different reasons, to stop the influx of Refugee claimants from Roxham Road in Lacolle.[79]
Trudeau's government has also objected to the term "illegal border crossers". There has been an influx of overland illegal border crossings, and conflict between the Federal government and the Ontario government over how to provide housing for the incoming migrants.[80][81]
Indigenous people
Trudeau met with hundreds of chiefs at the Assembly of First Nations on December 7, 2015, and laid out his philosophy and commitments to Indigenous peoples in Canada, to assure their "constitutionally guaranteed rights ... a sacred obligation". In brief,[82] he promised to rescind government policies that are in conflict with their rights, make a significant investment in education programs, increase general funding, and launch an enquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women. Trudeau also indicated that the new government would implement all of the recommendations made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.[83][84]
Trudeau has previously said that he would respect a First Nations community's wishes regarding pipeline construction on their territory.[85] Some First Nations leaders, including a councillor for the Squamish First Nation and prominent Mi’kmaw lawyer Pam Palmater have stated that they believe Trudeau's purchase of the Trans Mountain Pipeline violates this promise.[85][86]
Marijuana
Trudeau first publicly expressed an interest in the legalization of marijuana while speaking at a rally in Kelowna, B.C. on June 24, 2013. He told a crowd, "I'm actually not in favour of decriminalizing cannabis. I'm in favour of legalizing it. Tax it, regulate. It's one of the only ways to keep it out of the hands of our kids because the current war on drugs, the current model is not working. We have to use evidence and science to make sure we're moving forward on that."[87]
In an interview in August 2013, Trudeau said that the last time he had used marijuana was in 2010, after he had become a Member of Parliament: "We had a few good friends over for a dinner party, our kids were at their grandmother's for the night, and one of our friends lit a joint and passed it around. I had a puff."[88][89][90] After analysing the results of the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, Trudeau reiterated his position in favour of the legalization in Canada, saying that Canadians would benefit from analysing the experiences of both Colorado and the state of Washington.[91]
After the Liberal party formed the government in November 2015, with Trudeau as prime minister, he announced that a federal-provincial-territorial process was being created to discuss a jointly suitable process for the legalization of marijuana possession for recreational purposes. The plan is to remove marijuana consumption and incidental possession from the Criminal Code; however, new laws will be enacted for greater punishment of those convicted of supplying pot to minors and for impairment while driving a motor vehicle.[92] By late November 2015, Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould said that she and the ministers of Health and Public Safety were working on specifics as to the legislation.[93] In April 2016, the Trudeau government announced that it would aim to introduce legislation to legalize cannabis in Spring 2017.[94]
The legislation to legalize cannabis for recreational use (Cannabis Act, Bill C-45) was passed by the House of Commons of Canada in late November 2017; it passed second reading in the Senate of Canada on March 22, 2018.[95] On June 18, 2018, the House passed the bill with most, but not all, of the Senate's amendments.[96] The Senate accepted this version of the Act the following day.[97] Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the next day that recreational use of cannabis would no longer violate criminal law as of October 17, 2018.[12] As of October 17, 2018, cannabis is legal in Canada for both recreational and medicinal use.
On October 17, the first day of legalization, the Government of Canada announced that it intends to grant pardons to Canadians convicted of simple cannabis possession charges.[98]
Senate nominations reform
Trudeau has long advocated changes that would make the Senate of Canada a less partisan house. In January 2014, he announced a step that began reducing Senate partisanship by removing Liberal senators from the Liberal caucus.[99]
On December 5, 2015, after his appointment as prime minister, the new government's democratic institutions minister, Maryam Monsef, with House leader Dominic LeBlanc, announced a major overhaul of the appointment process, as Trudeau had promised during the election campaign. The new system consists of five board members—three federal appointees and two from the relevant province—who will pick independent candidates, not officially affiliated with any political party, based on merit,[100] a similar concept to the Advisory Committee on Vice-Regal Appointments.
The stated goal of the December 2015 reform, was to improve the effectiveness of the Senate which had been, according to Monsef, "hampered by its reputation as a partisan institution". She indicated that this reform would not require an amendment to the constitution. The advisory board was expected to have been appointed by the end of December 2015. The criteria for appointment to the Senate would be "outstanding personal qualities that include integrity and ethics and experience in public life, community service or leadership in their field of expertise". At the time of the announcement, there were 17 Senate vacancies and these were expected to be filled by the end of 2016.[101]
Vegreville Processing Centre
In 2017, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada decided to close the processing centre in Vegreville, Alberta, and to relocate the centre to Edmonton. The community of 5,000 people, located about 100 km east of Edmonton, decided to fight back against the decision. 280 people work at the centre, and according to Global News, 2/3 of the workers would quit instead of moving west to Edmonton.[102] The battle against the closure of the Vegreville Processing Centre is supported by the Rural Canada Matters movement.[103]
Phoenix pay system
The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) conducted two reports, one if 2017[104] and another in 2018[105] reviewing the Phoenix Pay System—a payroll processing system for Canadian federal government employees that is run by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) which has been controversial for a number of years—[105][104] The 2018 report said that the Phoenix system was an "'incomprehensible failure' of project management and oversight."[106] Then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper had introduced the system as part of his 2009 Transformation of Pay Administration Initiative, to replace Canada's 40-year old system with a new improved, cost-saving "automated, off-the-shelf commercial system." By 2018, Phoenix has caused pay problems to over 50 percent of the federal government's 290,000 public servants through underpayments, over-payments, and non-payments.[107] In the same year the Senator Percy Mockler's Standing Senate Committee on National Finance report on Phoenix Pay Problem called Phoenix an "international embarrassment"[107] and that fixing Phoenix's problems could be up to $2.2 billion by 2023 instead of saving $70 million a year as originally planned by the Harper government.[107] In May 2019, the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) predicted that the Phoenix replacement—which will save millions—will not be operational until 2023.[106]
COVID-19 pandemic response
Justin Trudeau was Prime Minister during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. His government's response to the Pandemic included funds for provinces and territories to adapt to the new situation, funds for coronavirus research, travel restrictions, screening of international flights, self-insolation orders under the Quarantine Act, an industrial strategy, and a public health awareness campaign. To deal with the economic impact of the pandemic, Trudeau temporarily waved student loans payments for a few months –calling them in as at 30 September 2020, increased the Canada Child Benefit, doubled the annual Goods and Services Tax payment, and introduced the Canada Emergency Response Benefit as part of the first package in March. In April 2020, Trudeau introduced the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, the Canada Emergency Business Account, and the Canada Emergency Student Benefit. On April 30, Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux issued a report projecting the federal deficit for the fiscal year 2020 could be in excess of $252 billion, based on nearly $146 billion in spending on federal aid measures.[108] Trudeau also deployed the Canadian armed forces in long-term care homes for contingency planning in Quebec and Ontario as part of Operation LASER.
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