The CAQ may run a majority government but it is one with very shallow roots in Montreal, which is also the current epicentre of the pandemic. Earlier this week, the prime minister sounded very much like a politician who had started to give some thoughts to a post-pandemic public policy agenda.But when the time comes for action, the real test of Trudeau’s ambitions will take place not in the House of Commons — whether he controls it or not — but at the federal-provincial table.No one should mistake the current co-operation between first ministers for a sudden conversion by the majority of premiers to the notion of a larger role for the federal government in the social affairs of the federation.And then, the recent history of third consecutive terms at the federal level is at best a lacklustre one.Those of Pierre Trudeau, Jean Chrétien and Harper all featured more decay than actual purpose. About See All. It is not necessary to subscribe to the horse-before-the-cart speculation about a snap federal election this fall to know that once Canada really is in post-pandemic territory, pressure will be on Justin Trudeau to cash in his electoral chips and make a … Despite long-standing government promises to the contrary, effective home care is still largely missing in action in most of the country.But whether any of those necessary discussions would really be advanced by the winner-take-all exercise of a federal election is an open question.
People who are born with Mars as the ruling planet have beauty, charm and sensuality. Reach her via email: Chantal Hébert is an Ottawa-based freelance contributing columnist covering politics for the Star. Chantal Hébert. As often as not, the opposite is true.A decade ago, Harper led a minority Conservative government through the global financial crisis.If anything, the need for his government to secure some opposition buy-in for his proposals almost certainly resulted in a better plan for the country.The minority status of his government also helped Harper bring the fiscal hawks within his own party around to a full load of stimulus spending.Similarly, there is no evidence that Trudeau’s minority status has hampered his capacity to manage the pandemic crisis.Indeed, it is hard to think of a more effective antidote to partisan tunnel vision than a compulsory dose of opposition input.Among the four larger provinces, only British Columbia is run by a minority government these days. She is a Senior Fellow of Massey College at the University of Toronto and hold an honorary doctorate from Bishop's University. Reach her via email: Log In. It is becoming more obvious by the day that Legault’s government does not have a firm grasp on the situation in his province’s metropolis.And then, a key argument for a swift post-pandemic return to the polls federally is that the crisis has rendered moot whatever agendas the parties brought to last fall’s campaign.There is no doubt the post-COVID-19 political conversation will bear little resemblance to the one the pandemic interrupted two months ago.We need to talk about the glaring holes the crisis has exposed in Canada’s social safety net and determine if it is due for a major overhaul rather than just some punctual mending.It would be worth exploring whether long term care facilities should be brought under the public umbrella rather than remain open to private, for-profit ownership. There is no doubt that insecurity on that front will be with Canadians for some time after the COVID-19 pandemic has abated.By this time next year, Trudeau will be 18 months into his second term. Chantal Hébert is a national affairs writer with the Toronto Star and a guest columnist for Le Devoir and L'Actualité. Ms Hébert began her career in Toronto as a reporter for the regional newsroom of Radio-Canada in 1975 before moving on to Parliament Hill for Radio-Canada … She is a weekly participant on the political panel At Issue on the CBC's The National as well as Radio-Canada's Les Coulisses du pouvoir.Ms Hébert began her career in Toronto as a reporter for the regional newsroom of Radio-Canada in 1975 before moving on to Parliament Hill for Radio-Canada radio. Alma mater: Glendon College, York: Occupation: Writer; journalist; political commentator; Notable work. It is not necessary to subscribe to the horse-before-the-cart speculation about a snap federal election this fall to know that once Canada really is in post-pandemic territory, pressure will be on Justin Trudeau to cash in his electoral chips and make a bid for a governing majority.