RESTREPO: The case for the Canadian Future Party
Mark Carney’s ascension to the PMO left a moderate political startup looking a little empty-handed. Once he began to bring Canada back to the centre, after years of our most progressive government ever proving woefully unprepared for a world suddenly in turmoil, the shift was stark. Jumpstarting defence spending, cutting immigration, and building new pipelines are exactly what we at the Canadian Future Party have been screaming for from the nosebleeds of the political scene.
“So why not go with the flow and join the winning side in the executive suite?”
Believe me, I’ve been tempted.
The Liberal machine is a force to be reckoned with; shape-shifters that would make a chameleon blush. As much as I can see myself among the Carney Liberals, how long before they are once again led by a Justin Trudeau-style figure, the very kind who pushed me out of the party? It’s easy to forget, after so many years of Trudeau Jr., that this left-to-centre shift is hardly uncommon for a party that has been led by progressives and neoliberals alike, often in rapid succession.
When Canadians tire of that trademark Liberal grit and arrogance, we’ll take the next election to humble them into a minority situation—leaving government in the hands of either the NDP or the Bloc Québécois, both ultimately progressive forces. With ideological kingmakers like these, minority parliaments are often messy, bound to collapse or clash at any given moment.
Shouldn’t the balance of power belong to someone who will hold government accountable to improving our institutions and democracy, not the fringe minority of socialists and separatists who have no interest in responsible governance?
As a small country with only a handful of political parties, Canada naturally hosts some big tents. That can make for a delicate balancing act—one the Conservatives have demonstrated they don’t remotely understand (see Poilievre’s “Liberal insiders” comment about fellow Conservatives in B.C.).
Regardless of their actual beliefs, party leaders are constantly forced to give concessions to a base or faction, betraying the majority of Canadians to protect their own skin. Carney is still beholden to the remaining progressives; Poilievre, to the social cons. A more diverse parliament is more reflective of the Canadian people, even if it means complicated coalitions, it limits factions to their true size and ensures due representation.
As Western politics slips more comfortably into rule by the loudest voices—which are more often than not the extremist ones—real moderation in power becomes a defence against those forces becoming absolute. I believe the Canadian Future Party has an opportunity to end this two-party-plus cycle by branding itself as a viable third option that Canadians can trust to keep the house in order, without pretending we can instantly become a major player.
Everybody wants to back a winner, right? I did admit to being tempted. Carney is more or less doing what I’ve been dreaming of for the last few years. But should the world remain on its disaster course, we can’t afford to build a moderate movement out of the ashes, we need to have one ready to meet the moment.
In the meantime? We will keep building and fighting to make Canada the world’s northern democratic superpower.
P.S. If you live in Beaches–East York, we’ll be running there! Please consider following along and voting for our candidate, Cameron Thomas, in the upcoming by-election.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The Provincial Times. Read our Content Policy here.
