Upside Down Canada under the Trudeau Government

Vancouver, BC – Written December 4th, 2023 – Since 2015, many policies have changed on a federal level that make Canada the opposite of what it used to be. The following list highlights some key changes or decisions made by the Trudeau government in Canada after 2015.

1. Legalization of Cannabis:

• In 2018, Canada became the first G7 country to legalize recreational cannabis. The Cannabis Act, enacted by the Trudeau government, allows adults to possess and use cannabis for recreational purposes. This move marked a significant departure from the previous approach to marijuana use. Combine this with a focus on safer supply: Safer supply services provide prescribed medications to people who use drugs, overseen by a health care practitioner, with the goal of preventing overdoses and saving lives, as described by the canada website.

2. Carbon Pricing:

• The Trudeau government implemented a carbon pricing system, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by putting a price on carbon. This approach has faced opposition from some provinces and critics who argue that it places a financial burden on businesses and consumers. According to the wheat growers website “Canadian farmers are already incredibly efficient and green. Farmers take CO2 out of the atmosphere by planting crops. A carbon tax on fuels means they will simply produce less. That will mean more imports from other countries. And consumers will be hit with higher prices and lower GDP as farmers export less.”

3. Changes to Immigration Policies:

The government made several changes to immigration policies, including an increase in immigration levels. While some view this as a positive step toward addressing labor market needs and demographic challenges, others express concerns about potential impacts on infrastructure and job markets. One particular “bone of contention” controversy is “The NextStar EV battery factory, a partnership between Stellantis and LG Energy Solution, (who) received about $15 billion in subsidies from the federal and provincial governments, according to CBC, and is now hiring about 1,600 South Korean workers instead of Canadians to set up the electrical vehicle batter plant.

4. Deficit Spending:

• The Trudeau government pursued deficit spending as part of its economic policy, aiming to invest in infrastructure and stimulate economic growth. This approach has been praised by some for addressing economic challenges, but criticized by others who argue that it may contribute to a growing national debt.
• According to the MEI “The federal government’s gross debt has increased by 50% since the start of the Trudeau government’s first mandate, shows an Economic Note published this morning by the Montreal Economic Institute” and “The gross debt corresponds to all of the federal government’s debts and unfunded financial commitments. It totalled over $1.8 trillion on March 31, 2022, or $47,179 per Canadian.

5. Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples:

• The government has taken steps to address historical injustices and improve relations with Indigenous peoples. This includes the launch of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and various initiatives aimed at reconciliation. While these efforts have been lauded by some, there are ongoing debates about the effectiveness of these measures.
• Trudeau’s government pledged $1.8-billion toward providing clean drinking water and set March, 2021, as the deadline to end all advisories, but as it is now 2023 and there are still drinking water advisories around, they are not going to make even this year. Some say 2025. Some think 2026. Priority should go to the
• As of March 22, 2023, 138 long-term drinking water advisories have been lifted in First Nations communities. Work is ongoing in 28 First Nations communities to resolve the remaining 32 long-term water advisories, and over 245 short-term drinking water advisories have been prevented from becoming long-term. Neskantaga First Nation, a remote reserve in northwestern Ontario, has been under a boil-water advisory since 1995, the longest in Canada, and, despite attempts at repairs, its treatment plant is still not working properly.

5. Declared a state of emergency to stop protesters

The public order emergency declared by the federal government on February 14, 2022, granted the Government the authority to apply the following temporary measures:

• Regulating and prohibiting public assemblies, including blockades, other than lawful advocacy, protest or dissent
• Regulating the use of specified property, including goods to be used with respect to a blockade
• Designating and securing places where blockades are to be prohibited (e.g. borders, approaches to borders, other critical infrastructure)
• Directing specified persons to render essential services to relieve impacts of blockades on Canada’s economy
• Authorizing or directing specified financial institutions to render essential services to relieve the impact of blockades, including by regulating and prohibiting the use of property to fund or support the blockades
• Measures with respect to authorizing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to enforce municipal and provincial laws by means of incorporation by reference
• The imposition of fines or imprisonment for contravening on any of the measures declared under this public order emergency
• According to the Financial Post, Temporary measures under the Emergencies Act will give Canadian banks the ability to freeze funds suspected of being directed to the protests without a court order and will protect them from legal retribution. In addition, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said the new powers give institutions the ability to freeze corporate accounts and cancel insurance tied to trucks that are being used in the blockades.”

6. Bill C18 and Bill C11

From Justice Department of Canada: Many Canadians access news content through digital intermediaries. Bill C-18 would enact the Online News Act (the Act), which proposes a regime to regulate digital platforms that act as intermediaries in Canada’s news media ecosystem in order to enhance fairness in the Canadian digital news market. The Bill introduces a new bargaining framework intended to support news businesses to secure fair compensation when their news content is made available by dominant digital news intermediaries and generates economic gain. It seeks to support balanced negotiations between the businesses that operate dominant digital news intermediaries and the businesses responsible for the news outlets that produce this news content. If one party initiates it, a final offer arbitration process would be used as a last resort to address scenarios in which negotiated agreements are not reached. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (the Commission) would support and oversee the administration of the regime.