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Joe Oliver: Liberal party culture is past its best-by date
Joe Oliver
Thu, August 10, 2023 at 6:00 a.m. GMT-4·4 min read
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0810 kn trudeau.KN.jpg
Philip Cross and I recently wrote articles on the same FP Comment page discussing Liberal culture’s negative influence on Canada’s economic growth. His focus was on entrepreneurship and innovation while mine treated climate-change catastrophism. We both described how culture can undermine fact-based analysis, rational decision-making and the economic well-being of ordinary Canadians.

Culture’s influence is pervasive and extends to human rights, sexual identity, the justice system, the military, historicity, race relations, national aspirations and more. Its power and influence may be benign and unifying, but it can also be manipulated by fear, virtue signalling, intolerance of dissent, financial inducements and the old standbys of mis- and dis-information.

Culture does not change by happenstance. In Canada, the prime driver over the past eight years has been federal government policies and rhetoric, led by the scold-in-chief, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He has been advocating a toxic brew of isms — socialism, progressivism, globalism and wokeism — that, paradoxically, do not actually reflect the preferences or self-interest of most Canadians, not even of all members of the Liberal party and caucus.

A large majority of Canadians support same-sex marriage and believe gay and trans people should be treated fairly and with dignity. However, they are uncomfortable when children are exposed to drag-queen performances and sexually explicit literature pushing an ideological agenda. They don’t have trouble defining “woman,” which was beyond the ken of U.S. Supreme Court justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, when she was asked to do so during her confirmation hearing. They generally do not believe that men who transition should be allowed to compete with biological women in competitive sports. Most oppose surgery and puberty blockers for children and teenagers with gender dysphoria, especially without parental consent or even knowledge.

Canadians acknowledge that convicted prisoners should be treated humanely, but they give priority to victims’ rights, to which the government often seems indifferent. In that regard, the government’s acquiescence in Paul Bernardo’s move to a medium-security prison speaks volumes. The “catch-and-release” approach to bail for repeat violent offenders demonstrates that the justice system gives short shrift to public safety. Yet police-reported crime is on the rise, with violent crime at its highest level since 2007, which new Justice Minister Arif Virani has tried to deny.

Canadians are proud of our men and women in uniform and are embarrassed by well-founded accusations levelled at us by our allies for being a freeloader whose leader criticizes countries that do not live up to his virtue signalling. According to an Ipsos poll, “Three-quarters of Canadians believe Canada should increase its defence spending to ensure it can protect Canadian territory and sovereignty.”

Canadians generally do not support activists who tear down statues of prominent figures for alleged transgressions of contemporary norms. They recognize past instances of racism and discrimination and harmful treatment of Indigenous peoples. But they do not agree with the prime minister that Canada is systemically racist and committed genocide. Moreover, whether familiar or not with critical race theory, Canadians reject neo-Marxist doctrine that Caucasians are inevitably and irredeemably white supremacists and that people of colour are perpetual victims, irrespective of their personal histories and behaviour. Rather, they believe, with much supporting evidence, that Canada is a remarkably tolerant society, envied and admired for welcoming diversity. It is unhelpful for social peace or the integration of immigrants that newcomers are portrayed as targets of Canadian racism — an obvious point that nevertheless seems to have escaped Justin Trudeau, who pursues partisan advantage promoting a divisive narrative.

Canadians worry about inflation and the national debt and wonder where all the public money went, with so little to show for it. They are aware we are steadily falling behind other developed countries, most obviously the U.S., but may not understand that on our current path our long-term prospects are also grim. Most want to believe in Wilfred Laurier’s vision that “For the next 100 years, Canada shall be the star towards which all men who love progress and freedom shall come.” Yet in progressive circles the very word “freedom” is denigrated as a right-wing obsession or code for some nefarious objective, an attitude which would astonish and appall those tens of thousands of Canadians who made the ultimate sacrifice for the country they loved.

We are in the grip of climate-change catastrophism

Canada’s anti-business culture undermines growth

By opposing economic growth, global progressives oppose progress

While entrenched cultural beliefs and ideological fads are resistant to facts and reason, there is hope for a return to normalcy. The European energy crisis has created a “greenlash,” including resistance to ESG policies, with parallels in several American blue states. In this country, opinion polls indicate the Liberal government may be in its death throes as the desire for change grows in a silent majority that is mad as Hell and won’t take it anymore. This national awakening is demanding the rot stop now and so that Canada can reclaim its glorious potential. And none too soon.

Joe Oliver was minister of natural resources and minister of finance in the Harper government.