Trudeau did me a real solid by resigning. 2015 was the last time I voted Liberal and I’d since vowed never to vote for a Liberal under Trudeau again until electoral reform was delivered. If everything else today was identical but swap Carney with still Trudeau, I’d be seriously conflicted.
I think I have a pretty even-handed opinion about him that fairly considers his strengths and failings overall. But I can never see still having FPTP as anything less than a cynical, partisan betrayal of the nation. It is the singularly important time that he chose to rule rather than represent, and by extension denied Canada our best chance to rehabilitate our own demons. Instead, the reasserted disenfranchisement powered growing anti-establishment movements that aren’t even completely wrong while they threaten our very core values.
Addendum: to clarify, I’m not saying I think he deliberately put party over country. His choices and conclusions, however, demonstrated motivated reasoning at its finest. I think history has already proven him wrong. And while his own views evolved enough that he could acknowledge his mistake, he still didn’t try to fix it.
Trudeau did me a real solid by resigning. 2015 was the last time I voted Liberal and I’d since vowed never to vote for a Liberal
It’s okay to revise your plans based on changing facts – or a fucking pandemic forcing vote-calculus to take a back seat to food. I’d hate to see you honour a cheque written solely by pride.
I think that’s a gross mischaracterization. Commitment to keeping your word is not solely a matter of pride. At best having to break your word suggests a need for greater care in giving it.
I share your conflicted feelings about Trudeau’s legacy. The electoral reform betrayal wasn’t just another broken promise - it was indeed a “cynical, partisan betrayal of the nation” that continues to damage our democracy.
Your point about Trudeau choosing to “rule rather than represent” cuts to the heart of the issue. When he had a historic opportunity to strengthen Canadian democracy, he prioritized partisan advantage over democratic principles.
I completely agree that this failure has fueled the very anti-establishment sentiments threatening our core values. When millions feel their votes don’t matter, democratic legitimacy suffers.
What’s particularly frustrating, as you noted, is that even after Trudeau evolved enough to acknowledge his mistake, he still made no effort to correct it. His 2024 admission that Liberals were “deliberately vague” about electoral reform reveals this wasn’t just motivated reasoning but calculated deception.
In a democracy, citizens deserve representation. Trudeau’s failure to deliver that basic principle will remain a significant stain on his legacy.
This conversation has inspired me to generalize my vow, in a manner that I think I can comfortably advocate for all Canadians regardless of partisan affiliation:
No MP under a party leader who has held majority government for at least one year shall be considered eligible for my vote under a FPTP electoral system.
If you get a shot and you don’t take it, you’re out.
Trudeau did me a real solid by resigning. 2015 was the last time I voted Liberal and I’d since vowed never to vote for a Liberal under Trudeau again until electoral reform was delivered. If everything else today was identical but swap Carney with still Trudeau, I’d be seriously conflicted.
I think I have a pretty even-handed opinion about him that fairly considers his strengths and failings overall. But I can never see still having FPTP as anything less than a cynical, partisan betrayal of the nation. It is the singularly important time that he chose to rule rather than represent, and by extension denied Canada our best chance to rehabilitate our own demons. Instead, the reasserted disenfranchisement powered growing anti-establishment movements that aren’t even completely wrong while they threaten our very core values.
Addendum: to clarify, I’m not saying I think he deliberately put party over country. His choices and conclusions, however, demonstrated motivated reasoning at its finest. I think history has already proven him wrong. And while his own views evolved enough that he could acknowledge his mistake, he still didn’t try to fix it.
It’s okay to revise your plans based on changing facts – or a fucking pandemic forcing vote-calculus to take a back seat to food. I’d hate to see you honour a cheque written solely by pride.
I think that’s a gross mischaracterization. Commitment to keeping your word is not solely a matter of pride. At best having to break your word suggests a need for greater care in giving it.
I share your conflicted feelings about Trudeau’s legacy. The electoral reform betrayal wasn’t just another broken promise - it was indeed a “cynical, partisan betrayal of the nation” that continues to damage our democracy.
Your point about Trudeau choosing to “rule rather than represent” cuts to the heart of the issue. When he had a historic opportunity to strengthen Canadian democracy, he prioritized partisan advantage over democratic principles.
I completely agree that this failure has fueled the very anti-establishment sentiments threatening our core values. When millions feel their votes don’t matter, democratic legitimacy suffers.
What’s particularly frustrating, as you noted, is that even after Trudeau evolved enough to acknowledge his mistake, he still made no effort to correct it. His 2024 admission that Liberals were “deliberately vague” about electoral reform reveals this wasn’t just motivated reasoning but calculated deception.
In a democracy, citizens deserve representation. Trudeau’s failure to deliver that basic principle will remain a significant stain on his legacy.
This conversation has inspired me to generalize my vow, in a manner that I think I can comfortably advocate for all Canadians regardless of partisan affiliation:
If you get a shot and you don’t take it, you’re out.
Nice! And if you need more ideas, get started with this link: Simple things you can do right now, to grow the proportional representation movement—so we never have to vote for the lesser of the evils, have a two party system, “split the vote”, or strategic vote.