Liberals must be bold in Year 2

Ayear ago today, the Trudeau Liberals scored a remarkable victory, far bigger than almost anyone had predicted when the election campaign began 11 long weeks earlier.

A lot of factors went into that triumph — not least the “sunny ways” personality of the party leader himself. But at the top of the list was surely the boldness of the Liberals’ approach, their willingness to break with economic orthodoxy and capture the mood of the moment.

As the Liberals prepare to start their second year in office, they should keep that basic truth firmly in mind. It’s easy for any government to let the day-to-day exercise of power grind it down, to make it defensive or overly cautious. But the Liberals got to the enviable position they now enjoy by taking calculated risks and not shying away from bold action when necessary. The same spirit should guide them if they want a successful Year 2.

The government has had many successes in its first year; it has earned its continuing long honeymoon with voters. But lately there have been worrisome signs of dithering in important areas, with endless “consultation” on every imaginable issue replacing action.

With that in mind, here’s an agenda we’d like to see as the Trudeau government enters its second year:

First, make sure the ethical hiccups of the first year are not repeated. The mini-scandals over spending by the health minister and top aides to the prime minister were relatively small potatoes. But that kind of thing must not happen again or public perception of the Liberals is bound to change, and not in a good way. Make sure everyone in government gets that message, loud and clear.

Reassert federal leadership in health care. There’s a crying need for more money in areas such as home-care, as health costs rise and the population ages. The government has promised to put an extra $3 billion over four years into services designed to keep people healthy and in their own homes as long as possible. But already the provinces are starting to complain that Ottawa wants to impose too many conditions. Health Minister Jane Philpott should hang tough. Simply handing over cash won’t buy change. The federal government should insist on national standards in this area.

Get pharmacare on the national agenda. This is a big one, but the lack of a program to cover prescription drug costs for many people is a gaping hole in our health-care system. The Liberals have been disturbingly silent on this issue, but it’s time for them to speak up. Federal leadership is badly needed to start a serious discussion.

Fix Bill C-51, the fatally flawed antiterror bill. The Liberals promised to scrap the most objectionable parts of the law, but after a full year they’ve taken no action. Instead, they announced a public consultation last month on security issues. It’s fine to consult, but this looks too much like a stalling tactic. The government should lose no time in doing away with the provisions of C-51 that clearly violate the Constitution.

Match rhetoric with action in fixing relations with indigenous people. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau put reconciliation at the centre of his agenda, but the government has conspicuously failed to act in several areas. It has fallen short in funding child welfare on First Nations reserves, for example, and continues to fight class action lawsuits filed by victims of the infamous “Sixties Scoop.” The government should break decisively with old policies and fulfil its promise of true reconciliation. And it needs to show concrete results in improving water, housing and education on reserves.

Make sure the second phase of the government’s vaunted infrastructure spending plan lives up to its advance billing. This is the part of the plan that’s supposed to focus on improving long-term productivity and trade access. This is an unimpeachable goal, but it risks bogging down in vague business-speak and being held hostage to regional rivalries. Done right, it could be one of the most important things the Liberals accomplish. But that will take the kind of discipline that’s rare from any government.

Don’t shy away from setting robust immigration targets. Some polls suggest there’s a public backlash against immigration, but the truth is Canada needs more newcomers to sustain growth in the future as our own birth rate sags. One recent study finds we will need to raise annual immigration targets over 400,000 just to maintain the labour force and keep growth rates up. When the government announces its target for 2017, it should listen to the experts, not the rumbles in the background.

Do away with what’s left of the Harper government’s “tough on crime” agenda. The courts have chipped away at the Conservatives’ misguided crackdown on the nation’s non-existent crime wave. They have struck down such measures as mandatory minimum sentences for certain crimes, which undercut the power of judges to tailor punishments to fit the circumstances of each offender. The government has been largely content to stand by while the courts act, but that isn’t good enough. It should revise laws that are needlessly punitive or discriminatory, such as the mandatory victim surcharge that unfairly penalizes the poorest offenders.

Show how Canada can meet its commitments on climate change. The government demonstrated admirable leadership this month when it announced it will impose a minimum national price on carbon starting in 2018, even though some provinces loudly objected. That may be the easy part, however. Soon Ottawa must decide on whether to allow expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline from Alberta to Vancouver. It’s probably the most defensible major pipeline project around, but if it goes along the government will have to explain how approving it can be compatible with reducing Canada’s carbon footprint over time. That won’t be an easy sell.

A French statesman once famously observed that gouverner, c’est choisir — to govern is to choose. The Liberals made a bold choice a little over a year ago not to accept the Harper orthodoxy of small government, and voters rewarded them with a solid majority.

If they stick to that path during their second year they have a good chance of keeping voters on their side. But if they lose their nerve, all bets are off.

Justin Trudeau needs to get pharmacare on the national agenda. The lack of a program to cover prescription drug costs for many people is a gaping hole in our health-care system