With Trudeau re-elected, there are long years ahead – by Conrad Black (National Post – November 2, 2019)

https://nationalpost.com/

The complacent tenor of the government’s successful re-election campaign was based on Canada’s superior quality of life, the skill of its people, and the stability of its institutions. That is certainly the moderate left’s view and the governing Liberals carried this message and it was, in electoral terms, ratified.

The somewhat-less-enthused Conservatives led in the popular vote, but the non-regional parties of the left, Liberals, New Democrats and Greens, while having lots of suggestions of how to be more “progressive” and go farther left, were unanimous in their view that more redistributive activity by the government — taking money from people who had earned it and redeploying it to the benefit (and electoral gratitude) of those who hadn’t — would make Canada even more paradisiacal than it already is.

Even the capable head of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, an innovative think-tank and centre of debate, Brian Lee Crowley, writing in this newspaper on Tuesday, declared that the core of conservatism was gratitude for Canada’s comfort, civility and attainments, although he rightly decried the failure to make more progress with natives’ issues, and the sluggishness about delivering oil and gas to export points and to satisfy domestic demand.

There is much to be thankful for and I am one of the outspoken advocates of making Canadians more aware that Canada has an astoundingly successful history, from the brave explorers, some of whom, such as La Vérendrye and the d’Ibervilles, were born in Canada, to those who developed Canadian institutions, to the leading figures of Canada’s development from a new Dominion in 1867 to a G7 country today.

It is easy to assume that with half of a rich continent, and a neighbour which, whatever abrasions may occur, has been comparatively peaceable and a receptive and immense market, it was easy to build Canada.

For the rest of this column: https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/election-2019/conrad-black-with-trudeau-re-elected-there-are-long-years-ahead