Canada Elections: Quick Thoughts

I don’t know much about Canadian politics, but I can reflect on politics in general. The Liberals have won a fourth term, and they have one man to thank: Trump. His trade war, combined with his declaration that Canada would become the 51st state and his desire to expand America—outright stating ambitions like acquiring Canada’s water supply—united Canadians against him. This fostered a sense of nationalism that played a crucial role. Canada’s biggest trading partner is America, so any trade war against it was bound to hurt. Mark Carney also emerged as a pivotal figure, stepping up at a moment when strong leadership was needed. The Liberals were facing certain defeat, trailing by over 25 points just months ago. What seemed like inevitable loss turned into a minority government, much like in 2021. This time, however, the Trump factor is why Mark Carney is now Prime Minister.

The Conservatives, on the other hand, lost due to their close alignment with Trump, their overly online presence, and their disconnect from ordinary people. Instead of focusing on bread-and-butter issues, they leaned too heavily into Trump’s movement and influence. Their response to the trade war mirrored Trump’s rhetoric, which alienated voters. Despite a decent party performance, their leader lost his seat. Aspiring to mimic Trump’s populist movements turned out to be unpopular. Foreign influence—whether through media or donors—proved to be a mistake. This trend offers a lesson: being too online and feeding off external influences can backfire.

The mainstream media business is broken. Canadian newspapers and news outlets are struggling, and British news faces similar issues, with certain outlets leaning into American audiences for financial support. Local news is a dying brand, leaving many areas as information deserts. Billionaire owners and money in politics are driving this push, aiming to maintain their power, wealth, and influence rather than causing outright damage. In the UK, Conservatives are clearly prioritising their donors’ interests above all else. This stems from the fact that media platforms are predominantly English-based and owned by their donors. Their business model, which profits from engagement, is something the online right excels at. It’s a natural breeding ground. Interestingly, most of the online right seems to dislike their nation of choice. The online right is primarily an anglophone-centric, English-focused movement, spreading its influence globally, often in negative ways, and moving towards an age of illiberalism.

This trend worries me greatly. I’ve observed online radicalisation and attempts by Americans to influence British politics, and it’s concerning. Seeing it happen to Canada and others as an outsider worries me and makes me want to see media reform in the UK. I’ve noticed the trend moving towards cultural identity-based politics that is deeply toxic and fails to offer solutions. Any pushback against this must avoid empowering or exploiting grievances without any desire to resolve them. Adding fuel to the fire is a mistake. Once these forces are unleashed, they are very difficult to contain. Worse still is the apparent desire among some for more authoritarian rule over democracy once they gain power. Killing democracy because it’s too hard to win is a dangerous path. I remember speaking to someone with similar views to mine who said, “But winning is so hard.” Learning from your opponents means not making the same mistakes. That means we need to be much better at discussing politics, offering solutions, and avoiding more illiberalism for short-term gain.

It’s strange that I’m taking a rather conservative viewpoint with liberal values. I’ll admit I have socialist and progressive values, rooted in Christian principles. Yet the Overton window has shifted so far with the online right that these values are now rejected. Instead, the focus is on individualism and illiberalism. The key takeaway from Canada is simple: we cannot allow democracy to go to the highest bidder, and we can no longer ignore the online right. Radicalised and influential, they need to be taken seriously—perhaps even have their phones taken away. Certain things are painful to discuss but necessary. Society as a whole needs to address what algorithmic engagement does and the harm it can cause. If business models are not viable without algorithmic engagement and are causing so much damage, then reform is essential. While there are positives, it’s far too easy to see the very worst. Hard-won rights must be protected and cannot be taken for granted. That’s the biggest lesson from America. Failure to push back leads us towards dark places that should frankly worry everyone. Once one person’s rights are taken away, everyone is at risk.

Good news is, Canada pushed back, but it’s going to be a long battle. I understand that people within my community don’t want to talk about politics. But given how we’re very much under threat too and could be next, we should discuss it. That means standing for trans rights, and trans people—not just those who pass. For me, that means resolving the past and thinking about it, both positive and negative influences. I’d rather see cooperation over exploitation to fix the problems facing everyone. If that means paying the price for past mistakes, so be it.