By-elections have been called for October 26th in the ridings of Toronto Centre and York Centre. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, voters in these two ridings will be electing two members of Parliament (MPs) to represent them in the House of Commons. Both Toronto Centre and York Centre were formerly held by Liberal MPs, and while many predictions have the Liberals retaining these two seats, nothing is certain until the ballots are cast. By-elections can bring the national spotlight to individual ridings in a way that is not usually possible. The focus on these two Toronto ridings, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, has the potential to examine national issues and review them in a manner that carries fewer implications for the government than a general election would. With that in mind, I believe that Canada’s foreign policy should be an area of focus in the upcoming by-elections.
First, it might be asked what exactly Canada’s foreign policy under Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party is. Critics may point to several instances of failed foreign policy under the current government. For example, the sale of light-armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia, where it appears that Canadian arms are being used in Yemen. Another example of Canada’s failed foreign policy is also evident in Canada’s bid to secure a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council. This instance is especially noticeable, as Canada performed worse than the 2010 effort by the Harper government that Trudeau himself criticized. Finally, a more recent failure can be seen in the wrongful imprisonment of two Canadian citizens by China, as retribution for Canada detaining Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in 2018. However, supporters can point to several achievements in foreign policy that deserve recognition. There is the negotiation of the USMCA with Mexico and the United States, which managed to preserve free trade in North America in the face of an American president who seemed willing, if not eager, to walk away from free trade entirely. Under the Liberals, the federal government signed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Paris Climate Accord. Through these actions, the Liberals have taken stronger stances on reconciliation and climate change than the preceding government by way of multilateral international action. Taken together, these victories and losses make up a record of actions taken in foreign affairs that voters themselves can judge.
After winning the 2015 election, Justin Trudeau declared “we’re back”, announcing to the world that a compassionate and progressive Canada was returning to the international stage. Whether or not Canadians believed him then, or believe him now for that matter, is difficult to say. There is no doubt that Canada has taken an approach to foreign affairs that is dramatically different than that of the previous Conservative government, as far as optics are concerned. But upon examining the substance of the Trudeau government’s approach, the differences seem minimal. The Saudi arms deal was signed by the Conservatives, and the Liberals have varied in suspending, seeking to cancel, and now renewing the deal. Despite signing the Paris Climate Accord, Environment and Climate Change Canada released a report in 2019 stating that Canada was not sufficiently reducing carbon emissions to hit its target. The failure at the United Nations was a stinging rebuke, challenging the notion that the Trudeau government was actually viewed as an improvement of the Harper government on the international stage.
There are international issues right now that demand our attention, and candidates should be able to speak to them. China is currently interning Uighurs and other minorities in camps. It is estimated that over a million people have been forced from their homes and concentrated in a system of camps that evokes all the horrors of the 20th century. There are reports of torture, forced labour, and involuntary sterilization. Belarus appears to be in the midst of a civil struggle, as its people writhe against the constraints of a dictatorial regime. In our neighbour to the south, there are currently thousands upon thousands of people being held in ‘detention centers’ along the US-Mexico border. Families have been separated, with children taken from their parents and locked in cages. A recent whistleblower has claimed that a significant number of hysterectomies have been performed on detained women without consent. There is no shortage of grave injustices occurring throughout the world, but there is a shortage of discussion in our Parliament. Ministers issue condemnations and express their concerns, but how much action has been taken? Politicians seeking to be MPs should be asked what they believe ought to be done to deal with these problems, or at the very least what should be done to prevent them from happening again. After all, the federal government represents Canadians on the world stage and our MPs are meant to be our voices.
By-elections are opportunities for national issues to be discussed in a local setting. There will be a national spotlight on the by-elections in Toronto Centre and York Centre, and the election of these two MPs represents a tremendous opportunity for voters to express themselves. I believe that this should be taken as an opportunity to try to have our politicians examine and question aspects of Canada’s foreign policy. Foreign policy could have been a key area of focus in the 2019 election but was not covered sufficiently. If Canada wants to project itself as a proponent of justice and human rights, then why don’t our actions match our rhetoric? Should we be doing business with states actively engaging in genocide? And how can we address climate change while simultaneously neglecting to meet the carbon emission targets that we agreed to? A lot has been promised to Canadians, but it’s up to us to remember those promises and to decide for ourselves whether they have been kept. Justin Trudeau said that Canada was back, but I’m still waiting.