Canadian Government Executive - Volume 27 - Issue 03

30 / Canadian Government Executive // May/June 2021 most appeal to voters under 35, which presents a significant growth opportunity for them – but only if they can mobilize that vote on election day. A big piece of the Liberals’ campaign strategy is that they need a majority to be able to deliver fully on their proposed mandate. They’ll say that another minority won’t cut it. As evidence to sup- port this claim, they will point to two bills that were left lingering when the Senate adjourned for the summer: Bill C-6 (prohibitions on conversion therapy) and Bill C-10 (changes to the Broadcasting Act ). Though both bills made it through the House, the Liberals contend that opposition filibusters and obstructionism slowed leg- islative progress to the point that the Senate got the bills too late to be able to get them through. Should the Prime Minister call an election this summer, the bills will die in the Senate and have to be reintroduced in the next Parliament in order to become law. Bill C-10 has had many vocal critics throughout its journey through the House of Commons, to the point where there is a pal- pable sense of relief that the bill will not become law in its current form. The government has said that the primary objectives of the bill are to bring social media broadcasters under the same regu- lations, standards, and expectations that govern more traditional broadcasting platforms and to promote Canadian artists, produc- ers, and content. However, the lack of clarity around how the bill would affect social media users has led to concerns about cen- sorship. The criticisms of the bill have been vocal and persuasive enough to drown out the government’s narrative around fairness. For its part, the Senate showed no interest in extending its sitting into the summer in order to process the bill. Senator Michael Mac- Donald from Nova Scotia described the bill as “Orwellian.” Bill C-6, which would amend the Criminal Code to introduce prohibitions on conversion therapy, is also at risk of dying on the order paper in the very likely event that an election is called prior to the resumption of parliamentary business. In the House, the bill received unanimous support from all parties except the Conser- vatives. Sixty-two Conservative MPs and one Independent (Derek Sloan, former Conservative) voted against the bill, sparking outrage among the LGBTQ community and beyond. The Liberals seek to turn their minority into a majority, even though the unwavering support of the NDP has given the Liber- als a de facto majority for months. Despite these overtly partisan motivations (which are no surprise), the campaign will reflect the circumstances in which we find ourselves in. It will consist of sub- stantive and meaningful discussions about how values, identity, reconciliation, and inclusive growth. The parties will be pushed to differentiate themselves along these axes, thereby giving voters clear choices for the future. These are fundamental questions about the role of the state and party leaders will be under pressure to give de- cisive answers. Whether this adds up to a majority for the Liberals remains to be seen.. References: 1. Guly, Christopher. 2021. “’They haven’t got a competi- tor who’s remotely close’: Liberals on track to win majority in expected September election, but still a few wild cards.” The Hill Times. Available at: https:// www.hilltimes.com/2021/07/05/they-havent-got-a- competitor-whos-even-remotely-close-liberals-on- track-to-win-majority-in-expected-september-elec- tion-but-still-a-few-wild-cards/304638 Dr. Lori Turnbull is the Director of the School of Public Administration at Dalhousie University and the deputy editor of Canadian Government Executive. THE LAST WORD The Liberals seek to turn their minority into a majority, even though the unwavering support of the NDP has given the Liberals a de facto majority for months. Despite these overtly partisan motivations (which are no sur- prise), the campaign will reflect the circumstances in which we find ourselves in. PM Trudeau takes part in the Generation Equality Forum virtually from 180 Wellington. June 30, 2021. Photo: PMO