One of the key points in every first-year class in the Canadian politics course I teach is the Canada PM. Every first year political science students are required to study and dissect every first-term issue and government maneuver involving a prime minister. For some, this is a simple assignment; for others, it requires weeks of painstaking research to find even the most trivial information on every prime minister. This article attempts to compile and analyze the best and worst prime minster from Canada’s history.
The first thing we will look at is whether the current party formed government is popular or not. The last two prime ministers (Harper and Trudeau) have been voted the most popular first-term prime ministers in the country. This is interesting, as no one knows exactly how popular they will be when their terms end. The only way we can determine this is by examining how each party has done since forming the government.
Justin Trudeau was elected by the Liberal party and so has been a member of parliament since 2020. His cabinet is also filled with Liberals including both deputy prime ministers John Fraser and John McCallister. The Liberals are popular because the majority of seats are held by the party. Justin’s government has been able to do very well, despite the popular vote results. The popular vote results indicate that there is more dissatisfaction among the general public than during any of the previous government cabinets.
The first issue we will look at is whether Justin Trudeau’s government is popular or not because he is the premier. It is true that the leader is charismatic, and people enjoy his unique style and unique personality. He is also very popular among the media and so his approval ratings are high. On the other hand, his party is unpopular. Its budget was found wanting and the party was engulfed in internal struggles between left and right. Many believe that Trudeau may not have completely secured his mandate, and that the popular vote results could return a minority government.
The second item we will look at is whether the popular vote is necessarily a good yardstick for judging popularity. Many see Justin Trudeau as a visionary and great leader. His cabinet is also filled with competent individuals, many of whom are considered experts in their field. His government has also done an excellent job keeping Canada’s economy growing. In short, Justin Trudeau is doing what a premier should do and yet some see him as too youthful and charismatic.
The third item on the list, which should be of interest to Justin and his cabinet, is the high cost of living in Canada. Canadians have seen an increase in fuel prices over the past year, which has been an unfortunate byproduct of the growth of the economy. Yet the number of people living in poverty is actually on the decline, as more people have been gaining access to better resources and better jobs. The real question then becomes whether or not Justin Trudeau’s vision of a better Canada is something that all Canadians agree with or if it is simply a popular concept that only the government can promote.
