There’s a new superhero in town, and he’s a double agent: comic book hero and the Prime Minister of Canada. After Justin Trudeau exploded onto the political scene last year with his personable demeanor and positive politics, his fans have been asking the new Captain Canada, “Where have you been all this time?”
Trudeau, a member of the Liberal Party, won the 2015 election with a campaign based on inspiring ideas of positivity, openness and change, reinforced by his Ralph Lauren good looks. During the election, he claimed that Canadians were tired of the political status quo and argued that leaders like incumbent Stephen Harper ruled with negativity and fear and their policies were outdated and ineffective.
As evident from his win, Canada is ready to try something new, especially in the open, optimistic shape that charismatic Trudeau brings to Canadian politics. The Liberal Party’s website depicts him as a man of the people, kissing babies and telling story of his life with characteristic openness. The son of a former Canadian prime minister, he became a husband, father, teacher, environmental advocate and motivational speaker before wandering into politics about ten years ago, as described in his online biography.
“It was becoming increasingly clear to me that the issues young Canadians cared about — education, the environment, their generation’s economic prospects — needed a stronger voice in the public sphere,” Trudeau writes.
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As Canadians rally behind this charismatic leader, it’s important to look beyond Trudeau’s image to his plans for political change. What does positive change really mean for Canada?
Before Trudeau’s election, Canada’s economy was steady, but not exciting (sitting comfortably as the 10th-largest economy in the world). Trudeau plans to boost the economy by giving support where it really matters: the middle class.
Here is his position on important policies.
Trudeau has called for the legalization of marijuana in Canada, which he said in a statement is “number one in terms of underage access to marijuana.” To combat underage marijuana use as well as create a billion dollar industry, Trudeau has plans to legalize the drug.
He said, “There are billions upon billions of dollars flowing into the pockets of organized crime, street gangs and gun-runners, because of the illicit marijuana trade, and if we can get that out of the criminal elements and into a more regulated fashion we will reduce the amount of criminal activity that’s profiting from those, and that has offshoots into so many other criminal activities.”
Trudeau calls himself a feminist, and his selection of a gender-balanced cabinet earned respect from many women. During a HeForShe anniversary event in September, he said in a speech, “When women and girls get ahead, everyone does better in society. It’s not just about women’s issues, it’s about all of our issues. And teaching that to our kids is really, really important. Because we know if kids grow up in a more equal world, it is a better world.”
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At the 2015 U.N. Climate summit in Paris, Trudeau said, “Canada is back, my friends. Canada is back, and here to help.” According to the New York Times, “Canada pledged in Paris to cut greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.”
Trudeau has taken active steps since then to reduce the impacts of global warming. In October, “he made progress on that promise with a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by putting a price on carbon,” says the New York Times. Although this new tax is expensive, leading to a energy price increases, “officials offset the harm by using the revenue to give tax credits to low-income and rural residents and by cutting other taxes.”
Trudeau plans to make college more affordable by increasing government grants and making loans more affordable. His campaign promises included the plan to “tackle the persistent problem of student debt, requiring repayments to kick in only after graduates are earning at least $25,000 a year,” says CBC News.
Beginning Nov. 1 of this year, Trudeau made good on his plan with the announcement that students who take out a Canada Student Loan will not have to begin repayments until they start earning at least $25,000 per year.
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Trudeau has “stamped out dissent” from abortion opponents, ensuring that the Liberal Party is pro-choice, said Sean Kennedy for CNN. Member of Trudeau’s government, such as Louis Belenger, communications director to International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, agree with Canada’s pro-choice policies.
“Canada is committed to universal access to sexual and reproductive health services and rights,” he said via the Toronto Sun. “We are also committed to a better and more comprehensive approach to supporting the health of women in developing countries. We believe that programming decisions on these matters should be driven by evidence and outcomes, not ideology.”
In July, Trudeau met with big names in U.S. tech companies (including Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Microsoft’s Bill Gates) to encourage investment in Canadian businesses.
In September, Trudeau announced that the Liberal government would invest $900 million to boost “a new innovation” agenda in technology, according to CBC News. He said, “The money would support technology incubators — companies that provide startups and entrepreneurs with the practical and logistical support they need to focus on developing their products — and research facilities and financing for small businesses looking to grow.”
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After more than a year in office, Trudeau’s worldwide social media followers are still fawning over his flawless hair on Twitter, but the photogenic politician is still fairly green.
Canadians like Rebecca Shapiro are reserving judgment on Trudeau, as she writes in an article for The Guardian, “Older Canadians are assuming a ‘wait and see’ ambivalence toward Trudeau, who is far less qualified for the role than his storied prime minister father, Pierre … Younger voters are also withholding full endorsement, concerned that the government’s heavy spending will mean an insurmountable deficit, and that not enough is being done to make housing affordable.”
While Trudeau is fairly new to the scene, his recent political moves have helped cement his role as Canada’s Prime Minster. Canadian citizens and Twitter followers watch eagerly to see how his story plays out, both in and out of the House of Commons.
