Donald Trump’s triumph in the United States, and the success of populist politicians in other western democracies, puts moderate politicians, especially liberals, in a very difficult spot. How can we tackle the issues that concern voters, first and foremost immigration, while keeping true to our values and principles? Populists promote radical, simplistic solutions to complex issues. We moderates prefer a pragmatic, principled approach. But what happens if voters prefer the formers’ way?
In Québec, a huge influx of asylum seekers, first down Roxham Road and now landing at the Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport, has raised a wave of collective anxiety. Over the past 30 years, the number of temporary immigrants had remained below 10,000 a year. Last year, that number reached 174,000, a record by far. Public services, especially health care and education, are overwhelmed by the increased demand. Many blame the large number of newcomers for the housing crisis. And indicators show that the French language is in decline because some newcomers choose English as their second language instead of French. Furthermore, a significant number of immigrants bring with them their religious beliefs and practices, a fact that is not welcome in a province that is as ferociously secular today as it was Catholic before the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s.
Quebecers expect governments, federal and provincial, to do something about this situation. The obvious solution is to lower the number of immigrants, a necessity now recognized even by Justin Trudeau’s government. Ottawa recently announced a significant reduction of the number of newcomers. However, Trump’s election has provoked fears that a significant number of the millions of migrants the new president plans to deport will end up at Canada’s borders. Will the federal government be able to control the flow?
Quebec’s two more nationalist political parties, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ – currently in government) and the Parti Québécois (PQ – the separatist party) are competing as to whom will accept fewer immigrants. They blame the federal government for allowing “mass immigration” into the country, especially in Quebec. In that context, the moderate, welcoming, pragmatic approach of my party, the Quebec Liberal Party (QLP), barely resonates. What should we do? Join the anti-immigration chorus? Or design a policy that at once promises stronger controls at the border and welcomes newcomers for their contribution to the economy and to the province’s cultural diversity? If we continue to prefer the second alternative, will voters simply ignore us, as they are doing currently?
Moderate political parties face the same dilemma regarding other issues foremost in citizens’ minds: inflation, economic inequalities, public services’ ineffectiveness. Tired of the traditional elites’ inability to deal convincingly with such problems, people are turning to politicians who will “fix it,” however shallow their proposals may be.
Finding the solution to this dilemma is crucial, for the increasing support for populists threatens our liberal democracies: the rule of law, the separation of powers, the protection of fundamental rights, freedom of the press, even elections. Donald Trump is not dangerous because he is from the right; he is dangerous because he ignores, despises even, democratic institutions and principles.
To deal with the stream of asylum seekers, Quebec’s Premier, François Legault, has suggested that the federal government set up “waiting zones” near the Trudeau Airport, where newcomers would stay while their asylum request is processed. “Waiting zones” is a diplomatic term for refugee camps. Do we really want such settlements in Canada?
Legault has also proposed that thousands of newcomers be forcibly removed from Québec to other provinces, as half of the refugees coming to Canada arrive in the province. Forcing people to move to other regions, is this the Canadian way (or the Quebec way) to deal with the issue? Yet, the unwillingness of other provinces to carry part of the load is deeply problematic. What do moderate liberals have to say about this?
The PQ leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, makes the case that only independence will allow Quebec to limit the number of immigrants coming into the province. If a solution is not found, that argument might attract many voters. In a recent article in the Walrus, former Trudeau adviser Gerald Butts observed that climate change may be front and centre in a third separation referendum campaign. In my view, if Canada and Quebec do not find the right balance on immigration, it is much more probable that that will be the ballot question for that referendum. A reminder that in recent polls, the PQ is way ahead of the others, so that if elections were held today, the separatists would form a majority government. Plamondon would then be in a position to organize a new referendum on separation, as he has promised to do. Thankfully, the next provincial elections are not scheduled until October 2026.
All over the western world, citizens are demanding that politicians acknowledge and address their concerns. The future of democracy, and potentially that of Canada, depends on the way moderate liberals tackle those issues without betraying their values.
National Post
André Pratte is Chair of the Policy Committee of the Quebec Liberal Party.