By: Khadija Nadeem Miracle’s editorial board member
As the Liberal Party enters their third consecutive term with Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister, it’s time to take a closer look at not only their recent and previous promises but also at how they’ve kept (or not kept) to them. Now, in a competitive election, it’s not uncommon for political parties to make big promises to the public when trying to win government. Nevertheless, it can be very harmful to a politician’s reputation and the country’s wellbeing when citizens expect certain promises to be kept and no intention to keep them exists. Our government has made many claims and promises but safe to say, even more mistakes.
It’s expected, even, of leaders to fumble, especially when everything is magnified under the public eye. So when Trudeau forgot to mention Alberta in his Canada Day speech in 2017, no one paid too much attention but, when he dug Canada into deeper debt than he promised over the last 5 years, people definitely noticed. Ordinarily, spending money on the country is great and all, but if a leader does the opposite of what he’s promised, there has to be a point where their leadership is called into question.
An older, more recognizable incident was of the Japanese steamship Komagata Maru. A group of people from, then known as, British India tried to immigrate to Canada in 1914 but were denied passage on Canadian land. Of the 376 passengers, only 24 were admitted to Canada. 27 of these passengers were Muslim and upon returning home, the passengers were confronted by police and as a riot ensued, the result was the deaths of 20 people. This mistake was apologized for by Trudeau’s government only in 2016 but by acknowledging it, a path was paved for change and diversity in Canada. This was an example of where a large mistake made, was paid for by little consequence on the government’s part.
But in present times, mistakes made by government officials are under direct spotlight, leaving them with nowhere to hide. A clear and memorable reminder is the events leading up to Andrew Scheer’s, the Conservative Party Leader up until 2019, resignation. After it was revealed that Scheer was using party funds to pay for his kids’ private schooling, his resignation was immediately called for and now, his name is barely mentioned in the political field.
These are all examples of the government or its members making mistakes and holding themselves accountable. If we wanted to compare these instances to how politics work in Pakistan, politicians often openly make mistakes and then harden and refuse to admit them. Accountability is an important part of our democratic system and holding the people in charge accountable for their actions teaches hard lessons for those by their side, those who look up to them, and obviously the person themself.
Moving forward, of course, there are occasions where politicians are not held accountable for their mistakes or grievances. We could look at Trudeau’s big promise of ending fossil fuel subsidies but then immediately after coming out with a budget plan that included nothing of the sort. Or the Trans Mountain Pipeline due to be finished in 2022 that was heavily protested, if we’re staying on the topic of environmental blunders. One of the biggest things to look forward to on Trudeau’s platform in 2015 was his promise of electoral reform. Currently, Canada uses the first-past-the-post system. This means that whichever candidate gets the most votes in their constituency, wins a seat in parliament. Which horse wins the race? The one who’s first past the finish post. This means that even if voter percentage leans to one party more, a different party could win more seats and therefore win government. Consequently, this democratic system was and still is an unfair representation of the country’s political preference so when Trudeau promised reform, citizens were eagerly anticipating change. That is, until Trudeau dropped the entire idea and decided things were going to stay the exact same way they were.
The point of these examples is not to shed light on every time a politician has made a mistake but simply to be a model for how getting stuck in a cycle of political promises can be harmful. Trudeau has done plenty for not only the Muslim community but Canadians all over the country, but again, at some point, we need to be critical of a leader’s ability to keep promises and deliver on concerns shared across the nation.
The most recent of examples is the Day of Truth and Reconciliation which was created through a law proposed by the Liberal government this June. Indigenous Chief Rosanne Casimir said that her Nation (Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc) had written twice to Trudeau to invite him to join them in marking Canada’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Trudeau had attended a ceremony in Ottawa the previous Wednesday night and he spoke with 8 residential school survivors the following Thursday but his Office confirmed that he was spending several days in Tofino on vacation with his family, including the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Nation is near the site of the former Kamloops residential school where about 200 unmarked graves were discovered. On October 2nd, two days later, PM Trudeau acknowledged and then apologized for not following up on the invitations.
In a system that keeps the same leader, the same patterns in accountability, and the same habits on delivery on a pedestal, we need to decide if we’re content with the way things are. Admittedly, Trudeau is great for international PR and his competency is preferable to that of other candidates in and out of Canada. His candidacy is appreciated across the nation and his ability to apologize for mistakes is certainly admirable but for how much longer can that makeup for his government’s lack of responsibility? That is what Canadians need to ask themselves.
Waan Laysa Lil Insana
illa ma’ sa’aa
That man can have nothing
but what he strives for.
Thursday, April 16, 2026
