A lot of the news coverage last week around the 2018 federal budget focused on how the Liberals are cynically grandstanding with their focus on gender equality.
But instead of chiding the federal government for “cashing in” on the prominence of the #MeToo movement, we would instead argue the Liberals aren’t being cynical. They’re just naiv.
Frankly, we are in serious trouble if our leadership fails to adequately prepare Canada for the crises building inside and beyond our borders.
Let’s just take a look south. Last week, U.S. President Trump promised new steel and aluminum tariffs that will disproportionately affect Canada, as the vast majority of our exports of these metals go down to America.
When world officials chastised the decision, Trump doubled down (as he is wont to do when challenged) and expressed enthusiasm for the notion of a trade war.
That would be bad enough as it is, but he continues to push for a NAFTA deal that would favour the U.S. alone, and the mounting tensions with North Korea haven’t gone away; they’ve just moved into the background of our consciousness.
On top of all that, we have to contend with the possibility of Russian interference in our elections. NATO officials have already warned us that we should be prepared for their meddling.
Budget 2018 at least directs $155.2 million towards the creation of a new Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, though it mentions little specifically about preventing election interference.
Also, climate change hasn’t gone away, as we were reminded by news stories about record-high temperatures at the North Pole this winter.
The budget does discuss how the federal government will impose a carbon pricing system by the start of 2019 if provinces/territories haven’t started their own.
Given the wide ramifications of this requirement, shouldn’t this have more prominence in the budget? Instead, it’s reduced to a footnote halfway through the document.
Plus, there’s the drinking water crisis facing Indigenous communities, the opioid epidemic and a serious shortage of judges within Alberta.
It isn’t that achieving gender equality isn’t a commendable goal worth working on. It just feels that with all these other things, spurring gradual societal changes shouldn’t be the highest priority.
