It’s the morning after election night and it is the tale of two profoundly different worlds.
For one, no day more glorious. Power. A flurry of transition memos. Endless congratulatory phone calls.
For the other, the brutal reckoning that there are no more possibilities. Just the sting of public rejection. And a search for that resume, which all of a sudden needs updating.
But both, understandably, start off the day a little slowly.
That’s the tradition. But this time, in the face of the existential threats to our sovereignty and prosperity, that morning after needs to look different.
Because while wild celebrations, pity parties and resultant hangovers might not be going anywhere, Canada — and its next government — needs to rise from this campaign with a sense of alacrity and unrelenting focus: to get to work with a speed and sense of mission hitherto unseen in Canadian history.
Because here’s the reality.
We have not had a functioning Parliament — and therefore no effective federal government — for nearly half a year. Not a single piece of federal legislation has passed since December 2024.
All this set against an existential crisis when we could have — I’d argue needed — strong, decisive legislative responses. Instead, we’ve been fighting with one arm tied behind our backs.
Now, of course, this election is meant to fix that. That’s why, in my last column, I argued that I hope whoever wins this election does so with a strong mandate.
But a strong mandate isn’t enough.
What’s needed now — above all else — is speed. A generational commitment to act swiftly and decisively.
That urgency must show up not only in rhetoric but in structure. And it starts with what’s missing from both major parties at the time of writing: fully costed platforms. That omission isn’t just an insult to voters — it’s a squandered opportunity. Without clearly priced promises, parties forfeit the ability to claim the public’s endorsement of their agenda. Worse still, they lose the chance to pre-empt future opposition by turning their platform into a de facto social contract.
But with the campaign nearly over that window has closed. So let’s focus on what comes next.
If the winning party truly intends to move at a historic pace, it must break from the slow choreography of transition. There’s no time for excessive consultations, performative appointments, or weeks of bureaucratic turf wars. Instead, it must arrive with a mission-ready transition team — not just loyalists, but tested implementers with real track records — prepared to execute from day one.
Next, cabinet ministers need to be empowered to lead. In the traditional model, new ministers are handed sprawling portfolios and told to “consult widely.” That luxury is obsolete.
The next government must identify a small set of nation-shaping priorities and immediately authorize their implementation — whether that means fast-tracking procurement, tearing down regulatory barriers, or launching targeted investment programmes. Finally, Canadians must be told the truth: this will hurt. Building economic resilience, weaning ourselves off U.S. dependence, modernizing supply chains — none of it is free. The next government must be prepared to level with Canadians. Not through spin, but through honesty: that bold action may mean immediate discomfort, but the alternative is long-term decline.
Now, what gives me hope is that there appears to be near-universal agreement on what must get done:
• Radically diversifying trade.
• Abolishing interprovincial trade barriers.
• Fixing productivity.
• Modernizing supply chains.
• Building true economic resilience.
What gives me grave concern, though, is the illusion that these transformations will be swift or painless. That the political obstacles will simply melt away.
During a campaign, leaders point to their platforms as if all that’s required is victory on election night and the rest will follow. As the saying goes: the devil can cite scripture for his purpose.
In practice, the real work begins after the balloons fall.
We’d be fools to think that one election alone can unroot the dense thicket of special interests, vested bureaucracies, red tape and systemic inertia that have held our country back — and left us uniquely vulnerable to the whims of a resurgent Trump.
What we need, the morning after, is not just clarity. We need resolve.
Because one of the most dangerous things about Trump — and all authoritarians of his ilk — is not just their actions but their illusion of effectiveness. The image of cutting through, getting it done. It’s for them, of course, theatre.
What Canada now requires is the real thing: Substance. Competence. Urgency.
Time was never on our side in this fight. It certainly isn’t now. And it won’t be the morning of April 29. Let’s hope the winning party recognizes that.
And moves, at last, like history demands it.