As much as I'm sure it pains you, the current official opposition is the same official opposition that lead us to this current awakening of national pride and interest in realpolitik.
We had a "real" official opposition when they "verbed the noun" (which is the essential sentence structure in any language), and forced the LPC to get back to reality.
In retrospect- I can accept that. Learning experience for me. I didn't like it but it was politically effective.
But I think there's a big shift that they missed making- firstly when Carney came in, secondly when (and more importantly) when he won on a more centrist platform during a time of crisis.
To my thinking, there's should be a fundamental difference in how the opposition acts
- A- when faced with notoriously incompetent government with which they have a major philosophical divide vice a competent one that's just across the centre line
- B- when the country is facing primarily internal cost of living/ culture issues in a relatively stable world vice facing those same issues in a time of geopolitical upheaval and external threat
Sure, when the other guy is a hyper left wing idiot that you have no common ground with, and the country is safe- go hammer and tongs attack mode in a never ending campaign to bring him down. But when the situation changes, the country is under threat, and the PM changes to a demonstrably competent moderate - cover up the fangs and work with him. Switch from campaign mode to governance mode. Stop trying to manufacture the perception of separation and start trying to influence policy to narrow the gap.
The closeness of the 2025 election left the CPC in a position with significant leverage. Minority government with razor thin margins both parliamentary and polling wise. A less combative approach could have embraced the moment and worked across the aisle- using the leverage as near equals in de facto political primacy to get inside and trade support for influence, allow Carney to reject the pull of the zealots in his caucus and the remnants of the NDP.
Instead he spent a year trying to fight the same fight as he did against JT and convince the electorate he was right to do so. If polling is any indication that approach completely squandered the leverage.
