Canada witnesses its “Obama moment” as the Liberals, with their sunny campaign, win a clear majority in a “strategic” vote for change.
It was a gloomy start to the election evening for Conservative incumbent Prime Minister Stephen Harper as results began to come in from Canada’s Atlantic States. Each riding—as the parliamentary districts are known—went to the Liberals with large margins. From Newfoundland to Nova Scotia, the Liberal candidates won with an average of 77 per cent of the vote in their favour. It appeared that Canada was going to give a landslide to the Liberals led by Justin Trudeau (43). By the time returns came in from the plains States of Alberta (Harper’s home State) and Saskatchewan, the Conservatives had recovered some of their dignity. The final result gave the Liberals 184 of the 338 seats, a clear majority to govern. Harper took to the podium and conceded defeat. “We put everything on the table,” he said. “We gave everything we have to give, and we have no regrets whatsoever.”
After nine years of the rule of Harper’s Conservatives, the Liberals are back in power. The general mood in the country was anti-Harper. Even Toronto’s The Globe and Mail, generally the voice of the business community, said before the election: “The Tories [Conservatives] Deserve Another Mandate—Stephen Harper Doesn’t.” But this was an unfair judgment. Harper stood in for frustration and fear at another Conservative victory. Harsh economic policies, an aggressive foreign policy and a tone-deaf social agenda dismayed the electorate. After the election, even The Globe and Mail had to admit, in an important editorial, “The Conservative government sometimes gave the impression of being at war with evidence and science.” All the problems with the Conservatives condensed into the person of Harper. He had to go. But so did they.
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How Not To Handle An Epidemic
The lockdowns were meant to buy time to put in place appropriate health measures and contain the coronavirus’ spread, but they have failed to achieve the objective and heaped immense misery on the marginalised sections of society. India is still in the exponential phase of the COVID-19 infection and community transmission is a reality that the government refuses to accept.
Tragedy on foot
As the COVID-19-induced lockdown cuts the ground beneath their feet in Tamil Nadu, thousands of migrant workers are trudging along the highway to the relative safety of their upcountry homes.
Sarpanchs as game changers
Odisha manages to keep COVID-19 well under control because of the strong participation of panchayati raj institutions and the community at the grass-roots level under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Scapegoating China
As the COVID-19 death rate spikes and the economy tanks in the United States, Donald Trump and his advisers target China and the World Health Organisation with an eye to winning the forthcoming presidential election.
New worries
Kerala’s measured approach to the pandemic and lockdown has yielded results. But it still has to grapple with their huge economic impact on its economy, which it feels the Centre’s special financial relief package does little to alleviate.
No love lost for labour
Taking advantage of the lockdown and the inability of workers to organise protests, many State governments introduce sweeping changes to labour laws to the detriment of workers on the pretext of reviving production and boosting the economy.
Capital's Malthusian moment
In a world that needs substantial reorienting of production and distribution, Indian capital is resorting to a militant form of moribund neoliberalism to overcome its current crisis. In this pursuit of profit, it is ready and willing to throw into mortal peril millions whom it adjudicates as not worth their means—an admixture of social Darwinism born of capital’s avarice and brutalism spawned by Hindutva. .
Understanding migration
When governments and their plans are found to be blatantly wanting in addressing reverse migration, exercises such as the Ekta Parishad’s survey of migrant workers throughout India can be useful to work out creative long-lasting solutions.
Waiting for Jabalpur moment
The Supreme Court’s role in ensuring executive accountability during the ongoing lockdown leaves much to be desired. Standing in shining contrast is the record of some High Courts.
An empty package
The Modi regime, which has been unable to control the COVID-19 infection, restore economic activity and provide relief to millions exposed to starvation, trains its sights on Indian democracy, making use of the panic generated by fear and a lockdown that forecloses paths of resistance.
