An early report card

A common knock on the federal Liberal Party is that they campaign from the left and govern from the right. Judging from the opinion polls since Justin Trudeau’s Liberals were elected to government last October, many Canadians don’t yet seem to mind

That could change, and soon.

Granted, you would be hard put to imagine a better salesman than Justin Trudeau. A gleaming smile for every selfie, a pair of twinkly eyes for the TV cameras and a patter of positivity that seems to say what everyone wants to hear. It all contrasts starkly with the gloomy, dour and angry man he replaced as prime minister.

But when it comes down to the policies that actually affect our lives, the differences between Harper and Trudeau might not amount to much. Less than six months into their mandate, there are already troubling signs that, on the issues that count, the Liberals will follow the Conservative template:

• Selling $15 billion in weapons and tanks to Saudi Arabia, consistently one of the world’s worst human rights violators? No problem, despite Liberal promises to consider human-rights records in arms deals.

• The Trans-Pacific Partnership, a multi-nation “free trade” deal with Pacific Rim nations, including China’s totalitarian government, is likewise fine with the Liberals, who plan to introduce it for ratification as negotiated during the election campaign by a losing Conservative government desperate for good news. This, despite the certainty it will eliminate tens of thousands of high-paying jobs, make it easier for corporations (like mining companies) to override environmental protections, and cost all of us much more for medical prescriptions.

• Trudeau is continuing the Harperesque cheerleading for petroleum pipeline projects that pose a direct risk to many communities – especially First Nations communities – across the country. Despite his promise to First Nations of a veto over natural-resource projects during the election, now Trudeau’s mouth sounds like it’s filled with marbles. Asked during a press conference with Alberta Premier Rachel Notley whether he would honour his pledge on the Energy East project, he refused to say yes or no. Instead, he repeated his nice-sounding PR phrase about how his government sees Indigenous peoples “as partners in all that happens in this land.”

One lesson I’ve learned after years of journalism and political activism is that politics don’t end once an election is over. Unless people keep up pressure on a winning party to implement its promises, it will be much less inclined to follow through when the realities of leading a government become apparent.

What we can be absolutely sure of is that the business community in Canada is spending millions lobbying the new government to water down or forget many of its campaign planks. For First Nations communities, this amounts to quite a few. And, already, as we see above, one of the most significant is being elbowed aside with a mealy-mouthed platitude that sounds good but doesn’t amount to a hill of beans.

Trudeau promised many things to Canada’s Indigenous peoples. Aside from the veto, there is support to protect culture and language, a $300 million increase to First Nations education budgets, another $500 million for building schools, a better land-claims process, to enact all the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and likewise implement the Kelowna Accord negotiated by the Paul Martin government in 2005. Finally, Justin Trudeau promised, hand over his heart, to “review, repeal and amend all existing laws that do not respect Indigenous rights or that were passed without proper consultation.”

That’s a long list of promises. But already, he’s broken one of the most important among them. First Nations leaders and activists should take note.