What Has Trudeau Done so Far?

Our last election, Justin Trudeau had been elected as prime minister for Canada. I was curious how the Trudeau government has changed Canada, because I think it can help people make up their minds for who to vote for. I am hoping this helps people in the long run. Once again, we are to put our votes together to vote for another party that has more promises, but what has Trudeau accomplished since he was in power?

1. Marijuana is legalized.

This is good news for those that support the relaxing drug. It is also good news for those with a chronic illness, and fighting their everyday pain. However, there are those that are strongly against marijuana. It was done in effort to take the black market away from teens and children. However, each province has their own rules and regulations regarding weed, so there is a lack of consistency.

2. In 2015, Trudeau had created the first-ever gender balanced federal cabinet.

He showed us that men and women are truly equal, although it could have been just for a positive image. He also made the anthem gender neutral, which I think he could have left alone because of tradition, and the anthem goes back generations. But to be fair, our world is changing. However, “The progress that we’ve seen in terms of women's representation in the political realm, whether that be federal, or provincial—It’s incremental, and it's slower than many would like to see. We're not there yet,” Equal Voice spokesperson Nasha Brownridge told the news (CTV News, 2019). This is still an issue that is trying to be resolved, and slowly but surely, more and more women are being hired. Times are changing, and we need to accept that.

3. He created laws that protect those that are transgender.

That creates a safe space for trans-gender people to live here in Canada. It can be scary for those that are transgender because of discrimination.

4. More refugees resettled.

More than 40,000 Syrians were resettled into Canada. According to CTV News, the liberal government had a major focus on immigration. Justin Trudeau did tweet that "diversity is our strength," which is what Canada is known for: We are known for being openminded with other cultures.

5. Go Green Team. For the first time, we have a minister for environment and climate change.

Catherine McKenna "flew to Paris for the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, where she joined representatives of 195 countries in signing the Paris Agreement, which sets out an international plan to limit global warming to below two degrees Celsius," (CTV News, 2019). So, we know that liberals care about the climate change, which now is being focused on more than ever. Also, did you forget about the carbon tax? That's encouraging people to stop the harmful emissions.

6. Long Form Census is reinstated.

Making a commitment to evidence-based policies has changed the way we view the demographics of Canada. We can finally see what has been missing, and where. The more information was discovered, the more the government could fix. "The revived census was issued in 2016, and brought to light new information about Canadian demographics, including revealing a historically high proportion of the population over the age of 65. The census also revealed that there are over 7 million people in Canada for whom neither English or French was their first language, and that four out of five First Nation communities have median incomes below the poverty line," (CTV News, 2019). This is new information that we needed, in order to change how people are living.

7. Finances is what everyone is concerned about.

We all want to save money, and we all want fairness when it comes to earning it. Trudeau has enhanced services for veterans, who we can all agree deserve more than the average citizen. He increased the student grants, so more people can attend school, and more research could be brought into focus. Trudeau has increased the spending for Canada's infrastructure, which opens more jobs. He has "increased the guaranteed income supplement payments for single seniors," (liberal.ca, 2019). He increased taxes for the wealthy, and lowered them for the middle class. Child Canada Benefit gives more money for more families in Canada.