Not every Canadian finds politics riveting. The past year, however, rocked many a political world with its scandals, shake-ups, and election upsets.
And, yet, for all the excitement of 2013, this year promises even more.
Let’s recap 2013: right here at home, the BC Liberals shocked everyone with a sweeping election win, to the chagrin of pollsters who had declared their post-mortem.
Federally, the Liberals shocked exactly no one after choosing as the face of their party an average politician with a certain winning surname. Justin Trudeau has catapulted the Liberals back to being taken seriously, and polls show they are once again a force to be reckoned with.
Meanwhile, the offices of the Prime Minister and the Mayor of Toronto faced two entirely different scandals.
The year 2013 had everyone in the political loop on the edge of their seats. But if one thing can be read from the current political landscape, it’s this: we haven’t seen anything yet.
Much of the action of the past year is far from over and here’s what we have to look forward to in 2014: the fates of both the Northern Gateway and Keystone XL pipelines are still to be determined. Even a final approval from Ottawa on Northern Gateway won’t seal the deal; this year is sure to bring court challenges and civil opposition to Enbridge’s proposal.
The Keystone XL ball remains in the United States’ court and, if the deadlock of 2013 is any indication, it will remain there for at least the next year.
2014 is almost certain to bring an election to an already politically tumultuous Quebec. If the governing Parti Quebecois win a majority it would mean another separation referendum, a mess that most of my generation is too young to remember.
2013 was a heck of a year in Canadian politics, but it won’t hold a candle to what we’re in for in the coming months.