H oneymoon (noun): a vacation or trip taken by a newly married couple; any period of blissful harmony; any relationship characterized by an initial period of harmony and goodwill; the month or so following a marriage.
Last week I was asked whether I thought the honeymoon between Justin Trudeau and Canada was over so, just for fun, I looked up the definition of honeymoon.
Let me say it is a bit cynical to believe the period of "harmony and goodwill" in a marriage only lasts for a month. Then again, for some couples I know, a month would be stretching it!
In any case, when we are talking about the prime minister and the country, the idea of a honeymoon period is the time after an election when the prime minister appears to be able to do no wrong. Every action is met with breathless sighs of anticipated joy and blissful harmony reigns across the land.
In Prime Minister Trudeau's case the honeymoon period has been extended by his charm and charisma along with his good looks and heritage.
Is the honeymoon over for Mr. Trudeau? No, not yet. There are still many people in this country reeling from the damage of ten years under former prime minister Stephen Harper.
The new relationship is blissful by comparison.
After all, Mr. Harper moved the political spectrum in Canada to the right with the promise of law and order. He also promised an economic boom and job creation. If he had delivered on the last two promises, people might have forgiven his right wing agenda. But he didn't and the Conservatives paid the price.
Mr. Trudeau is a centrist. His party has always carved its support out of the middle of the political spectrum through a combination of being fiscally conservative and socially progressive. By reclaiming the centre, the Liberals carved out a sizeable majority government.
So far, the Liberals haven't really disappointed. The budget could have been a touchstone but everyone knew going in the cupboards were bare. They had been raided by the previous government. We knew the Liberals were going to need to run deficits to get the economy back on track.
As to the climate talks last fall, many Canadians see Canada as a leader in environmental issues. We appear "to be back" as many are wont to say. We are once again trying to assert our leadership and commitment to what could be the single largest existential crisis humanity has faced.
The collapse of oils prices and the tanking of the Albertan economy have been water off a duck's back for the Liberals. It is clear larger economic forces than us are at play in a game of brinksmanship. We are merely the innocent bystander caught in the crossfire. No one expects the Liberals to fix the problem.
Ditto for the arms contract signed with Saudi Arabia. It was put into play two years before the Liberals took power and signed under the Conservative government. All the Liberals can do now is allow the deal to go forward. It isn't really an option for the government to not sign export permits.
On the whole, during the first six months, the Liberals have not made any major mistakes. They haven't shattered anyone's belief. They have been exactly what they were elected to be - a government of the middle that most Canadians can believe in.
Indeed, this is why the Liberal party has managed to be in power for so much of the last century. We are a country of moderation, not extremism. We cluster around the middle of the political spectrum.
Sure, there are small groups of extremists and many people with radical views on both sides of the political spectrum. Just read the material generated by the Fraser Institute or peruse the Leap Manifesto. But for the most part we are a moderate and amiable people.
All of that said the next six months could be filled with some landmines for the government. For example, consider Bill C-14 which is a bill intended to allow for medical assistance in dying. This is an ongoing and difficult debate.
It is also polarizing.
Bill C-14 is seen by many people as not going far enough. There are broad classes of people who will be left to suffer with neither hope of recovery nor hope of relief as a consequence.
On the other hand, many people will see Bill C-14 as going too far. It is giving society as a whole a role in deciding the value of a human life. Who's to say what is incurable today might not be cured tomorrow?
Are Justin Trudeau and Canada still in the honeymoon phase? I would say yes but the realities of governing are starting to intrude on the bliss. The honeymoon will soon be over.
