This Magazine

Progressive politics, ideas & culture

Menu

Trudeau performance review

September-October 2017

Trudeau performance review: Economy

Critics were skeptical of the PM's plans for a short-term deficit, but it's paying off

Amy van den Berg@vandenba

Trudeau’s majority win in 2015 promised many things, among them a strong economy and a happy middle class. Early on he revealed the party’s plans to run a “modest short-term” deficit of no more than $10 billion a year to achieve this, and hit the ground running with campaign promises of better infrastructure, innovation spending, […] More »
September-October 2017

Trudeau performance review: Social issues

He sports socks to celebrate Eid and attends Pride—a step forward from his predecessor. But the PM still has work to do

Fatima Syed

Three women stand in the main reception area of Mississauga, Ont.’s city hall, desperately looking over a crowd holding their phones above their heads. They share a giddiness that’s palpable, even contagious. All three are visible minorities—women of colour with black hair and brown skin. One of them wears a bright blue hijab. All three […] More »
September-October 2017

Trudeau performance review: Foreign affairs

How the PM has failed to tackle climate change, refugees, and more on the global stage

Tannara Yelland@tyelland

Since taking office, Trudeau has been astute at bringing the politics of personality and appearance to the fore, a smiling face making overtures toward progressivism as his party upholds many of the policies their voters were spurning. His approach since Donald Trump’s election as U.S. president has been one of conciliation, even on matters that an […] More »
September-October 2017

Trudeau performance review: Indigenous rights

For a devastatingly poor national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and no action on drinking water crises, the PM earns a failing grade

Kyle Edwards

Just last year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: “No relationship is more important to our government and to Canada than the one with Indigenous peoples.” He promised a renewed nation-to-nation relationship—one that would uphold the treaties and constitutionally protected rights of Indigenous people while fixing the many socioeconomic crises that often plague Indigenous communities. He also […] More »
September-October 2017

Inside Justin Trudeau’s first two years in power

In this performance report, we take stock of how the PM has fared at the halfway point of his term

This Magazine@thismagazine

Justin Trudeau has reached the midway point of his term as prime minister. But after two years in power, how much change has he truly made? In this special report, we grade Trudeau’s performance—and our PM has some serious work to do. TRUDEAU’S MEDIA PRESENCE: C- “When American news is dominated by a president with no […] More »
September-October 2017

Trudeau performance review: Media presence

On photobombs and novelty socks

Hana Shafi@hanashafi

When American news is dominated by a president with no filter, it’s hard to not be enraptured by our self-proclaimed feminist hunk prime minister. Many Canadians have spent the last year or so consumed by a dizzying high of how lucky we are, how special we are, how unbelievably progressive we are. While the United States […] More »