The Loyal Opposition Has Forgotten Its Job

What exactly is the job of the opposition?

It's a simple question, but one that feels increasingly difficult to answer.

In Canada's parliamentary system, the opposition plays an essential role. In fact, we have a specific term for it: The Loyal Opposition.

The name itself is revealing.

The opposition isn't supposed to be loyal to the government. It's supposed to challenge the government. Criticize it. Scrutinize it. Expose bad policy. Present a better alternative.

But it is supposed to remain loyal to the country and the democratic institutions that make disagreement possible.

That distinction matters.

Lately, though, it feels like we've lost sight of it.

Over the past decade, Canadian politics has become increasingly focused on personalities rather than policies. Instead of debating ideas, we debate motives. Instead of discussing solutions, we discuss character. Instead of presenting alternatives, politicians spend their time convincing voters that the other side is fundamentally untrustworthy.

For years, much of Conservative messaging revolved around Justin Trudeau.

Not just his decisions.

Not just his policies.

Justin Trudeau himself.

His character.

His motives.

His integrity.

His leadership.

Every issue seemed to come back to whether Trudeau was a good person, a bad person, honest, dishonest, sincere, or insincere.

And now I'm seeing the same approach applied to Mark Carney.

Recently, I read an opinion piece by Conservative MP Jamil Jivani titled "Does Mark Carney want to lead the U.S. Democratic Party?"

Think about that headline for a moment.

Not "Why Carney's trade policy is wrong."

Not "Why Carney's China policy is hurting Canada."

Not "Why Conservatives have a better economic plan."

Instead, the premise invites readers to question something much more personal: whose side Carney is really on.

Whether or not you agree with Carney's policies is beside the point.

The issue is what this says about the way politics is increasingly being practiced.

The argument is no longer simply that a politician is wrong.

The argument becomes that a politician cannot be trusted.

That they have hidden motives.

That they serve interests other than Canada's.

That they are somehow not really on your side.

This is where politics becomes dangerous.

A healthy democracy requires disagreement.

It requires vigorous debate.

It requires a strong opposition.

But it also requires the ability to recognize that political opponents can genuinely want what's best for the country while arriving at different conclusions about how to get there.

When every disagreement becomes a question of loyalty, motive, or character, we stop debating ideas altogether.

We start seeing political opponents not as people with different solutions, but as enemies.

And once that happens, there is no policy debate left to have.

None of this means politicians should be shielded from criticism.

Far from it.

Governments should be challenged.

Prime ministers should be scrutinized.

Ministers should be held accountable.

That's exactly what the opposition is supposed to do.

But there is a difference between challenging someone's ideas and constantly questioning their character.

There is a difference between exposing a bad policy and implying that a political opponent is somehow working for someone else.

Canadians deserve better than that.

We don't need politicians telling us who to hate.

We need politicians telling us what they would do differently.

Show Canadians a housing plan.

Show Canadians an affordability plan.

Show Canadians a trade plan.

Show Canadians an economic vision.

Tell us how your ideas will improve people's lives.

That's the job.

The opposition doesn't exist to convince Canadians that the government is evil.

The opposition exists to convince Canadians that it has a better alternative.

Somewhere along the way, that distinction has been lost.

And until we get back to debating ideas instead of personalities, our politics will continue to get louder, angrier, and less useful to the people it is supposed to serve.