Progressive Canadians say social issues blown off election agenda

OTTAWA: For Canadian Zita Dube-Lockhart, whose 12-year-old child receives gender-affirming care, the campaign ahead of Monday´s election has avoided issues that matter to her, including LGBTQ rights.

During his decade in power, former prime minister and Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau repeatedly emphasized social and cultural priorities that are central for left-wing progressives. But Trudeau´s successor and the front-runner to win on Monday, Prime Minister Mark Carney, has pulled the Liberal message towards the centre.

Stressing his economic credentials in a campaign dominated by President Donald Trump´s trade war, Carney has promised to build “the strongest economy in the G7.” Dube-Lockhart, who lives in the western city of Edmonton and identifies as non-binary, said she understands the “economic fear” Canadians are facing because of Trump´s volatile tariff campaign.

“But being Canadian is deeply tied to our leadership on human rights and social justice on the world stage,” the 44-year-old told AFP. “This is who we are.” University of Winnipeg political scientist Felix Mathieu told AFP the past shift in focus among Canada´s left-wing leaders “from solely socioeconomic issues to identity politics” has caused “a backlash.”

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre -- the other main candidate to be prime minister after Monday´s vote, who built broad national support as a Trudeau critic -- has promised to eliminate “woke ideology” from the public service.