It’s finally the end of the 43rd federal election, but seriously, what just happened?
Justin Trudeau is still prime minister, and the Liberals now have a minority government is the answer, but we all know, there was so much more that happened during the campaign. It’s almost too much to explain without having a giant board with red string all over it.
That’s where Canada’s editorial cartoonists come in, by literally illustrating this whirlwind election.
The Chronicle Herald’s Michael De Adder captured the overall mood. It was a tumultuous 40-days full of twist and turns we just couldn’t have seen coming — Trudeau’s (several) blackface revelations, heated moments between the candidates, those Bernier billboards.
Some things just can’t be reversed, but Canadians can dream.
Several cartoonists tackled the feeling that the country wasn’t really impressed with their choices this election. Strategic voting came up again this election, which meant some voters felt like they only had a choice between the two main parties, instead of the one they really wanted.
It’s hard to deny that there’s a definite division in Canada when you look at an election map, which is swathed in chunks of blue, red and orange. The Conservatives dominated Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Albertans especially have pushed the idea of a “western alienation” from the rest of Canada, which many have dubbed #wexit. Cartoonist Graeme Mackay put his spin on it for the Hamilton Spectator.
Climate change was a big issue and the cause of serious contention between the leaders. David Parkins depicted how the issue weighed on voters’ minds as they headed to the polls.
Trudeau’s Liberals won the election, but didn’t sweep it like they did in 2015. His personal scandals sure didn’t help his campaign, especially when the Liberal leader was also getting called out for backtracking on previous electoral promises.
For the Toronto Sun, Tim Dolighan portrayed what a Trudeau victory looked like for some.