General
When Left Is Too Left in a Canada Rattled by Trump
As Canada faces an election defined by President Trump’s threats, its progressive party, the New Democrats, finds itself losing support and confronting an existential crisis.
The pain of having teeth pulled and gums prodded for denture fittings was followed by relief at the payment counter: The $4,000 worth of work would cost Ron Brydges nothing under Canada’s new national dental care program.
“This dental plan being free was just a godsend,” said Mr. Brydges, 84, a retired industrial mechanic in St. Catharines, Ontario.
For that, Canadians largely have the leftist New Democratic Party to thank.
Subsidized dental care is among several social programs, including a national drug plan and protections for striking workers, promoted in recent years by the New Democrats that have augmented Canada’s reputation on the global stage as a liberal bastion.
“I view all these things as investments in people, not expenses,” said Mr. Brydges, a New Democrat supporter. “It makes us a better country.”
But today the New Democrats are being severely tested, with questions swirling about the party’s very existence as Canada heads for national elections on April 28 amid a rupture with the United States, its neighbor and closest ally.
The resignation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Trump’s economic assault on Canada have set off a tectonic political shift, leaving the New Democrats, and their leader, Jagmeet Singh, with dwindling support.
