Leading poet Shane Koyczan greeted Justin Trudeau’s thumping election victory with a mixture of hope and uncertainty about where Canada goes next.
Koyczan, whose video poem, The Cut, verbally slashed Stephen Harper and his policies to ribbons just nine days before the election, said that a new Trudeau government would have to fulfill its mandate for change, which for him meant doing away with first-past-the-post voting and sending Green Party leader Elizabeth May to represent Canada at next month’s Paris climate talks.
“I feel a measure of relief, but also trepidation. Our new prime minister has made many promises and I hope we are diligent in holding him accountable to making true his words,” Koyczan told National Observer.
He remained hopeful that a new government would be more transparent than Harper’s Conservatives and offer a clearer vision for Canada, saying that the Tories’ “opaque demeanor,” had left Canadians suspicious of their leaders, but still reserved judgement as to whether or not Canada had truly turned a corner after a long and often divisive election campaign.
“I'm not sure it will be a new dawn. Canadian history has been a tennis match between red and blue for as long as I can remember. I think it is certainly a next chapter and am looking forward to reading what will be written from here,” said Koyczan.
For a new dawn to truly break, Koyczan said that Trudeau needed to quickly find his feet and move his more progressive vision forward and make a clean break with the Harper decade, which was marked by deep cuts to veterans’ benefits and employment insurance, as well as attacks on scientists, journalists, and freedom of expression, as outlined in his poem.
[Koyczan's poem 'The Cut']
“The responsibility of Canada's future is not a crown to be placed upon the head of our leader. It is a vessel with which he must portage over the vast expanse of this country. To lead Canada you must care for all of its concerns. Even the smallest details will become heavy lifting,” said Koyczan.
However, he did express more compassion towards Stephen Harper than was apparent in The Cut, telling National Observer that he would say “nothing cruel,” to the outgoing PM as he prepares to leave 24 Sussex Drive for the last time.
“A villain is a hero from their own perspective. I believe Mr. Harper felt he was acting in the interests of what he felt Canada should be. The pity is that he refused to consult Canadians about the path he was carving out. I think it's premature to say goodbye to him at this time. There will still be big questions that need answering. The Duffy trial will resume. Mr. Harper will not fade from the public eye so easily. I wish him security in his friendships and support from his family,” said Koyczan.
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