EDITORIAL: Canadian result spells trouble for Dutton’s Coalition

Canada’s Liberal Party has one man to thank for the election win no one thought was possible just a few months ago.

Not Mark Carney, the nation’s newly elected Prime Minister, who took over the job following Justin Trudeau’s resignation in January.

Certainly not Mr Trudeau, whose failure to adequately address cost-of-living concerns led to the ignominious end of his once glittering political career.

Instead the Liberals can address their thank you fruit baskets to Donald Trump, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

It is the US President who can take most of the credit for returning the centre-left party for a fourth term.

It was Mr Trump’s unprovoked belligerence against the US’s neighbour and ally that delivered that victory to the Liberals.

His constant taunts, threats to annexe Canada as America’s “51st state” and punishing tariffs meant Canadians redirected the anger they previously felt towards their government across their southern border, proving there’s no greater unifying force than a common enemy.

Mr Carney cannily seized upon Canadians’ outrage, and their corresponding surge in nationalist sentiment.

“We’re facing the most significant crises of our lifetimes because of President Trump’s unjustified trade actions and his threats to our sovereignty,” he said at his campaign launch in March. “He wants to break us so America can own us.”

Mr Trump’s truculence saved the Liberals from what the bookies thought was certain to be a bruising defeat.

And it doomed the prime ministerial aspirations of Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, whose brand of right wing populism Canadian voters found uncomfortably similar to that aggressively deployed by the US President.

It’s clear the global tidal wave of far-right support many feared Mr Trump’s presidency would unleash has failed to materialise.

Instead, voters around the world have sought refuge from the chaos in the familiar, good news for centrist incumbents.

Anthony Albanese can count himself among their number.

The Prime Minister has used the Trump effect to his full advantage during this election campaign in the hope of securing victory on Saturday.

He might not name President Trump as a factor, but when he says these volatile times make change risky, voters can read between the lines.

It’s sent Peter Dutton scrambling to put distance between himself and Mr Trump, while also claiming to be in the best position to deal with his administration.

It’s a difficult, somewhat contradictory line to walk.

Speaking to The Nightly’s Latika M Bourke, Mr Dutton said the US political dynamic was a long way from that which exists in Australia.

That’s true.

But it’s also true that Australians, like Canadians, are deeply wary of the impact of Mr Trump and others like him.

If, as expected, Australian voters choose to return the Labor Government to power on Saturday, it won’t be all to do with Mr Trump.

But if Mr Albanese wants to send him his thanks all the same, he has his address, if not his mobile number.