Op-Ed: Celebrate — But Don’t Gloat, Liberals. Everyone’s Watching.

NDP, BQ - You did not lose, you were at the wrong place at the wrong time....

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Celebrate — But Don’t Gloat, Liberals. Everyone’s Watching.

Congratulations, Liberals.
You survived.
You won 168 seats. You stopped the Conservative wave. You held the Bloc at bay. The NDP is still standing, even if slightly bruised.

Feel free to celebrate.
Open a bottle. Order a cake. Maybe even tweet a few tasteful emojis.

But whatever you do — don’t gloat.

Because while you're busy patting yourselves on the back, the rest of Canada is sitting at home, watching you on their screens — popcorn in hand — waiting to see what you’ll do next.

You haven't been handed a new blank cheque.
You've been handed an impossible job, by a country that is deeply divided, deeply anxious, and increasingly skeptical of anyone in power — including you.

Look Nervous — Even If You Don't Feel It

You should look nervous right now.
Even if you're feeling triumphant.
Especially because you're feeling triumphant.

Because this was not a love letter from Canadians.
This was a resignation:
"Fine. You’re less risky than the alternative. For now."

The NDP voters? They didn't come running into your arms.
They voted to block the door.
The Bloc voters? They weren't swinging red flags of excitement. They voted to keep Conservatives out, not to pull Liberals in.

The mistrust toward you is still there — deep, simmering, suspicious.
It hasn't been cured.
It's just been delayed.

And it can resurface very, very quickly — faster than a TikTok trend, faster than you can call another summit.
Remember: it took barely three months, from January to April 2025, for your fortunes to swing from "inevitable defeat" to "narrow escape."

If that wave could change once, it can change again.
And next time, some of those Canadians might not hold their noses. They might just stay home — or vote elsewhere.

Housing, Immigration, Affordability, Division: Welcome to Your To-Do List

Here’s the reality of the job you just signed up for:

• Housing is not just a crisis — it’s a full-blown credibility test.

• Immigration must be matched with actual community capacity, not just slogans about growth.

• Affordability isn’t solved by tax credits that kick in next year — it's about people's ability to survive right now.

• Division across geography, generation, and culture is growing sharper by the day. "Canadian-ness" feels more uncertain, more fragmented, than at any point in a generation.

Oh, and while you’re dealing with all of that?
There’s also Trump 2.0 south of the border, threatening to suck up all the oxygen and lure us into grandstanding about democracy while our own house is still, frankly, on shaky grounds.

Time to Contemplate, Meditate, Huddle, Prepare

This is perhaps not really the moment for a TikTok dance party.
This is the perhaps moment to contemplate.
To meditate.
To huddle quietly behind closed doors and whisper to yourselves:
"How are we going to take on all these deep challenges, hold this country together?"

Because that’s exactly what this new mandate is.

Thank. And Mean It.

Before you do anything else, though: thank the voters who spared you.
Thank the NDP voters who gritted their teeth and loaned you their trust.
Thank the Bloc voters who chose to block rather than bolt.

And don’t just throw a few lines into a victory speech.
Do it sincerely.
Do it visibly.
Do it like you actually mean it.

Because they will know the difference.

And if you mess it up?
If you look smug, if you act entitled, if you govern like the job is yours by divine right rather than by reluctant permission?

They may not save you next time.

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Final Thought

Celebrate, yes.
Smile a little. Breathe a little easier.

But don’t gloat.
Don’t strut.

Because the real job — the impossible job — starts now. Wow. Good luck! Really! We are all counting on you…

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Post Script:

And a sincere word to the Conservatives, too: don’t forget to celebrate — you came close. Very close. Closer than many expected yesterday morning, with all the political headwinds against you from South of the Border. Congratulations are well deserved. But perhaps it’s also time for some introspection. It is not pretty to see the leader lose.

Politics of division, fear, and "everything is broken", ironically, brought you close to victory — but is that really what you want to be known for? A party that can rally despair and cancels hope? Change for change sake is hardly inspiring. If you build only on anger, you are likely to generate more anger. This loss is perhaps a blessing in disguise, if only you may begin to see it that way.

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