Published Apr 27, 2025 • Last updated 30 minutes ago • 3 minute readCanada’s 338 members of Parliament (MPs) are elected to represent different geographic areas across the country. Photo by ourcommons.caAs Canadians get ready for another sitting of Parliament in the coming weeks, some faces will be new to the House of Commons while others will have tread the hallowed halls for many years, or even decades.Like students who greet a new school year with excitement and optimism mixed with fear of the unknown, I at least hope none of our new or returning MPs are experiencing a sense of boredom over the drudgery of it all (like I sometimes felt during my later years of academia). I hope they all want to be there and really think they can make a positive difference to the lives of Canadians, even if they can’t agree how best to accomplish it.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentRead More JOCELYNE LLOYD: Vote strategically or go with your gut, but whatever you do, vote JOCELYNE LLOYD: It feels good to wave the Canadian flag proudly On that note, though, I do have some thoughts for where our elected representatives can turn their attention once the ballots are counted and the election signs are removed from their stakes.Cost of livingAs reporters from The Guardian newsroom and others in the region fanned out across electoral ridings in the last few weeks, they found common themes among voters: the crushing costs and lack of access to basic human needs like food, housing and health care are impacting their enjoyment of life and hope for their own and their children’s futures.Ivan Perry expressed it to Journal Pioneer journalist Colin MacLean when he visited the Tignish Co-op in the western tip of P.E.I. on April 11.Article content“Prices … prices are just terrible. It’s too much,” Perry said. Lines of lobster traps sit on the wharf in Northport, P.E.I. in mid-April when a Journal-Pioneer journalist pays a visit to get a feel for how voters are feeling about the upcoming election. Photo by Colin MacLean /Journal Pioneer“I’m old, I’m just about ready to croak, so I don’t mind, I don’t care,” he said with a wink at MacLean, before pausing and adding, “But, kids growing up, they don’t have a chance.“Like, a young man still coming up, he can’t afford to do anything. He can’t afford to feed his family; he can’t afford a home – he can’t do nothing. It’s pretty sad.”On the opposite end of Prince Edward Island, Neil MacDonald in Montague told Guardian journalist Stu Neatby that his fears for his grandchildren also involve the impacts Trump’s tariffs and trade war with Canada will have on future generations.“What kind of economic security is going to be left?” MacDonald asked.Shared prioritiesArticle contentJust like the voters our journalists spoke to, a March Narrative Research survey, conducted before the election call, found cost of living was the main election issue on respondents’ minds, followed by U.S. trade negotiations.“While the top two mentions are generally consistent across regions of the country and other sections of the population, some interesting demographic differences are noted,” stated a news release from Narrative accompanying the poll results.“Younger Canadians place greater importance on the cost of living, poverty alleviation, income support, childcare and racial inequality, while older Canadians are much more concerned about the U.S. trade war, health care and treatment of senior citizens. Cost of living and housing affordability are more important to those on lower incomes, while those with higher incomes are more concerned about improving the economy.”Article content A prefab unit is lowered into place at a housing development under construction in Dartmouth, N.S. in July. Photo by Tim Krochak/PostmediaThe poll took place between March 13 – 16, but I am guessing not a lot has changed in the weeks since the 1,200 Canadians answered the survey. Prices have not plummeted and U.S. President Donald Trump has not become more predictable and easygoing, after all.These issues seem as good a place as any for the 45th Canadian Parliament to start.Voter turnoutThe turnout experienced at polling stations across Canada ahead of Election Day means that voters have not given up and have not disengaged from the process. They have hope for this country and they are relying on the people they elect to carry out those expectations.We citizens, too, have to find ways past our divisions to become a society that, while we may not all agree, can work towards a common goal of a Canada with a bright future.What we don’t want to see are the antics of schoolyard bullies, nor tattle tales laying blame for misdeeds of the past, nor squabbles breaking out that tune out the voice of the Speaker.Pencils are being sharpened. New shoes are being broken in. The halls of the House of Commons will soon have that freshly polished smell. When Parliament reconvenes, we expect good behaviour, a willingness to work, and problem-solving directed at issues Canadians have identified as top priorities. This is a pass-fail test.Jocelyne Lloyd is managing editor of The Guardian. She lives in Charlottetown.Article content
JOCELYNE LLOYD: Dear Prime Minister please offer us a brighter future
