The Legacy of Trudeau Government’s Record on Fairness and Equity
By Catherine Waters, Karl Salgo, and Rhonda Moore.
May 7, 2025
The legacy of Justin Trudeau’s government in terms of fairness and equity is complex, multifaceted, and marked by both bold ambitions and significant contradictions. The ambitions of the prime minister to promote social equity, equality of opportunity, and fairness to all members of society may prove to be his most lasting legacy, his greatest achievement, and his Achilles heel. In a period of industrial realignment through globalization and economic and social hardship, a perceived focus on identity politics became an increasingly difficult position to progress.
This is the final article in the series examining the legacy of Justin Trudeau’s government. In this edition, we turn to the last of the IOG’s principles of good governance, to assess the Trudeau government’s record on measures of fairness and equity which we explore through a discussion of: Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, gender equality, anti-racism, changes in staffing process among the public service, economic equity, health care, environmental justice, and housing and taxation.
Equity and fairness is perhaps the hardest of the five principles to translate into measurable indicators and actions. Fairness and equity are matters where individuals have differing and sometimes strongly felt perspectives and where students of governance can comment only in limited, conditional, and largely procedural ways. For the most part, we must look to recognized good practices that reflect prevailing social norms in assessing whether individuals are treated respectfully, inclusively, and equitably under clear and generally impartial legal and policy frameworks.
However, prevailing social standards are by no means definitive and may evolve significantly over time. And governments, particularly those seeking to be progressive, may legitimately attempt to encourage their evolution. Such, arguably, was the case with the government of Justin Trudeau, whose initiatives on this front may be considered socially intrusive by some yet brave and visionary by others.
Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. Upon taking office in 2015, Trudeau framed his political vision around the principles of inclusion, social justice, and reducing systemic inequalities—values reflected in numerous policy initiatives. He declared that “there is no relationship more important to me – and to Canada – than the one with First Nations, the Metis Nation, and Inuit”. This was followed by a multi-faceted commitment to Indigenous peoples for nation-to-nation relationships, adopting all the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on residential schools (conducted by the Harper government, followed by then-Prime Minister Harper’s apology to Canada’s Indigenous peoples in the House of Commons), and promises on a number of policy issues, such as land and resources, clean water, the fiscal relationship, and First Nations education. Following these commitments, the Canadian government signed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, implemented a government-wide Action Plan, passed the Impact Assessment Act, and launched the national inquiry into murdered and missing Indigenous women (MMIWG). These commitments moved public opinion and a wider societal respect for Indigenous rights. For more information about the some of the progress the Government of Canada has made to weave Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing into its programs and policies, consult IOG’s 2022 paper on Indigenous and Other Ways of Knowing, one of 10 discussion papers released as part of the Government Science and Innovation in the New Normal Initiative.)
Yet, progress was uneven. While many water advisories were lifted, not all were eliminated by the self-imposed deadlines. Major infrastructure and land disputes, such as the construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline, raised questions about the depth of the government’s commitment to Indigenous consent and land rights. These contradictions have left critics arguing that Trudeau’s reconciliation agenda often relied on symbolic gestures without fully confronting the deeper power imbalances and structural inequities Indigenous communities face.
Gender equality. Trudeau appointed a gender-balanced cabinet in his first term, declaring, “Because it’s 2015,” a gesture potent for its symbolic message as well as its commitment to the quality and legitimacy of decisions by expanding equality of voice (a commitment matched by the newly-elected prime minister Mark Carney). Trudeau followed this by deeper structural commitments. The Trudeau’s government mandated Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) across federal departments to ensure policies and programs account for the diverse experiences of Canadians, including intersections of race, gender, disability, and socioeconomic status. This was particularly evident in the 2018 federal budget, dubbed the first “gender budget,” which embedded equity considerations into fiscal planning.
Anti-racism. The Trudeau government introduced Canada’s first-ever Anti-Racism Strategy and created an Office of the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat. It made some efforts to collect disaggregated race-based data to inform policy, and increased funding for Black-led community organizations. Following the murder of George Floyd in the USA and the global reckoning on racial injustice, Trudeau acknowledged the existence of systemic racism in Canada’s institutions—a significant shift in public discourse. However, critics argue that concrete policy outcomes have lagged behind rhetorical commitments, especially in areas such as policing reform, immigration detention practices, and inequities faced by Black and racialized Canadians in the criminal justice system.
Staffing in the public service. Within the federal public service, the Trudeau government undertook a series of reforms to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), aligning staffing practices with broader social equity goals. Key initiatives include legislative amendments to the Employment Equity Act and the Public Service Employment Act to enhance accountability and representation of designated groups, such as women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and visible minorities. A targeted recruitment strategy was introduced to attract candidates from underrepresented communities, alongside mandatory training on unconscious bias, cultural competency, and inclusive leadership for federal employees. These efforts are supported by systematic monitoring, data collection, and public reporting to a more representative public service. For a deeper dive into this issue, and a snapshot of progress as of 2022, consult IOG’s discussion paper on Equity Diversity and Inclusion.
Economic equity. The introduction of the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) marked one of the most significant anti-poverty measures in decades, targeting support to lower- and middle-income families and contributing to a notable decline in child poverty. The government also increased the Guaranteed Income Supplement for low-income seniors, implemented the Canada Workers Benefit to boost earnings for those in precarious employment, and introduced a national school food program to improve access to nutrition for children from low-income households. More recently, Trudeau’s government moved toward creating a universal early learning and childcare system, aiming to make childcare more affordable and accessible across the country. These measures reflect a broad approach to equity that includes both income redistribution and access to public goods and services.
Healthcare and disability rights. The Trudeau government has supported the expansion of mental health services, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, it introduced emergency support programs like the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), which provided critical income support to millions of Canadians. It also advanced accessibility through the Accessible Canada Act, designed to remove barriers for persons with disabilities in federally regulated sectors. However, disability advocates have criticized the slow pace of implementation and the inadequacy of income support levels for persons with disabilities, especially in comparison to pandemic-era benefits.
Environmental justice. The Trudeau government introduced a national carbon pricing system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and invested heavily in clean energy initiatives. Programs aimed at retrofitting homes and supporting just transitions for workers in carbon-intensive industries were designed with equity in mind. These environmental measures are already being questioned and, in the case of the carbon pricing tax, quickly succumbed to the realpolitik of the 2025 election debate.
Housing and taxation policy. Under Justin Trudeau the federal government re-entered the housing sector with the National Housing Strategy in 2017, which aimed to provide affordable housing to vulnerable populations. Despite billions in investments, housing affordability continued to worsen, especially in urban centers, raising questions about policy effectiveness. On taxation, Trudeau’s government raised taxes on the wealthiest 1% and closed some tax loopholes, but has been criticized for not doing enough to address wealth inequality, especially in relation to corporate taxation and real estate speculation.
In summary, Justin Trudeau’s legacy in terms of fairness and equity is a mix of meaningful progress and unmet promises. Many critics and even many of his admirers saw Trudeau’s public representation of a commitment to fairness and equity as being wide and shallow, performative politics rather than real substantive progress. Nonetheless, it is perhaps the most impressive part of the Trudeau legacy that the national conversation has shifted and fairness and equity are more engrained in the language and structure of government.