Unfinished business: What Tories left on the table for new Liberal government to tackle

Prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau has a long list of campaign promises that voters expect him to keep after they handed him a solid mandate in Monday’s federal election. But the Liberal leader also will have to address several important issues the outgoing Conservative government left unfinished.

Trans-Pacific Partnership

The 12-nation free-trade deal was finalized in the midst of the campaign. International Trade Minister Ed Fast, re-elected to his B.C. seat, signed it on behalf of Canada.

Canadians were given a general outline of the treaty, including allowing some loosening of import rules that protect Canada’s dairy market quota system and reducing the percentage of North American-made parts in automobiles sold here must have to escape duties. A technical summary was posted on the government’s web site but the detailed preliminary text won’t be released until all countries agree.

The NDP promised to scuttle the deal but the Liberals only said they would review it. In an Oct. 5 statement issued when the deal was released, Trudeau endorsed the deal in principle but promised an open debate in Parliament to ensure Canadians are fully consulted.

Read more: 10 questions on the new Trans-Pacific Partnership deal: What it does, doesn’t do

New Canadian jet fighter

The troubled program to replace the RCAF’s aging CF-18 Hornet fighter is perhaps the biggest-dollar file the incoming government will have on its desk, and a potential political land mine.

The Conservative government was forced to review its planned acquisition of the Lockheed-Martin F-35 stealth-capable fighter, still in development, amid evidence of design issues and signs it would be a much costlier proposition than expected. Critics argued the official price tag of $45.8 billion for buying, maintaining and operating 65 jets was much higher, perhaps more than double.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper argued pulling out of the multinational joint strike fighter program would cost Canada jobs and advanced technology development. But the Liberal and NDP opposition argued other fighters, such as the upgraded F/A-18 Super Hornet was better suited to Canada’s defence needs and pocketbook.

The Liberals have promised to ditch the F-35 and conduct an “open and transparent” competition for a CF-18 replacement.

However, the Liberals are probably mindful of what happened when former Liberal prime minister Jean Chretien made good his promise to ditch the costly EH-101 military helicopter after defeating Brian Mulroney’s Progressive Conservatives. Canada paid a hefty penalty for cancelling the contract, and it’s taken more than 20 years for the new CH-148 Cyclone helicopters to finally replace the navy’s ancient Sea Kings, seven years behind schedule.

Read more: CH-148 Cyclones delivered to Halifax airbase

The niqab controversy

There was probably no more polarizing issue in this election than the decision by the Conservatives to forbid women to wear the niqab, a face veil used by a few devout Muslims, while taking their oath of citizenship.

Pakistani immigrant Zunera Ishaq went to the Federal Court to challenge a policy introduced by the Conservatives in 2011 to ban the niqab. She won, and the Federal Court of Appeal refused last month to hear the government’s request to review that decision, opening the way for Ishaq to take the oath in time to vote in Monday’s election.

But the Tories doubled down, promising to take the case to the Supreme Court of Canada if re-elected. Harper also upped the ante by suggesting the Conservatives would also ban federal public servants from wearing the niqab.

Trudeau, along with NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair, opposed the government’s position. Trudeau now will be expected to follow through on his promise to drop Harper’s plan to appeal the Federal Court decision to Canada’s top court.

Read more: Zunera Ishaq, who challenged ban on niqab, takes citizenship oath wearing it

The Syrian refugee crisis

Despite promising to accept 10,000 refugees by next September, the Conservatives were accused of dragging their feet on the plight of resettling some of the massive wave of refugees fleeing the civil war in Syria.

Critics blamed everything from budget-related staff cuts at Citizenship and Immigration Canada to prejudice against Muslims for the government’s apparent lack of agility as the scope of the crisis became evident in the weeks leading up to the election call. Promises the Tories made during the campaign to speed things up were too little, too late.

The Liberals are promising to directly sponsor 25,000 refugees immediately and help private sponsors bring in even more, fueled by a large injection of cash, according to the party’s platform.

Read more: NDP and Liberals call for Canada to accept more Syrian refugees

Bill C-51

It’s not strictly unfinished business because Bill C-51, the Tories’ updating of Canadian anti-terrorism measures, became law in June. But the Liberals will be pressured to deal with it nonetheless.

The legislation amended several laws to give the RCMP, CSIS and immigration officials more powers to ferret out potential terrorists. It was passed last spring in the wake of two lone-wolf attacks that killed a Canadian soldier standing guard at the cenotaph in Ottawa and another run down by an Islamist sympathizer in Quebec.

The Liberals drew a lot of flak because they supported the bill. But the party’s election platform includes a promise of revisions to narrow its scope and put in place greater parliamentary oversight of Canada’s security watchdogs.

Read more: Bill C-51 for Dummies: What you should know