The Choice That Changed Everything

And you may ask yourself, ‘well, how did I get here?’
And you may ask yourself, ‘well, how do I work this?’

— Talking Heads, Once in a Lifetime

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The great thing about the turn of the calendar is that it forces us to stop for a moment and reflect on what the last go-round the sun was all about.

A year ago, Canada was in a very different place.

And so was I.

During the 2024 Christmas holidays, as Donald Trump ramped up his attacks on Canada, it was becoming clear he was deadly serious. But Canada’s parliament was too distracted with internal fighting to notice.

For months, the House had been gridlocked in the Conservatives’ toxic procedural games. Nothing was moving. No legislation was being passed.

Just before Christmas, Chrystia Freeland took down the Prime Minister. Mr. Trudeau was forced to step aside at a crucial moment. The government was in free fall. The Conservatives were up 25 points in the polls.

Then the NDP leader piled on with an announcement that our party would bring down the government at the earliest opportunity.

This was when I broke ranks.

I had always been loyal to the “sticking together in the trenches” attitude that comes from being the smallest party in a fractious political realm. But this kind of brinkmanship was the last thing we needed as Trump was threatening our border.

When asked by Ottawa media about pushing a non-confidence motion in January, I stated that parliamentarians needed to put the needs of the nation ahead of our partisan interests.

Breaking ranks in politics has consequences. Regardless of your motives, you alienate colleagues who continue to hold to the party line. But I felt that Canada’s Parliament was sleepwalking towards disaster. Something had to be done.

That Christmas break wasn’t comfortable. I had gone into the political wilderness, and I honestly didn’t see a path ahead. But getting out of the Ottawa bubble was the best thing that could have happened to me.

The more I spoke with Canadians, the more I realized they had little interest in the drama on the Hill. Instead, they were focused on sticking together and standing up for our country. They knew what was at stake.

This was when I decided to focus my efforts on talking directly to Canadians. I thought perhaps I could help develop strategies to get us through the threat.

That was the beginning of the Charlie Angus Resistance Substack.

I had no expectation that it would take off the way it did. Or that I would end up touring the country to help foster the incredible grassroots resistance that is now in place. Or that our small team would launch the Meidas Canada Network, which has garnered millions of views from people around the world.

My focus was, and remains, keeping Canada strong, independent, and democratic. No small feat in a world of gangster fascism.

It’s been a helluva year, and the struggle shows no signs of waning. And to tell you the truth, I have never been busier or as hopeful.

I’m up for the fight ahead. Are you?

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As for New Year’s resolutions? Mine is simple: keep kicking at the darkness.

I know it will bleed daylight.

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