In 2015, Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party rode into power on the back of an electoral campaign that made a clear, bold promise to Canadians: to “make every vote count.” They pledged that 2015 would be the last election under the outdated first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system, committing to a democratic process — involving a special parliamentary committee, consultation with experts, and public input — to direct the process of electoral reform and strengthen Canada’s democracy. This promise resonated with Canadians after years of widespread advocacy for electoral reform, sparking excitement about the possibility of a more representative voting system. When the Liberals abandoned electoral reform months later, many saw it as a major betrayal of the ideals that had won them a majority government.

Since 2015, Trudeau has also withdrawn from genuine public dialogue, relying instead on carefully curated media appearances and teleprompter-aided speeches. His appearance earlier this month on Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith’s podcast, Uncommons, was an exception that gave us a rare insight into the prime minister’s unfiltered thoughts. During the interview, Trudeau admits he abandoned electoral reform when the process didn’t choose his preferred result of ranked ballots. The cynicism behind his broken promise is bad enough on its own, but the details of his comments also suggest a more serious problem: Trudeau neither understands nor believes in real democracy.