Canada

If the NDP had formed government before I'd completely agree. There's just no way the last election would go to an untested party during a time we're being threatened by the US, and fascism is building up at our doorstep.

This term is arguably one of the most difficult scenarios for a gov't to deal with in our history. I don't blame Canadians for wanting a gov't that, though both good and bad, has proven they actually can govern.

This election had a lot of the markers of the WWII era when both Canada and the US voted for a gov't and leader with experience, King and Roosevelt respectively. We didn't have the option of a tested leader, but we did have the option of a tested party. This effectively removed the NDP as an option.

I do however think you're right that the things you're talking about should have been done years before, and we may have effectively screwed ourselves by not making those changes when we had the chance over the last few decades. We may never get that chance again.

My hope is that the NDP elects a strong, charismatic leader and they come out of the gate loud and hard. Scream about social programs, services, taxing corps and the wealthy, and they don't shut up for the next 3 years.