As the SNC affair continues to dominate headlines, it feels as though the saga will set the agenda right up to the election. But a lot can happen in a half-year or so — including a shift in what the country is talking about and, importantly, what voters view as key priorities.

A report released on Tuesday by Environment and Climate Change Canada says that the country is warming at twice the global rate. According to the findings, Canada’s average temperature has grown by an estimated 1.7 degrees Celsius (approximately 3 degrees Fahrenheit) in the past seven decades, driven in part by a 2.3 degrees Celsius annual average temperature increase in northern Canada. On Monday, the report was leaked to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. — the same day that the Liberal government’s carbon tax backstop came into effect amid a campaign of misinformation against the measure.

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That’s the bad news. The good news is that the environment is increasingly on the collective register in ways it has never been before — save for some important but more modest instances, such as the acid rain crisis in the 1980s and ’90s.

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To what effect, though? Could 2019 be the climate change election in Canada? It ought to be. And it might be — at least sort of.

Recent polling by Abacus Data finds that 83 percent of Canadians are concerned about climate change — with 30 percent “very” concerned and 27 percent “extremely” concerned. Only 12 percent of them say that climate change policies will be their top issue, but 19 percent say it will be their second issue, and a further 38 percent rank it in their top five. A full 70 percent say climate change is a “practical” rather than “emotional” problem.

The data shows that a lot of people care about climate change. A considerable amount of them will be assessing parties based on their climate change policies. And a significant majority of folks consider climate change to be a practical problem that needs to be solved. That’s as good of a reason as any to make the next election a contest about getting serious when it comes to the most significant existential threat humankind has faced in a very long time — perhaps ever.

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Expect to hear a lot of talk about a Canadian Green New Deal. The idea has gained traction in the United States, though the precise makeup of such a plan has yet to form. But at least it’s on the radar. Americans, and now Canadians, are talking about the idea of a massive, structural, coordinated plan to mobilize in defense of the planet. This move will force parties to demonstrate they have a comprehensive plan for addressing climate change or be left behind.

Strategically, this is probably good news for the New Democratic Party and the Green Party in Canada, as both parties will probably be considered honest and ambitious brokers. The Liberals, who have introduced a carbon tax plan in Canada, should do well, too, though they will face pressure to do more and to explain how climate change is consistent with buying a pipeline. The Conservatives, who just days ago pulled a bizarre anti-carbon-tax stunt — taking photos across the country at gas stations, filling up before the price of fuel “increased” — could well end up left behind.

Political scandals and controversies, while significant, come and go. But the future of the country and planet depends upon how we respond to climate change. Wise parties will meet voters where they’re headed and develop wide-ranging, detailed plans for saving humankind. Only time will tell whether Canadian parties rise to the challenge.