What troubles me here isn't each specific instance, but what appears to be a pattern. Whether it's the SNC-Lavalin affair, the current proposals on 'digital regulation, or the issues outlined here, there seems to be a pattern of recognizing:
- there is a thorny issue;
- this issue has significant political dimensions; and,
- addressing this issue properly will take time and voters will either get impatient *or* bored and move on.
In each case, instead of rolling up their sleeves and doing the long slog to address the issue with well-considered public policy, this government seems to consistently look for a short-cut, focused on making political hay while they can. It often feels like they want to be seen as "doing something" even if that something has potential negative impacts.
Unlike others, I don't believe this is some grand anti-democratic plan. I think it's just expedience and a degree of organizational laziness -- a desire to get the credit without doing the hard work. I expect better, frankly. OTOH, I'm not convinced any of the opposition parties will operate any differently, which is even more disappointing. They all need to do better.
In a previous era this kind of behaviour would have resulted in the resignation of the minister, especially on a matter as significant as the Emergencies Act. Everyone in government should be handling this file with the utmost care.
The deputy going out to back up the minister was a very political act by a senior bureaucrat. Not a good look at all but pretty typical for the modern public service.
No one resigns, no one is accountable - give it a few more news cycles and this story will disappear.
As has been mentioned, unless Cabinet confidentiality is broken, then only the cabinet knows why the cabinet authorised the emergencies act. It's Anthony Housefather's shameful blocking of the SNC investigation all over again.
and Omar Alghabra and Steven Guilbeault and Harjit S. Sajjan and Patty Hajdu and François-Philippe Champagne and Bill Blair and Marc Miller and Sean Fraser. The lying and incompetence is rampant!
BTW I would argue that even if the "police had asked for the implementation of the EA" that without other compelling data, is no reason to implement the act. Police didn't in this case, but what Police Force wouldn't want more unfettered power to do what is sees as its mandate?
Of course. And yet when they say something they are still granted the benefit of the doubt by too many reporters. Why? They are telling at times barefaced lies.
“Don’t talk about the Liberal. Talk about the Tory,” in other words. This article was written just for you, Valerie. Can you take a quick peek at the last paragraph again?
...or did the major rift between West and East rip apart the Progressive Convervatives? Playing favorites (ex. awarding a military maintenance contract to a Quebec company as opposed to the Winnipeg company that scored highest in the RFP) is always a recipe for conflict. Also note that regional discontent was at a modern day nadir during the Harper years, largely because that government avoided playing favorites and ignored Premiers, and Quebec and indigenous nationalists.
Pierre may become relevant should he become the leader. At that point, for the first time in his career, he will have to answer questions instead of yelling from his soapbox. I'm making popcorn in preparation.....:)
I’ll hold any Conservative government to the same standard I hold this Liberal one. My “selective” thrust here is simple: the LOC has the power now. They warrant higher levels of scrutiny.
Doug Ford has not escaped criticism at The Line, but an archive search found it pretty light on specifically holding Ford to account for a volume of lying that is almost unprecedented, as noted in this 2019 Justin Ling piece at The Walrus that criticized lying by all parties in that Ontario election, but found Ford's level of it "something to behold...". "Ford, however, is exceptional. That’s because his lies live nowhere near the truth. That’s what separates him so entirely from norms in Canadian politics. "
Article recommended: many of the 2019 issues that Ford lied so brazenly about are still active.
Since we have Ford More Years, I look forward to all that standard-holding in future. As The Line has hired Ling in past, perhaps he can update his article.
Perhaps pep up The Line's regional coverage by inviting 10 writers to compete for a $9 plastic trophy with their pieces on "Why My Province Is The Lyingest". (Ling gets Ontario.)
As a new discoverer of the jaw-dropping Irving family in NB, and the general Family Compact that is PEI, I would predict some surprised readers who assumed Quebec was a shoe-in.
l\Lying while campaigning is like complaining you burger king burger doesn't look the same as the TV add. Post election lying is a different kettle of fish.
It's a valid point, but none of those people are relevant because none of them has any actual power. I suspect their time will come in the next election because if Trudeau continues to govern like this for 3 more years, I think they're quite likely to deservedly get the "Wynne Treatment" in 2025.
Oh please. Everyone knows the CPC forces women to have babies so they can turn them into gun-toting religious zealots that hate women. I'm sure they would surely rather take the vote away from women than add to their rights. -- I'm kidding Terry.
They won't win a majority, and Harper got turfed after 10 years because he was doing nothing. Trudeau has 3 years left and is doing nothing. I've written my MP several times saying I can't vote Liberal if Trudeau is leading, and outlined all the reasons why. I don't think the PPC will be relevant any longer as their COVID wedge issue will be gone. I can see a lot of people holding their nose to vote Trudeau out...especially after 3 more years of this nonsense. Should be fun to watch.
After 2+ years of "noble lies" from public health, misleading people about, eg, natural immunity and covid risk to healthy kids, being unanimously supported by the media, are we really surprised that the government and Canadians have abandoned their commitment to the truth?
Mark, your chickens have been roosting for a long while now.
I do not believe that most Canadian's have abandoned their commitment to the truth especially with regards to Covid (which is still with us). I also don't believe that most media lied to all of us about Covid (tho I could share some seriously nutso links, (but only if you give me money)). I also believe that Public Health did it's best over the past 2+ years. Mistakes were made, how could there not be? Governments at all levels screwed up on occasion too.
It was not all just a big plot for whatever reasons you believe. No "noble lies" whatever that is.
He's done so much for indigenous peoples -- still problems with drinking water, sued to keep money from Indigenous children (100 Million in taxpayer $ to lawyer), skipped first day of Reconciliation, posed with a teddy bear at a regular Catholic cemetery, using the grave issue as his own personal "George Floyd Moment" etc. and then there are his faux green policies...
What does it say about the state of the mainstream, taxpayer funded media that this kind of scrutiny of the government is never allowed on their platform?
Coyne's article has 2 big issues. 1: "if". 2: In his rabid hate for the truckers, he ignores the key requirements for the Emergencies Act: "seriously endangers the lives, health or safety of Canadians" ; and "seriously threatens the ability of the Government of Canada to preserve the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of Canada".
It is dead obvious that none of these conditions were met.
Well it is still "state media" 😂 It doesn't exist to discredit or sow doubt in the country. That would generally be bad if the plan was to continue existing. That or maybe it would be a good thing to examine how we got here and change and adapt maybe not make the same mistakes again.
Matt, you conclude your excellent column with, "....if you, a member of the Canadian public, don’t expect at least that much from them....."
The truth is [sorry, couldn't help myself; also, it IS TRUE], I have no expectation whatsoever of truth from this government; I expect prevarication at best and absolute dishonesty as a matter of course. Sadly, I am rarely surprised. Disappointed? Absolutely. Angered? Without question. Surprised? Nope.
To carry your comment further, that makes me a part of the problem in your view. I respectfully reject that aspect of your analysis. Your point would seem to be that if I do not demand better then I am a LARGE part of the problem. In fact, I do demand better but I am a citizen of Canada, which means that my opinions are ignored. More to the point, I am a citizen of Alberta, which means that my opinions are reviled by my worsers (definitely not my betters).
So, blame the GTA; blame Quebec; do not blame me and/or my part of the country for that twerp and his followers that you guys elected.
Pat, I must confess that I wasn't aware of the term "enclave government" so I looked it up. Yes, it could be viewed that way. On the other hand, the enclave is the GTA and Quebec with pockets elsewhere. Overall, though, I concur with the thrust of your point.
Now, as to Butts. He absolutely has a lot to answer for but his influence is not what it once was. Therefore, you have to look at the current found ins very critically and not attribute all this stuff to Butts. Yes, he is a - you should pardon the expression - "philosophical" influence but he is not the only one. We absolutely have to look at the prime idiot and those currently around him.
Pat, "just made up the term" Wow! Look up the definition on Google. And, yes, I think your definition of M, GTA and V is superior to my definition.
As for Butts, I am not dismissing him, thinking him blameless, etc., etc. I absolutely think he is "not my kind of person." To put it incredibly politely. I must, however, look to the prime idiot as the ultimate mover and shaker who employs Butts and all the other ilk [such a nice word, "ilk," no?]. Ultimately, if the buck stops with JT then the buck stops with JT. That is all that I was trying put across, not that Butts is blameless. Not hardly!
If I deduct a business expense on my taxes, I'm expected to have receipts to show for it. They should have a paper (ok, even an electronic) trail showing what led to the EA decision.
There's a saying "if it isn't written down it didn't happen".
And the advice to the Minister(s) about invoking the EA should also have been in writing. I suspect this is the reason the 'cabinet confidence' shields are up.
This gun thing really bothers me. I am a gun owner but support controlls on assault rifles especially after the massacre in NS. But the direction of their legislation is stupid and unproductive for no logocal reason.
Very few gun owners have a problem making illegal guns illegal :) Handguns are very restricted now. If you tell a non-gun owner what hoops you have to jump through just to take your gun to get fixed they don't believe you. Large magazines are also already illegal. For every stupid, virtue-signalling piece of performance art legislation against legal gun owners, the government should have to put 5X the money into stopping illegal guns from coming into Canada and programs to get them off the street. A Billion to buy back legal guns and how much on border control?
What do you call it when the government talks about controlling legal guns (which are already controlled) but doing nothing about the illegal guns in the hands of criminals (which is out of control) and claiming they are making the country safer? What term would you use when the talking points don't jibe with the actions?
I'm largely indifferent to the gun legislation. Much more concerned about the move away from mandatory minimums, allowing those on firearms charges to go free on bail and an overall aversion to tackling gun smuggling.
Weren't Gabriel Wortman's weapons already illegal at the time, and smuggled into Canada?
All great points. I think the larger problem is that we seem to have a real dearth of talent in contemporary cabinets. Minsters are expected to be meek and silent sychophants, but every once in a while some events-dear-boy pop up and the minister has to actually step forward and do their job. Some can cope with the simultaneous pressure of the spotlight and PMO expectations like Anand and Freeland (I offer no comment on results) and keep the messaging tight and some can't and it seems like Mendicino is in the latter category.
When talented ministers tried to act responsibly as did Ms. Wilson-Raybould and Dr. Phillpott, the Feminist in Chief drummed them completely out of the party! It was enough to cow the rest of the stooges.
When Parliament was reduced to a Presidential Operation from the front steps of the Prime Ministers home, any pretext of being accountable went right out the window.
Complicit in this arrangement was the National Press Gallery and news editors who fawned over the cleverness of it all, how Trudeau gathered in all the media attention and left the Opposition (read Conservatives) with no airtime.
So here we are, with a Government that spends a significant amount of time bobbing, weaving and obfuscating. No one deserves a straight answer, and when things get uncomfortable there are senior ministers to take the heat, committee work to stifle and prorogation if all else fails.
The Liberal strategy isn’t to govern any more, it’s to annoy. Make us all mad at each other while the operation burns to a crisp.
We need a Conservative Party to get its act together and an election. Soon please.
The Conservatives have tons of passion for a better Canada. Unfortunately, they have a tendency for friendly fire gsw’s making the CPC look as unserious as the LPC.
Canadians are desperate for a serious governing alternative to the Trudeau Liberals. Conservative supporters need to coalesce around a new leader and showcase a credible team waiting to lead our Country.
I think that things are such a mess right now that a shakeup is required. The government footprint has grown by leaps and bounds since 2015, as has the consultancy business.
A new set of perspectives is allowed to come in and address the issues. Trudeau certainly didn’t expect to be a Harper clone.
What troubles me here isn't each specific instance, but what appears to be a pattern. Whether it's the SNC-Lavalin affair, the current proposals on 'digital regulation, or the issues outlined here, there seems to be a pattern of recognizing:
- there is a thorny issue;
- this issue has significant political dimensions; and,
- addressing this issue properly will take time and voters will either get impatient *or* bored and move on.
In each case, instead of rolling up their sleeves and doing the long slog to address the issue with well-considered public policy, this government seems to consistently look for a short-cut, focused on making political hay while they can. It often feels like they want to be seen as "doing something" even if that something has potential negative impacts.
Unlike others, I don't believe this is some grand anti-democratic plan. I think it's just expedience and a degree of organizational laziness -- a desire to get the credit without doing the hard work. I expect better, frankly. OTOH, I'm not convinced any of the opposition parties will operate any differently, which is even more disappointing. They all need to do better.
The level of government incompetence is staggeringly high. The amount of responsibility taken is the inverse and unbelievably low.
getting warmer....
Well, it is only he and Katie doing the work......it's a lot of writing. :)
Katie doees the writing. JT strikes a pose.
I think Katie is on her own.
Well documented article Matt.
In a previous era this kind of behaviour would have resulted in the resignation of the minister, especially on a matter as significant as the Emergencies Act. Everyone in government should be handling this file with the utmost care.
The deputy going out to back up the minister was a very political act by a senior bureaucrat. Not a good look at all but pretty typical for the modern public service.
No one resigns, no one is accountable - give it a few more news cycles and this story will disappear.
Ministers do as they believe the PM expects them to. If they don't resign, it could be because they know who made the decision, and it wasn't them.
All the more reason to resign, no?
Isn't there a commission currently looking into what happened? Or are we not going to believe Judge Paul Rouleau either?
Summer Silly Season is almost upon us so, yes, it'll drop off the radar for a while.
Let's hope the Judge shreds that mandate letter the government provided and just follows the law. He's been put in a tough spot.
What mandate letter? Do you have a copy I could read?
There3 is, but as with SNC, transparency seems to be a convenient issue.
I found it! I knew I saw it somewhere. Now we wait a year.
https://publicorderemergencycommission.ca/about/commission-mandate/
As has been mentioned, unless Cabinet confidentiality is broken, then only the cabinet knows why the cabinet authorised the emergencies act. It's Anthony Housefather's shameful blocking of the SNC investigation all over again.
Great. Now do Pablo Rodriguez.
and Omar Alghabra and Steven Guilbeault and Harjit S. Sajjan and Patty Hajdu and François-Philippe Champagne and Bill Blair and Marc Miller and Sean Fraser. The lying and incompetence is rampant!
BTW I would argue that even if the "police had asked for the implementation of the EA" that without other compelling data, is no reason to implement the act. Police didn't in this case, but what Police Force wouldn't want more unfettered power to do what is sees as its mandate?
Of course. And yet when they say something they are still granted the benefit of the doubt by too many reporters. Why? They are telling at times barefaced lies.
“Don’t talk about the Liberal. Talk about the Tory,” in other words. This article was written just for you, Valerie. Can you take a quick peek at the last paragraph again?
*Valorie, pardon me.
...or did the major rift between West and East rip apart the Progressive Convervatives? Playing favorites (ex. awarding a military maintenance contract to a Quebec company as opposed to the Winnipeg company that scored highest in the RFP) is always a recipe for conflict. Also note that regional discontent was at a modern day nadir during the Harper years, largely because that government avoided playing favorites and ignored Premiers, and Quebec and indigenous nationalists.
"The last truly honest politician" - just how old are you?
Valorie, I would call purposeful disinformation the definition of a lie. I don't want any politicians of any stripe telling lies for any reason.
Pierre may become relevant should he become the leader. At that point, for the first time in his career, he will have to answer questions instead of yelling from his soapbox. I'm making popcorn in preparation.....:)
History tells me you;ll only have time for one bag of popcorn.
Just curious. What’s the moral difference between a lie and purposeful disinformation?
OMG OMG Harper OMG OMG
I hope you get the help you need for the trauma you suffered
I’ll hold any Conservative government to the same standard I hold this Liberal one. My “selective” thrust here is simple: the LOC has the power now. They warrant higher levels of scrutiny.
Doug Ford has not escaped criticism at The Line, but an archive search found it pretty light on specifically holding Ford to account for a volume of lying that is almost unprecedented, as noted in this 2019 Justin Ling piece at The Walrus that criticized lying by all parties in that Ontario election, but found Ford's level of it "something to behold...". "Ford, however, is exceptional. That’s because his lies live nowhere near the truth. That’s what separates him so entirely from norms in Canadian politics. "
https://thewalrus.ca/weve-entered-a-new-era-of-political-lying-be-worried/
Article recommended: many of the 2019 issues that Ford lied so brazenly about are still active.
Since we have Ford More Years, I look forward to all that standard-holding in future. As The Line has hired Ling in past, perhaps he can update his article.
Most of my Ontario-specific writing goes up at TVO, where I am a twice-weekly columnist.
Perhaps pep up The Line's regional coverage by inviting 10 writers to compete for a $9 plastic trophy with their pieces on "Why My Province Is The Lyingest". (Ling gets Ontario.)
As a new discoverer of the jaw-dropping Irving family in NB, and the general Family Compact that is PEI, I would predict some surprised readers who assumed Quebec was a shoe-in.
l\Lying while campaigning is like complaining you burger king burger doesn't look the same as the TV add. Post election lying is a different kettle of fish.
So you thought Trudeau would ______(fill in your broken promise here) because he promised it on the campaign trail?
At this time my focus is on liars with power.
It's a valid point, but none of those people are relevant because none of them has any actual power. I suspect their time will come in the next election because if Trudeau continues to govern like this for 3 more years, I think they're quite likely to deservedly get the "Wynne Treatment" in 2025.
Do you have any reason to think he will change or if the Trudeau fans will change their votes or the the CPC won't self destruct?
I think if the CPC enshrined women's rights in their policy manual, they win a landslide.
Oh please. Everyone knows the CPC forces women to have babies so they can turn them into gun-toting religious zealots that hate women. I'm sure they would surely rather take the vote away from women than add to their rights. -- I'm kidding Terry.
They won't win a majority, and Harper got turfed after 10 years because he was doing nothing. Trudeau has 3 years left and is doing nothing. I've written my MP several times saying I can't vote Liberal if Trudeau is leading, and outlined all the reasons why. I don't think the PPC will be relevant any longer as their COVID wedge issue will be gone. I can see a lot of people holding their nose to vote Trudeau out...especially after 3 more years of this nonsense. Should be fun to watch.
Now you’re just trolling.
When they are the government, and have power, we should definitely hold their feet to the fire if/when they blatantly lie to the public.
After 2+ years of "noble lies" from public health, misleading people about, eg, natural immunity and covid risk to healthy kids, being unanimously supported by the media, are we really surprised that the government and Canadians have abandoned their commitment to the truth?
The chickens have come home to roost.
Mark, your chickens have been roosting for a long while now.
I do not believe that most Canadian's have abandoned their commitment to the truth especially with regards to Covid (which is still with us). I also don't believe that most media lied to all of us about Covid (tho I could share some seriously nutso links, (but only if you give me money)). I also believe that Public Health did it's best over the past 2+ years. Mistakes were made, how could there not be? Governments at all levels screwed up on occasion too.
It was not all just a big plot for whatever reasons you believe. No "noble lies" whatever that is.
If Wedge Issues win elections what's the incentive to do anything to fix it? We need election reform.
This government definitely has issues with valuing some lives more or less than others. Not nearly open enough to be truly democratic.
He's done so much for indigenous peoples -- still problems with drinking water, sued to keep money from Indigenous children (100 Million in taxpayer $ to lawyer), skipped first day of Reconciliation, posed with a teddy bear at a regular Catholic cemetery, using the grave issue as his own personal "George Floyd Moment" etc. and then there are his faux green policies...
What does it say about the state of the mainstream, taxpayer funded media that this kind of scrutiny of the government is never allowed on their platform?
What are you talking about? Andrew Coyne wrote a similar piece about the Emergency Act in the G&M today: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-if-the-minister-misled-parliament-he-has-to-go/. And, Matt also writes for for "mainstream, taxpayer funded media" like TVO and, formerly, NP.
Coyne's article has 2 big issues. 1: "if". 2: In his rabid hate for the truckers, he ignores the key requirements for the Emergencies Act: "seriously endangers the lives, health or safety of Canadians" ; and "seriously threatens the ability of the Government of Canada to preserve the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of Canada".
It is dead obvious that none of these conditions were met.
https://www.jccf.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2022-02-25-FILED-Notice-of-Application-T-382-22_Redacted.pdf
Well it is still "state media" 😂 It doesn't exist to discredit or sow doubt in the country. That would generally be bad if the plan was to continue existing. That or maybe it would be a good thing to examine how we got here and change and adapt maybe not make the same mistakes again.
Great article Matt....Mendicino must go. He has lost all credibility. Shameful if he is not moved by Trudeau.
Matt, you conclude your excellent column with, "....if you, a member of the Canadian public, don’t expect at least that much from them....."
The truth is [sorry, couldn't help myself; also, it IS TRUE], I have no expectation whatsoever of truth from this government; I expect prevarication at best and absolute dishonesty as a matter of course. Sadly, I am rarely surprised. Disappointed? Absolutely. Angered? Without question. Surprised? Nope.
To carry your comment further, that makes me a part of the problem in your view. I respectfully reject that aspect of your analysis. Your point would seem to be that if I do not demand better then I am a LARGE part of the problem. In fact, I do demand better but I am a citizen of Canada, which means that my opinions are ignored. More to the point, I am a citizen of Alberta, which means that my opinions are reviled by my worsers (definitely not my betters).
So, blame the GTA; blame Quebec; do not blame me and/or my part of the country for that twerp and his followers that you guys elected.
Pat, I must confess that I wasn't aware of the term "enclave government" so I looked it up. Yes, it could be viewed that way. On the other hand, the enclave is the GTA and Quebec with pockets elsewhere. Overall, though, I concur with the thrust of your point.
Now, as to Butts. He absolutely has a lot to answer for but his influence is not what it once was. Therefore, you have to look at the current found ins very critically and not attribute all this stuff to Butts. Yes, he is a - you should pardon the expression - "philosophical" influence but he is not the only one. We absolutely have to look at the prime idiot and those currently around him.
Pat, "just made up the term" Wow! Look up the definition on Google. And, yes, I think your definition of M, GTA and V is superior to my definition.
As for Butts, I am not dismissing him, thinking him blameless, etc., etc. I absolutely think he is "not my kind of person." To put it incredibly politely. I must, however, look to the prime idiot as the ultimate mover and shaker who employs Butts and all the other ilk [such a nice word, "ilk," no?]. Ultimately, if the buck stops with JT then the buck stops with JT. That is all that I was trying put across, not that Butts is blameless. Not hardly!
Many of us care. Obviously there is little that you do.
If I deduct a business expense on my taxes, I'm expected to have receipts to show for it. They should have a paper (ok, even an electronic) trail showing what led to the EA decision.
There's a saying "if it isn't written down it didn't happen".
Oh, guaranteed there's a trail. But we will never see it. Because it talks about nothing but polls and PR.
October '22
And the advice to the Minister(s) about invoking the EA should also have been in writing. I suspect this is the reason the 'cabinet confidence' shields are up.
That's the problem with the lack of transparency. It creates mistrust.
Briefing notes to ministers should be posted on a website open to the public.
This gun thing really bothers me. I am a gun owner but support controlls on assault rifles especially after the massacre in NS. But the direction of their legislation is stupid and unproductive for no logocal reason.
Very few gun owners have a problem making illegal guns illegal :) Handguns are very restricted now. If you tell a non-gun owner what hoops you have to jump through just to take your gun to get fixed they don't believe you. Large magazines are also already illegal. For every stupid, virtue-signalling piece of performance art legislation against legal gun owners, the government should have to put 5X the money into stopping illegal guns from coming into Canada and programs to get them off the street. A Billion to buy back legal guns and how much on border control?
Enhanced border measures don't provide photo ops or social media likes
What do you call it when the government talks about controlling legal guns (which are already controlled) but doing nothing about the illegal guns in the hands of criminals (which is out of control) and claiming they are making the country safer? What term would you use when the talking points don't jibe with the actions?
I'm largely indifferent to the gun legislation. Much more concerned about the move away from mandatory minimums, allowing those on firearms charges to go free on bail and an overall aversion to tackling gun smuggling.
Weren't Gabriel Wortman's weapons already illegal at the time, and smuggled into Canada?
Other than both begining with "mand", what is the parallel?
Her point is that judges, like politicians, are important people who should do what they want. Regular people, however, should do what they're told .
Believing this is what distinguishes Liberals from NDP supporters.
I get your lazy attempt to deflect by bringing up the deplorable anti-vaxxers.
Good research, Mr. Gurney.
Fire the Minister!
Liberano lies!!?!?! Shock, horror, say it isn't so...
All great points. I think the larger problem is that we seem to have a real dearth of talent in contemporary cabinets. Minsters are expected to be meek and silent sychophants, but every once in a while some events-dear-boy pop up and the minister has to actually step forward and do their job. Some can cope with the simultaneous pressure of the spotlight and PMO expectations like Anand and Freeland (I offer no comment on results) and keep the messaging tight and some can't and it seems like Mendicino is in the latter category.
When talented ministers tried to act responsibly as did Ms. Wilson-Raybould and Dr. Phillpott, the Feminist in Chief drummed them completely out of the party! It was enough to cow the rest of the stooges.
When Parliament was reduced to a Presidential Operation from the front steps of the Prime Ministers home, any pretext of being accountable went right out the window.
Complicit in this arrangement was the National Press Gallery and news editors who fawned over the cleverness of it all, how Trudeau gathered in all the media attention and left the Opposition (read Conservatives) with no airtime.
So here we are, with a Government that spends a significant amount of time bobbing, weaving and obfuscating. No one deserves a straight answer, and when things get uncomfortable there are senior ministers to take the heat, committee work to stifle and prorogation if all else fails.
The Liberal strategy isn’t to govern any more, it’s to annoy. Make us all mad at each other while the operation burns to a crisp.
We need a Conservative Party to get its act together and an election. Soon please.
The Conservatives have tons of passion for a better Canada. Unfortunately, they have a tendency for friendly fire gsw’s making the CPC look as unserious as the LPC.
Canadians are desperate for a serious governing alternative to the Trudeau Liberals. Conservative supporters need to coalesce around a new leader and showcase a credible team waiting to lead our Country.
I think that things are such a mess right now that a shakeup is required. The government footprint has grown by leaps and bounds since 2015, as has the consultancy business.
A new set of perspectives is allowed to come in and address the issues. Trudeau certainly didn’t expect to be a Harper clone.
I keep getting sparks of joy for money well spent on my subscription. Well done Matt.