This week’s Listen Up! is a guest post by Sally Barnes
Only in Canada, you say. Pity.
Our leader does not walk. He struts. Hands in his pants pockets with all the bravado of General George Patton declaring nothing can or will stop him.
Out of my way, lads, I have another election to win.
He knows from his drama-teaching days that timing is everything.
Overnight, he has forsaken his sackcloth-and-ashes persona of pandemic days and out bursts a youthful, robust, fetching image of his former self.
Out here in the real world, light years away from Parliament Hill, we ordinary Canadians have grown old and weary during the pandemic but our fearless leader has somehow discovered the fountain of youth.
There is a new spring in his step.
Stooped shoulders from months of pandemic press conferences, ragged beard and tousled hair are suddenly gone—along with the grey that reminded us our political superstar who once caught the world’s attention is soon to hit 50—the elder statesman of all the political party leaders in Ottawa today.
The young Justin, who has led the Liberal Party of Canada to two election victories and has been prime minister for six years is back—just in time to re-kick his promise that Canada is back.
(I was never sure where Canada had been before he came along but that’s another issue for another day.)
It is Justin Trudeau’s decision whether to pull the proverbial plug on an election but you can bet your first born that Canadians are going to the polls, like it or not.
The mood in Ottawa these days, as rumours of an upcoming election grow stronger with each passing day of lavish promises and photo ops, reminds me of that old song, “another opening of another show”. Or maybe the athletic equivalent: “gentlemen, start your engines”.
All parties with members in the House of Commons are getting ready—with the exception of the Greens who are mired in a game of political hara-kiri and sabotaging their very qualified new leader.
The putrid odor of antisemitism within the Green Party has cast a pall over their hard-earned reputation for virtue.
For many, who consider the Greens a comfy place to park a vote knowing full well they won’t form government, this internal mess could cause them to look elsewhere.
Lights. Camera. Action.
Out of the way, ladies and gentlemen, Justin has another campaign to wage.
He is at his best when he’s campaigning. He’s a born showman. He loves the spotlight and the camera and they love him.
Cue the money machine. (The Bank of Canada is on high alert and the printing presses in the basement are operating around the clock.)
Cue the props. The highly attractive and poised Sophie Gregorie Trudeau is back on the scene in cameo roles after what seemed to us humble servants as a noticeably lengthy, unexplained absence from the public stage.
In fact, Justin has made his support for women (and they of him) a major part of his political brand and they are playing a big role on the political stage in Canada these days with probable impact on the election outcome.
We finally have a new Governor General—the first Indigenous person to ever hold this prestigious and important job. Mary Simon is an excellent choice and kudos to our prime minister for choosing her and to our Queen for endorsing the appointment of her representative in this country.
Simon replaces another accomplished woman who seemed like a good idea at the time but that didn’t quite work out. But the past is the past. Our prime minister obviously learned from that mistake.
Meanwhile, the Association of First Nations, which represents the 634 First Nations in Canada, has also chosen its first woman leader and that inspires hope in future success on reconciliation. Hurrah. Congratulations to RoseAnne Archibald. Hers will be a tough job to walk the tight rope between advocate for her people and negotiator with the federal government.
But wait. Just as the Trudeau team was about to crack open the champagne and let the chest-thumping begin, another woman lobs a grenade into the celebratory fires.
Jody Wilson-Raybould (JWR), our first Indigenous Justice Minister with a list of credits as long as your arm, is calling politics quits for now and, true to form, isn’t leaving quietly. After being thrown under the proverbial bus by Prime Minister Trudeau and crew for refusing to take what she considered an illegal and unethical action, the SNC scandal erupted, JWR resigned, was kicked out of the Liberal caucus, and was then re-elected as an independent Member of Parliament.
(In the process she took with her colleague Jane Philpott who resigned in sympathy with JWR and left another gaping hole in the Trudeau cabinet and his gender-equity agenda.)
Now, JWR is walking away from the House of Commons and blames an increasingly toxic and ineffective practice of politics on The Hill. Her tell-all book will be published this fall and is bound to be on the best-seller list—and definitely on the bedside table of every political junkie in the country.
Hopefully, we have not seen the end of JWR and her important contribution to public discourse and ethical governance.
And so it goes, the news of a turbulent and crazy world.
At the outset of rumours that we could face a federal election later this summer or fall, I was opposed.
In the midst of a pandemic, shouldn’t we concentrate on that crisis and devising a solid plan to rebuild our shattered lives and shattered economy?
Well, I’ve grown used to the idea of an election and maybe it’s not all bad to provide pandemic-weary Canadians with a diversion and an opportunity to decide how this country should be run—perhaps welcome some new people who can help us get things right.
Politics is a messy job but somebody has to do it.
Mary Simon and RoseAnne Archibald symbolize a good start. Let’s hope many more selfless, committed, and qualified people of all backgrounds and interests follow their good example and accept the challenge.
As I have for my entire adult life, I will watch the game play out, consider all the players and their promises, mark my ballot, and hope for the best.
Justin Trudeau says he’s got my back. Because of my senior status, in the third week of August he’s even sending me $500, which he says is to help cover the additional costs of living during the pandemic.
This follows the $300 our age group received last fall.
A couple of friends say they have already decided what they’re doing with their upcoming $500 gift from the taxpayers.
One has her eye on a new pair of track pants at Giant Tiger to wear to her Friday night bingo and another will add an excursion to her long-awaited cruise she has booked for next year.
Neither will tell me whether the 500 bucks will influence how they vote. But the timing for the Trudeau government sure is propitious.
And in politics, timing is everything.
Nobody knows that better than Justin Trudeau.
Sally Barnes has enjoyed a distinguished career as a writer, journalist and author. Her work has been recognized in a number of ways, including receiving a Southam Fellowship in Journalism at Massey College at the University of Toronto. A self-confessed political junkie, she has worked in the back-rooms for several Ontario premiers. In addition to a number of other community contributions, Sally Barnes served a term as president of the Ontario Council on the Status of Women. She is a former business colleague of Doppler’s Hugh Mackenzie and lives in Kingston, Ontario. You can find her online at sallybarnesauthor.com
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Your column was correct and Trudeau has managed a free ride with his buying of seniors’ votes with public funds. A monthly increase starting in 2021, not 2022, would be practical. A $500 payment in the same month he calls an election is politics & government at its very worst.
However, I take strong exception to your reference to antisemitism within the floundering Green Party. It is equally disgusting to Trudeau’s manipulations when people (like you it seems) suggest that those of us who support the cause of displaced Palestinians are antisemetic. An apology would be appropriate.
I’m not much of a lover of political parties; their promising while in the hunt and devastating when in power. I don’t think there is any doubt as to the outcome of this upcoming election; $400B dollars could likely buy you a win in the U.S. and that is for sure what has been bought here at home. Yours and my tax dollars. Mine very grudgingly, but apparently contributed by some very lovingly.
Everybody spins their viewpoint and I find both Sally Barnes and Hugh Holland do that. It makes you think about what you feel personally and wonder where the balance is.
But Hugh. With regards to SNC. Really! Our guys should be able to lie, cheat and steal because their guys do? That does seem schoolyardish. And that put Mr. Trudeau on the ‘sensible’ side?
SNC was ripping off the World Bank and cow-towing to Qadhaffi! The World Bank sicced the RCMP on SNC and debarred them from future World Bank projects for 10 years. (later reduced to 8years.) Apparently to operate on the world stage SNC must learn to lie, cheat and steal better.
On the lighter side: if there is to be some “cut and thrust of parliament”, sign me up to sharpen blades. I can put a pretty keen edge on good steel. Wouldn’t mind watching a rousing duel.
And as for imagining the Conservative uproar if SNC were in Calgary, I know what it would be like. Same as it was with the Liberal (read JT and the boys) uproar since SNC is based in Montreal.
Unfortunately it cost us a couple of good parliamentarians. Negligible expenditure when you are striving to be king. But they now say, I’ll be getting a $500. 00 (senior status) bribe! I’m torn, but I bet some of it was mine anyway!
Thank you Mrs. Barnes for a very entertaining article, but forgive me for thinking it smacks of the same overly dramatic flair of which you accuse the Prime Minister. Could it be the that presiding over a room full of mischievous and often unruly children is better preparation for the cut and thrust of parliament than presiding over a nice quiet and orderly law office in which everyone runs in circles to enact every wish of the boss?
And pardon me for thinking that JWR was on the wrong side of the power struggle over the SNC-Lavalin question, and Trudeau was on the sensible side. For what reason should Canada’s few world class companies doing business in extremely competitive international markets be denied a legal remedy that is available to every single one of their world class competitors? Can you imagine the Conservative uproar if SNC had been based in Calgary instead of Montreal?
Totally agree with Alex Armstrong that Trudeau is a far better choice than the disastrous conservatives. Where would they have been during this pandemic, I fear nowhere and would not have offered help to the unemployed, seniors or business owners. They are a party similar to the Republicans in the U.S. As for Ms. Barnes article, we well know she is a close friend of Hugh Mackenzie, a very staunch Conservative. So if Trudeau swaggers with his hands in his pockets he well deserves too.
It is a fact of life that no government will ever make every decision the way you would. No matter how much you would like the Green Party to form the next government, that just will not happen. There have been on rare occasions NDP provincial governments, they don’t last long when the voters realize the error of their ways. They once formed the federal official opposition but their chances of returning to even that are slim. Essentially the only only choices are to vote either Liberal or Conservative. Mr. Trudeau certainly does not always make good choices, he is still by far a better option than the unmitigated disaster the conservatives would bring us. You can be sure that almost every decision from Mr. O’Toole would be devastating for Canada, whether on an ecological or social basis. I would like to think there is a better way to form a government, but I don’t know what it would be.
The chance of me and mine voting for him are slim to none. I think its a slap in the face for seniors that he gives us 8 dollars a month to pay for the greatly inflated food products and the huge amount rent has increased. And what kind of sense does it make to give 75 year old seniors 500.00 ( they got an extra 300.00 last fall also) but nothing for the people age 65 to 74. And also what about the disabled people they have to live on 1300.00 a month, I’d like to see an mp live on that a month, or even the 1600.00 alot of seniors receive.
An excellent article, thank you Ms. Barnes.
On the Global stage I feel that our Prime Minister has represented Canada well, in a statesmanlike manner, as does Krystia Freeland. For that reason, he is still the best choice, particularly in view of the competition. You are so right, timing is everything.
Hooray for Jody Wilson-Raybould – c’mon girl, start hooting & hollering again. If our Prime Minister thinks he has mollified women by the “token” appointment of our new Governor General he is in for a surprise. With Mary Simon and Roseanne Archibald, as Ms. Barnes writes, are a good start. I wonder what Sophie Trudeau thinks of all this posturing? She’s a smart cookie.
As Canadians wearily go to the polls I wish for some tangible progress with clean water for our Indigenous neighbours and more investment in the welfare of our Canadian veterans. Is help on the way for them?
Ralph Cliffe……..What kind of arrogance and self import does it take, to start by suggesting that “Mary Simon is an excellent choice” (presumably including being smart and aware) and then to proceed by informing her and (all) indigenous Canadians that her selection is a sham to buy votes……It is that kind of talking down to people that makes it so easy to dismiss you and your ilk. ( note: I have painfully avoided using the term “racist” because the case can be made without it……..but the term certainly crossed my mind).
Mary Simon is an excellent choice Mr. Trudeau. I wish her well!
I hope our indigenous Canadians understand that she is there for Trudeaus
benefit, not yours! There are votes to be bought!
Is it me or does Mr. Trudeau strut like the king of Siam?
It’s show time and so is the next election.
An excellent article Ms. Barnes.
The author discusses JWR and Dr Jane Philpott, but makes no mention of Celina Caesar Chavennes. Her recollection of serving Trudeau is even more damning. Despite his lofty words, he treated this lady with scorn and disdain befitting an “old South” redneck. How long until Mary Simon receives this same treatment from him? It will happen as soon as he gleans she is between him and some partisan gain.