No, I am not making that up. The rules for the Liberal Party leadership race (to finish in early March) are so loose that several people have signed up their dogs to vote for the next Liberal leader. You do not have to prove Canadian citizenship or residency, only state that you are ordinarily a resident of Canada. Considering that we have been receiving warnings of foreign interference in Canadian elections for several years, it would appear that the Liberal party isn’t really worried about it.
What else is Canada’s Natural Governing Party ™ not worried about? Apparently, a lot of things. Donald Trump has threatened Canada and Mexico with a 25% tariff on all goods going to the US. Trudeau and the Liberals have refused to take this threat seriously. Yes, Trudeau flew down to Mar a Lago after it was announced to beg for an exemption (many people said it was to bend the knee to Trump) but otherwise Trudeau has largely ignored this threat. Why? I think because he is hoping Trump follows through, Trudeau can place his own tariffs, crash the Canadian economy and claim the whole thing is Trump’s fault, and Trudeau can step forward as Canada’s “saviour”. Yes, Trudeau will destroy Canada to maintain his grip on power. Never forget, he has not resigned, he has only promised to do so.
Alberta and Ontario are both separately doing what they can to deal with the illegal immigration problem, but these are only certain parts of the border. A national attempt is needed, and Trudeau isn’t doing it.
Add in the fact that once Trump is inaugurated January 20 there really isn’t anyone to speak for Canada. Trudeau is a loser in waiting, the Liberals will be destroyed in the next election and all Trump has to do is wait for that election. The tariff and annexations threats are, I think, an attempt to speed the process along. Trudeau’s ego, however, will not allow him to give in to Trump.
This leaves Canada and the United States – or more accurately Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump on a serious collision course. The last time anyone seriously challenged Trudeau was the Trucker Convoy in early 2022. What happened? Trudeau fled Ottawa and instituted the Emergency Act. What will he do to “punish” Trump? That’s an excellent question. Because this is how Trudeau deals with those who disagree with him. Punishment.
In this case, however, Trudeau does not hold the high ground. Pierre Trudeau once said of the Canada-US relationship “being neighbours with you is like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how gentle or even tempered the beast, one is affected by it’s every twitch and grunt”. Trump has far more options for making life for Canadians difficult than Trudeau has for making Americans life difficult.
There are options of course. I would be seriously surprised if Trump actually put a 25% tariff on Canadian oil. The US needs it too much. Auto parts would destroy the auto industry on both sides of the border. But aircraft (read Bombardier in Montreal), shipping rates to the US? Softwood lumber (a major trade dispute for over 30 years)? Oh yes, absolutely Trump would.
Which brings us back to the Liberal leadership race. The loose rules, refusal of Trudeau to step down immediately and desire to do the leadership race rather than protect Canadians by negotiating with Trump shows the Canadian Liberal party is, once again, putting their own interests before Canadians.
A final thought. When Trudeau gained the Liberal leadership ten or eleven years ago, he was heralded as the Liberal party’s “saviour”. This was due to the fact that the Liberals had gone through two party leaders and not won the Prime Minister’s office. This was unprecedented in Canadian history. In the 20th Century, every Liberal leader became Prime Minister. However, Trudeau is now likely to leave the Liberal party in worse shape than he found it. In my opinion, the Liberals, like the Democrats, need some time in the wilderness to learn how to listen to voters again, rather than just look out for themselves. Unfortunately, for now, Canadians are paying the price of the Liberal Party’s arrogance.
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