A former top bureaucrat has delivered a devastating assessment of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government that starkly etches the bleak state of Canadian politics.
“The government has squandered our fiscal advantage, hollowed out our military, shattered our immigration system and shown little interest in our anemic productivity while economic, geopolitical and security threats to Canada rise to Defcon levels,” says Kevin Lynch in a piece penned for the Globe and Mail.
Lynch, a highly respected former clerk of the Privy Council and former vice-chair of BMO Financial Group, goes on to say that Trudeau’s weaknesses have damaged us internationally.
“The global coverage of our imploding government is hardly reassuring for allies or investors. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is drawn to weakness like a lion in the Serengeti. In an election with the Liberals led by Mr. Trudeau, it is quite possible the Bloc could become the Official Opposition and, with the Parti Quebecois leading in the polls provincially, Quebec could face another sovereignty referendum.”
It’s a scathing indictment of Trudeau’s nine years in power. Lynch also slams what he calls the “non-functioning” House of Commons. For the past few months, Parliament has been deadlocked by the government’s refusal to produce documents related to Sustainable Development Technology Canada, an agency that doled out grants to companies promoting environmental sustainability.
Dubbed a “Green Slush Fund,” the Conservatives claim $400 million was handed out with little accountability. They want the records. The government has balked. And Parliament has hit an impasse.
“The non-functioning House of Commons — the core institution of our democracy — bears a striking resemblance to Canada Post, which Canadians barely noticed was on strike,” Lynch says. Important legislation that would tighten national security, secure our borders, crack down on drug smuggling and improve anti-money laundering measures can’t be passed as long as lawmakers are at loggerheads.
Lynch warns Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre that he, too, must rise to the occasion.