As an aggressive, laser-focused Donald Trump is preparing to launch a trade war against Canada with punitive tariffs, the floundering, bewildered Trudeau government has decided to put the political business of the country on hold.
Proroguing Parliament until March 24 so that the Liberals can sort out their internal processes is not only blind arrogance, but dangerous foolishness coupled with incompetency.
Only now, six weeks after the president-elect threatened the 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian goods, and three weeks after Chrystia Freeland resigned as finance minister, does Prime Minister Justin Trudeau decide to quit.
Except, not just yet. Trudeau has decided that he will remain as prime minister and leader of the Liberals until a new leader is chosen. We don’t know when that will be and so until that tiresome process is concluded we are saddled with a lame-duck prime minister, who is constitutionally wounded and rejected by his own party.
The prime minister should just quit. Even an interim leader would be better for the country.
In a few weeks, Trump will enter the White House and has vowed to impose tariffs on day one.
At that time, Liberals will be gathered in conference rooms, sitting around discussing how best to elect a new leader, looking at the contenders, choosing venues and deciding what canapes to serve.
Meanwhile, the leadership contenders — the very people who probably should be ranged against Trump in the fight against those tariffs — will be ensconced in discussions with advisers and friends, working the phones, jockeying for position, meeting journalists, holding press conferences and writing victory/concession speeches.
Of course, Trudeau will still be there, although one wonders how much influence “the Governor” will have on the president.
Putting Parliament on hold also has the benefit of Trudeau not having to face a non-confidence motion. The major opposition party leaders, including the NDP’s Jagmeet Singh, had pledged to bring Trudeau down with a non-confidence vote shortly after Parliament was due to return on Jan. 27.
In his speech Monday, Trudeau acknowledged how dangerous these times are.
“We are at a critical moment in the world,” he said.
Critical, indeed. Trump’s tariffs have the potential to cause serious harm to the Canadian economy, bankrupt businesses and affect everyone. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce predicts the tariffs would push Canada into a recession, shrink GDP by 2.6 per cent and cost each Canadian $1,900 annually.
The Ivey Business School believes 25 per cent tariffs would cost 1.5 million jobs across the country, disrupt supply chains, cause structural business damage and mean financial intervention from the government resulting in inflation.
Consumers, already facing a food affordability crisis, will be badly hit. For instance, Ivey predicts a loaf of bread now costing $3.5 could rise to $5.
“These steep — and sweeping — price hikes will strain household budgets and increase debt levels,” says an analysis by Andreas Schotter, the Ivey professor of general management and international business.
Increased energy costs will add to the financial pressure on households and the disruption in supply chains will see Canadians with fewer options to buy such things as prescription medicines and other goods.
And amid this predicted turmoil, Parliament is sidelined by Trudeau while the Liberals sort out their act.
Trudeau, however, claims prorogation is to do with the fact that “Parliament has been paralyzed for months” and a reset is needed.
And why has Parliament been paralyzed? Because the House of Commons ordered the Liberals to hand over documents related to a $1-billion “green slush” fund, Speaker Greg Fergus, a Liberal, determined that the House had every right to do so and the government has refused.
It’s a bit rich for Trudeau to moan about a paralyzed Parliament when it’s the Liberals who are desperately trying to conceal evidence.
The prime minister’s resignation speech also contained some cloud-cuckoo-land analysis.
“This country deserves a real choice in the next election and it has become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election,” he said.
But it’s not just his caucuses across Canada that want him to go — it’s the whole country.
If an election were held today, according to an Angus Reid poll, the Liberals are predicted to win just six seats.
Hopefully, we will get an election called shortly after Parliament returns on March 24 and good luck to whoever the new Liberal leader is if they think they can turn around Liberal fortunes in such a short time frame.
Faced with being the new Liberal leader or clearing out the Augean Stables, most people would probably say, “Hand me the spade.”
We are at the mercy of Trump now not because of bad timing, or Freeland’s resignation, but because for too long this has been a prime minister who has been a dead man walking and he has refused to admit that.
Shamefully, Singh screwed up his supply and confidence agreement with the Liberals and then continued to support them, allowing the opportunistic Trudeau to continue as if his government wasn’t on life-support.
Singh should have had the courage to vote non-confidence a long time ago. The country is worse off because of that.
The prime minister should have realized his time was up and gone to the country months ago, allowing the people to choose and the Liberal party to reinvigorate itself. Even now Trudeau clings to power — a drowning man dragging the lifeboat down with him.
Hubris is what the gods use to punish humans. In Canada’s case, they sent us Trudeau.
National Post