As a soldier, I have been privileged to witness the kind of leadership that builds nations and inspires greatness. I’ve served alongside men and women who have sacrificed everything— career, health and even life — for their comrades, mission and country. These leaders embodied selflessness, putting country first, mission second, and personal welfare last. They were the leaders who lined every road I took in life.
Leadership like this is rare but when found it can change the course of history. That leadership was evident in Pte. Ernest “Smokey” Smith, from Vancouver, who stood tall against overwhelming odds during the Second World War, leading a handful of Canadian soldiers to victory after victory. He received the Victoria Cross from King George VI for his selflessness, courage and leadership under fire.
That selflessness, often called servant-leadership, lived on in Pte. Jess Larochelle, from Nipissing, Ont., who despite grievous wounds fought off Taliban attackers in Afghanistan over an extended period. Jess, a proud Canadian, sacrificed all to defend the flag he so deeply cherished, leaving us a legacy of courage, patriotism and leadership with his actions that day. We lost Jess several years ago to complications from his wounds. To note, every member of this Liberal government voted against awarding him the Canadian Victoria Cross in the House of Commons.
These most awesome Canadians and thousands more like them gave us inspirational examples of servant-leadership. Men and women who put country first: Arthur Currie, Canada’s greatest general who led during poison gas attacks, the assault on Vimy Ridge and the Battle of Passchendaele; Padre John Foote, VC, a chaplain and man of God, leading Canadians under fire on the beaches of Dieppe during that deadly attack with no consideration other then saving those who needed saving.
Others, also part of our history, led by powerful example. Winston Churchill, who pledged his “blood, toil, tears and sweat,” and Franklin Roosevelt, who died in office, were both leaders during the greatest crisis ever, determined to serve their country and citizens and accomplish the great mission they had accepted. Neither faltered. Neither defaulted to personal ambition.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is an example of that selfless leadership. When offered an escape from Russian forces trying to kill him, he declined it, choosing instead to stay in Ukraine serving his nation and the cause of freedom, despite the enormous personal risk.
These examples stand in stark contrast to what we see now. Canada’s greatest crisis is met not with courage but with selfishness — what’s in it for me? Our prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has abdicated his responsibilities, creating a leadership void as the nation grapples with existential threats. His self-serving actions — proroguing Parliament, halting critical legislation and shifting the focus to a party leadership contest — betray a startling lack of commitment to the nation he was elected to serve and an equally startling focus on his own ambition. As an economic tsunami approached, Trudeau took an extended vacation and sought to prolong his time as PM, perhaps even to position himself as a continued leader during the next election. All at the expense of Canada. Selfishness is the imperative.
None of Smokey, Jess, Padre Foote or the many other Canadians who led this country to greatness would recognize our prime minister as a leader. Maybe, just maybe, the Captain of the Costa Concordia would. He, infamous for carelessly running his ship onto the rocks, abandoning his thousands of passengers in their hour of greatest need, and seeking personal safety while 32 of them died, perhaps might be a kindred spirit to our PM.
In our darkest hour Trudeau has likewise abandoned Canadians. We as a nation are left leaderless and the Trump administration can divide and conquer as it pleases. Provincial premiers like Ontario’s Doug Ford and Alberta’s Danielle Smith are left to pick up the pieces.
Justin Trudeau will go down in history simply for being our prime minister for a decade. He will be remembered always for the narcissism and egotism that will have seen his nation, and the 41 million Canadians who inhabit it, abandoned for personal ambition. This is not, as Churchill once intoned, his finest hour.
National Post
Rick J. Hillier is a retired Canadian Forces general who served as the chief of defence staff from February 2005 to July 2008.