Politics
New York Times Op-ed Slams Canada’s Justin Trudeau
Political careers often end in failure — a cliché that exists because it too often happens to be true. Justin Trudeau, one of the world’s great progressive leaders, may be heading toward that moment. In a recent interview he acknowledged that every day he considers leaving his “crazy job” as Canada’s prime minister. Increasingly, the question is not if he will leave but how soon and how deep his failure will be when he goes.
At stake is something that matters more than one politician’s career: Canada’s contemporary liberal and multicultural society, which just happens to be the legacy of the prime minister’s father and predecessor, Pierre Trudeau. When you fly into Montreal, you land in Trudeau airport, and that’s because of Pierre, not Justin.
The threat to that liberal tradition is not all Justin Trudeau’s fault, of course. The right-wing tide overwhelming global politics has come late but with pent-up vigor to Canada. For several years now, polls have shown Mr. Trudeau’s Liberals at lows from which no Canadian political party has ever recovered in elections. In a recent by-election, in a key suburban district of the Greater Toronto Area, the Conservative Party beat the Liberals by a lopsided 57 percent to 22 percent, a swing of nine percentage points to the Conservatives.
But polls and by-elections can be poor predictors of election viability. A better indicator is the flummoxed figure of Mr. Trudeau himself, who seems increasingly out of touch in the new world of division and extremism.
Part of Justine Trudeau’s problem is simple exhaustion, both his own and Canadian voters’. He has been in government for almost eight and a half years. During that time, he has been one of the most effective progressive leaders in the world. His government cut Canada’s child poverty in half. He legalized marijuana, ending roughly 100 years of nonsense. He made large strides in reconciliation with Indigenous Canadians. He renegotiated NAFTA with a lunatic American president. He handled Covid better than most. You don’t have to squint too hard to recognize that he is one of the most competent and transformative prime ministers this country has ever produced.
Justin Trudeau talks to media in 2015: File Image
But an era has passed since the start of that halcyon time, when Mr. Trudeau stood in front of his first cabinet and, when asked why it was half female, answered, “Because it’s 2015.” Now a new generation has emerged, for which the liberal technocratic order his government represents has failed to offer a path to a stable, prosperous future and the identity politics he once embodied have withered into vacuous schism. The growing anti-Liberal Party sentiment of young people is the biggest threat to his electability.
His opponents are well aware of Mr. Trudeau’s unpopularity with young voters and have focused Conservative attacks on an issue especially important to that cohort: the housing crisis. The soaring real estate market, in which tiny homes in Toronto and Vancouver now regularly cost more than properties in Paris or New York, has been exacerbated by the Trudeau government bringing in over a million immigrants last year without having built the necessary infrastructure to support the communities receiving them.
For decades, Canada has been the only country in the world where the more patriotic citizens are, the more they support immigration. Liberal mishandling of immigration’s impact may well end this blessed state. The housing crisis is the epitome of Mr. Trudeau’s failure: It feels good — it feels righteous — to support immigration. Isn’t that the whole idea behind multiculturalism? But without the proper hardheadedness, without being frank about difficult realities, righteousness quickly sours.
“Freedom Convoy” of some 2,700 trucks protest: CBC Image
The first evidence of the prime minister’s weakness in the face of Canada’s growing polarization was the government response to the so-called Freedom Convoy in 2022, in which anti-vaccine demonstrators held Ottawa hostage for a month. His government decided to take a bureaucratic approach to the disruption, dithering while the truckers entrenched themselves in the city, then using the Emergencies Act to seize several of their bank accounts. A January federal decision found that Mr. Trudeau’s invocation of the act was “not justified.”
Other countries took much simpler approaches to their civil unrest in the aftermath of Covid restrictions. The French used tear gas. The moment a convoy set out from Los Angeles headed for Washington, in imitation of the Canadian convoy, the Biden administration called out the National Guard. Other countries know: There is a time for brute force.
The same fear of confrontation — which, to be fair to Mr. Trudeau, afflicts the entirety of Canadian culture and politics — motivated new online harms legislation, which he proposed in February in an attempt to regulate or at least somewhat contain the internet and social media, from revenge pornography and child sexual abuse material to hate speech. It is, unfortunately, an absurd document that seeks to impose virtue by fiat.
The maximum penalty for promoting genocide — a form of speech crime — is life imprisonment, meaning harsh punishments can be meted out for the vaguest and most subjective of definitions. Equally troubling is the measure that if a Canadian citizen “fears on reasonable grounds” that a hate crime will be committed, the individual can apply for an order that another person be subjected to court-mandated conditions on what that person may say.
No less a figure than Margaret Atwood described the proposed law as “Orwellian.” “It’s Lettres de Cachet all over again,” she wrote on X, referring to the king’s ability in prerevolutionary France to imprison without trial. The spirit behind the new law is the very worst of Canada: Be nice, or else. And it will do nothing to contain the disinformation wave that’s swelling.
Anti-Israeli demonstrators wave Palestinian flags: Image CBC
But more than any other event, it is the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas that has exposed Mr. Trudeau’s inability to fight for liberal values. Since that day, the Canadian Jewish community has been subject to violence not seen since the 1930s. A synagogue has been firebombed, a Jewish school shot at, a Jewish hospital targeted by an antisemitic mob, a Jewish-owned bookstore vandalized, a Jewish neighborhood disrupted, a Jewish grocery store lit on fire.
A mob outside a Holocaust Museum in Montreal chanted, “Death to the Jews.” Mr. Trudeau’s response has been pleas for everyone to just get along. “This needs to stop,” he said, referring to the lobbing of a Molotov cocktail at a synagogue. “This is not who we are as Canadians.”
This litany of failures is all the more significant because of Mr. Trudeau’s name. At a moment of crisis for Canadian multiculturalism, he makes a poor contrast with his father. Pierre Trudeau was not just another Canadian politician; he passed the Charter of Rights and Freedoms while establishing Canada’s Constitution as its own and not subject to the British Parliament.
He made no-fault divorce and homosexuality legal. He instituted the official policy of multiculturalism, which made it a matter of law that Canadian citizens were encouraged to practice their religions and maintain their identities.
Pierre Trudeau might have been the most important architect of the liberal Canada, but he was also tough as hell. He famously invoked the Emergency War Measures Act against separatist terrorists in 1970, suspending civil liberties and bringing in the military. When asked by journalists how far he was willing to go, he said, “Just watch me.” Pierre Trudeau knew that the liberal order demands forceful and practical — and occasionally ugly — defense.
His son now seems to believe that telling people to be nice to one another will do. This weakness not only threatens the multicultural society his father founded; it threatens progressive values around the world. For many, Canada seemed a lone candle alight for the values of pluralism and liberalism as they have been extinguished elsewhere in the world.
Justin Trudeau does not have to call an election until 2025. He won elections against the odds before. But time is not on his side. It’s not Pierre Trudeau’s world anymore. It doesn’t much look like Justin Trudeau’s, either.
Source: NY Times
Justin Trudeau Continues to Fail Canadians on Key Issues
President-elect Donald Trump has shifted his attention from Congress’s spending plans to criticize Canada and its Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.
Trump’s provocative statements directed at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made headlines this week, eliciting responses from both sides of the frontier.
Trump suggested on his platform, Truth Social, that Canadians may prefer their country to become the 51st state of the United States. He claimed that they would receive substantial benefits from reduced taxation and military protection.
He even addressed Justin Trudeau as “Governor,” a statement that has undoubtedly caused controversy in Canada. Many Canadian officials expressed their indignation in a prompt manner.
“We are Canadians first,” remarked a Canadian commentator, discounting Trump’s remarks as misguided.
The tension intensified after a surprise Thanksgiving dinner at Mar-a-Lago, during which Trump initially proposed that Canada could circumvent tariffs by becoming the 51st state to join the United States.
Trump has since expressed his apprehension regarding border security and has threatened to impose a substantial 25% tariff on all Canadian products.
It is important to acknowledge that the statistics provide a different perspective. The Canadian border has experienced a fraction of the number of arrests in comparison to the southern border of the United States with Mexico.
US Canada Ties
The economic relationship between the United States and Canada is substantial, with an exchange of products valued at approximately $2.7 billion on a daily basis.
Nevertheless, the notion of becoming the 51st state is profoundly offensive to many Canadians, despite the fact that Trump’s allies in Washington D.C. have characterized his remarks as humorous.
Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the United States, downplayed any indication of tensions between the two countries. Hillman stated, “I believe that the president-elect is enjoying himself.” “Canada is capable of accommodating it.” You are aware that we possess a robust sense of self and are capable of communicating it.
“The United States is like family,” she stated to Politico.
The president-elect is well-known to Hillman. She played a critical role in the negotiation of Canada’s portion of the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement during his most recent administration. Additionally, she traveled to Mar-a-Lago with Trudeau for the diplomatic dinner just a few weeks ago.
Canada is considering retaliatory tariffs in response to Trump’s threats. It is crucial to bear in mind that a significant fraction of the energy imports of the United States are sourced from Canada.
Specifically, approximately 60% of crude oil and 85% of electricity are sourced from our northern neighbor.
The consequences of Trump’s remarks on U.S.-Canada relations are far from clear as the situation continues to develop.
Navigating these tensions and preserving a robust economic partnership will require the ongoing dialogue between the two nations.
Support for Trudeau Diminishing
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing increasing pressure to resign, as an increasing number of Liberal MPs have joined the call for his resignation in response to the tumultuous week that has befallen his party.
Global News reported that over half of the 75 Liberal MPs from Ontario convened for a one-hour meeting on Saturday to discuss the leadership of their party.
At the caucus meeting, only a small number of MPs expressed their support for Trudeau’s continued leadership. However, a significant number of them expressed their desire for him to step down, stating that his brand has become “toxic.”
Chandra Arya, who represents the Ottawa constituency of Nepean, was among the attendees at the meeting on Saturday.
Arya published a letter he wrote to Trudeau on Friday, in which he requested that he “step aside as leader of the Liberal caucus immediately.”
Arya wrote in the letter dated Dec. 20 and shared on X, “I have consistently supported you since last summer, even when some of our colleagues called for your resignation, while I align as a fiscally-center-right Liberal and have often disagreed with your left-leaning positions.”
“However, it was evident today that the House of Commons no longer has faith in you.” I am now reasonably certain that the Liberal caucus’s majority no longer endorses your leadership.
Arya did not disclose the events of Saturday’s meeting during an interview with Global News on Sunday; however, he stated that it verified the information he had previously written in his letter.
He stated that the number of Liberal MPs who have joined calls for Trudeau to step down has “begun to increase” over the past 48 to 72 hours.
“I believe that the prime minister is seriously considering,” Arya stated.
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NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh Vows to Topple Trudeau Government
Canada’s opposition leader said his caucus plans to vote against Justin Trudeau’s government. If the prime minister does not seek a temporary suspension of parliament, the country will be plunged into an election early next year.
If the NDP gains support from other major opposition parties, Trudeau’s government would be forced to step down, sparking an election shortly after Donald Trump’s expected return to the White House in Washington DC.
Trudeau’s Liberals currently lack a majority in the House of Commons and have relied on NDP backing to pass laws and remain in power. Singh and Trudeau previously agreed on a cooperation deal, but the NDP leader ended that arrangement in September.
Singh’s declaration came just before Trudeau unveiled changes to his cabinet, a move aimed at steadying his government following Chrystia Freeland’s surprising resignation as finance minister earlier in the week. Polls show the Liberals are unpopular, and Trudeau is under internal pressure to resign after Freeland’s departure.
“The Liberals don’t deserve another chance,” Singh said. “That’s why the NDP will vote to end this government and let Canadians choose new leadership.”
Trudeau is expected to consider his political future over the holidays, and parliament will reconvene on January 27.
One option for Trudeau is asking the governor-general to prorogue parliament, which would end the current session. This move could delay Singh’s non-confidence vote by postponing lawmakers’ return to Ottawa.
The new cabinet begins its term amid economic uncertainty, worsened by Trump’s threat to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods.
Dominic LeBlanc — who joined the prime minister at a dinner meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in November — was sworn in as finance minister on Monday after Freeland quit.
Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced changes to his Cabinet. He said the new cabinet will prioritize Canadians’ most important objectives: enhancing the economy and reducing the cost of living.
The team will continue to advance in housing, child care, and school food while striving to return more money to Canadians’ wallets, building on the investments made since 2015.
The changes to the cabinet are as follows:
- Anita Anand becomes Minister of Transport and Internal Trade
- Gary Anandasangaree becomes Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
- Steven MacKinnon becomes Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour
- Ginette Petitpas Taylor becomes President of the Treasury Board
The Prime Minister also welcomed the following new members of his Cabinet:
- Rachel Bendayan becomes Minister of Official Languages and Associate Minister of Public Safety
- Élisabeth Brière becomes Minister of National Revenue
- Terry Duguid becomes Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada
- Nate Erskine-Smith becomes Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
- Darren Fisher becomes Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
- David J. McGuinty becomes Minister of Public Safety
- Ruby Sahota becomes Minister of Democratic Institutions and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
- Joanne Thompson becomes Minister of Seniors.
These new ministers will work with all members of the Cabinet to deliver real, positive change for Canadians. They join the following ministers remaining in their portfolio:
- Terry Beech, Minister of Citizens’ Services
- Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence
- François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
- Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant
- Karina Gould, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
- Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
- Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
- Mark Holland, Minister of Health
- Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development
- Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
- Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth
- Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities
- Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs
- Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
- Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
- Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
- Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
- Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development
- Harjit S. Sajjan, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada
- Ya’ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health
- Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage
- Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
- Rechie Valdez, Minister of Small Business
- Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
- Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing a backlash for claiming to be a feminist after firing Chrystia Freeland as Finance Minister and replacing her with Dominic Leblanc on Tuesday.
Justin Trudeau has positioned himself as a feminist leader, a central element of his political identity. In 2015, Canada made history by appointing its first gender-equal cabinet, a significant step in the ongoing effort to champion women’s rights policies.
Trudeau aimed to solidify his reputation as a pioneer in the fight for gender equality. Recent accusations of “phoney feminism” have sparked a heated debate regarding the consistency between his statements and his actions.
Chrystia Freeland’s resignation from the cabinet has sparked criticism directed at Prime Minister Trudeau, raising questions about his approach to women in leadership roles.
Chrystia Freeland, previously regarded as one of Prime Minister Trudeau’s closest allies, has officially resigned from her position as Finance Minister. In her resignation letter, she notably omitted any reference to gender issues.
Freeland’s departure mirrors Trudeau’s removal of several high-profile women;
- Jody Wilson-Raybould, former Attorney General, was removed in 2019 after the SNC-Lavalin controversy.
- Jane Philpott, then President of the Treasury Board, was also ousted following her support for Wilson-Raybould.
- Celina Caesar-Chavannes, a Liberal MP, left politics after claiming Trudeau didn’t handle internal disagreements well.
These firings have fuelled debates about his handling of women in leadership positions and made a mockery of his claims of being a feminist.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre criticized Trudeau for the optics of replacing Freeland with a male cabinet member, calling it evidence of Trudeau’s “fake feminism.”
“Just blame Chrystia Freeland and make her wear it all. Some feminist,” Poilievre said at a news conference on Tuesday.
The same week as Trudeau was insulting Americans for not electing a woman president, he was busy throwing his own woman deputy prime minister under the bus to replace her with a man, Poilievre commented.
Prominent Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner asked how any woman in that caucus could “defend that man instead of calling for an election now,” while Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Trudeau needed to start proving himself if he was going to keep declaring himself “to be such a supporter of women.”
MP Melissa Lantsman referred to an “old boys’ club” being in charge.
“It’s time for credible leadership in the seriousness of this moment, not the fake feminism of this phoney prime minister,” said Lantsman, who represents the Conservatives in the Thornhill riding.
Former Liberal MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes said she believes there is a pattern of female cabinet ministers who were “thrown under the bus” after “challenging someone whose name is Trudeau.”
Trudeau Defended
However, while Freeland’s resignation has sparked accusations of sexism, political experts suggest that focusing solely on gender may oversimplify the issue.
Freeland, an accomplished politician and the country’s first female Finance Minister left primarily due to policy disagreements. Her decision was less about being a powerful woman and more about divergent views on leadership and economic strategy.
Political scientist Dr. Melanee Thomas remarked that qualified women in politics often face frustrations when their expertise is dismissed.
She cautioned against reducing complex political dynamics to gender alone. By framing Freeland’s resignation solely as evidence of sexism, the broader challenges faced by all leaders in Trudeau’s cabinets—men and women alike—are overlooked.
Trudeau has remained relatively quiet, stating that Freeland’s departure was not an “easy day” for him.
Unlike previous controversies, he has not publicly defended his feminist credentials since Freeland’s resignation, leaving a vacuum for critics to dominate the narrative.
Over the years, Trudeau has said that “adding women changes politics,” presenting himself as an ally for feminist causes. His silence now begs the question: does he believe his track record speaks for itself, or is he struggling to respond to the growing skepticism?
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