— Feature, Musings —09.02.2023 12:23 PM
My latest: bits and pieces, this and that
Almost-end-of-summer, long weekend political bits and pieces:
**
Crickets.
That’s what you will hear if you are waiting for a public inquiry into Chinese interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal general elections. Crickets.
Towards the end of the last Parliamentary session, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau famously dangled the prospect of actually having such an inquiry. Back then, it looked like he had no choice.
His chosen “rapporteur” David Johnson — he who helped lead the Trudeau Foundation, that itself received boodle from the Chinese regime — had quit.
And an overwhelming number of Canadians — including more than 70% of self-described Liberal voters — wanted an inquiry into well-documented allegations that the Chinese had attempted to gut our democracy.
All of the opposition parties wanted an inquiry, too. But they, and we, all made a big mistake: we trusted Justin Trudeau.
Trudeau sent out his Maytag repairman, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, to rag the puck. LeBlanc did.
So, here we all are in September, with no public inquiry in sight. Just the unmistakable sound of crickets, reminding us that nothing has happened.
Oh, wait. Something has happened. A U.S. congressional committee — that is, a legislative committee found in another country — has invited one of the victims of Chinese political meddling, Canadian MP and former cabinet minister Michael Chong, to testify.
Before them. In America.
Get that? The Americans are calling Canadian witnesses to investigate Chinese interference in democracy.
Not us.
**
Look, Tasha Kheiriddin is a nice person.
She’s been a Conservative, and is a conservative, but I don’t hold that against her. She is smart, and perceptive, and a great writer. In fact, she is a writer who is a colleague: she writes about politics for The National Post, which shares an owner with the Toronto Sun.
A few weeks ago, Tasha sought media credentials to attend the upcoming Conservative Party convention in Quebec City. A party functionary wrote back: no.
She got her bosses at The National Post, no Trotskyite leaflet, involved. They also stressed that they wanted Tasha at the convention.
Her conservative credentials are pretty impeccable. She cochaired the Tory leadership campaign of Jean Charest and she has written books about being a conservative.
Even after the intervention by her editors at The National Post, the answer came back: no. Podcasters were allowed, assholes at Rebel “Media” were welcome. But not Tasha Kheiriddin, longtime conservative operative.
Says she: “I was disappointed with the Conservative Party’s decision to deny my media accreditation. Ironically, the only places where I am not welcome as a journalist are Russia, where I was banned last year, and the Conservative Convention, where I am persona non grata this year.”
She notes that representatives of other political parties are also being barred: “This kind of hostility is not only petty but feeds the polarization people deplore in today’s politics. It’s also a great example of gatekeeping — which I thought the party opposed.”
All of this reminds us, once again, of the famous words of my colleague Brian Lilley: “Politics is about addition, not subtraction.”
Meaning: You should always be trying to keep good people, not drive them away.
**
A final note on the polls.
All of them, pretty much, are now showing Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives far ahead of the governing Liberals. For instance, late last week, the pollster with the best record for accuracy federally, Leger, also confirmed the Tories are ahead of the Grits by nearly ten points.
That’s a majority government, folks. That’s lights out for Justin Trudeau’s team.
The horserace numbers probably don’t mean a whole lot, however. What is more meaningful is the reason why. Why is Pierre so far ahead, and Justin so far behind?
Trudeau’s tendency to overpromise and under-deliver is part of it. His fondness for Nanny State “woke” stuff, too. Serial scandals, the housing crisis, soaring inflation, and the total absence of a policy agenda haven’t helped, either.
But the main reason why Trudeau is losing so definitively to someone he clearly considers to be beneath him is this: we have grown sick of his face. He’s been Liberal leader for more than a decade, and he’s reached his best-before date.
In politics, the best you can hope for is eight years at the top. After that, voters are generally coming after you with nooses and pitchforks.
If Justin Trudeau wants to prevent the election disaster that is looming ahead, he needs to leave. Sooner than later.
Will he?
That’s a question worth debating after Labour Day!
Idiotic not to accredit Tasha(or anyone for that matter) at the convention.
100%. Madness and strategically blind.
I’ve been to a few conventions over the years and one of my favorite memories was seeing credentialed folks who we knew disagreed with us. We all shared a few laughs together. That’s part of the fun of democracy.
The Liberal Party is currently the Mega Church of Pastor Justin. One Canadian party like that is too many for Canada. Tories need to show middle of the road voters that they are better than that.
Agreed. What is their effing problem? That screams out pettiness. Any insight as to what she did to piss them off?
The leadership fight and stuff like this:
https://youtu.be/TWj3MGFwxH4?feature=shared
But she basically got pretty well got on board right away because she(like me) could see what he was capable of.
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/tasha-kheiriddin-poilievre-is-coming-for-trudeau-and-liberals-should-be-worried
A few here had to be almost dragged kicking and screaming to him but have got there. You are still holding your nose but thanks for your vote! Hopefully it is a riding where it matters. He destroyed her(and your) boy. Some people can’t move beyond these leaderships fights-you are still basically bringing it up below so you should understand the pettiness better than anyone. My local MP was one of the only 9 MPs who supported Charest(didn’t take my advice) but he has managed to work himself back to a position where he could be the AG. Watch him if you believe the MSM take on Pierre that he is angry.
I have spent literally thousands on failed leadership candidates but I move on.
Oh and I suggested to my mp they should let Tasha in.
Martin,
That makes us a club of at least two. LOL!
Doc,
One suspects that all Charest supporters are considered in some circles as disciples of the devil incarnate. I hope I’m wrong but I doubt anyone from the leadership will publicly debunk my comment here. Sadly, I suspect the worst. Just imagine if you were a senior Charest organizer…I don’t think anyone from Team Charest used dirty tricks in the leadership race but hey, I wasn’t in the loop at all about tactical or strategic decisions made at that time.
The Natural Governing Party is gambling that most Canadians have other stuff to think about, and by the time the next election is called, will have forgotten about the alleged interference by the CPC in our national affairs. I hope they’re wrong. With respect to Ms Kheiriddin, I’m not sure how much of a conservative she really is (I suspect she is actually a neo-conservative). In any case, during the recent Conservative Party leadership contest, she made her views on Mr Poilievre and his bid quite clear. They were not complimentary, to put it mildly. During the contest, she became involved with a group who called themselves “Centre Ice Conservatives”, who vocally campaigned against “populist” candidates. She has involved herself in party politics, so I don’t see how she can now asked to be treated as an objective journalist. I don’t know whether or not it is a good idea to allow other members of other political parties to attend the CPC convention. In today’s social media environment, where outright lies and smears can spread and be accepted as fact while the truth may take months or years to be heard, I can see why a political party which is the subject of much slander might not want to allow its opponents (or their operatives) an opportunity to spread malicious stories about them. For better or worse, the next federal election campaign will be a bare knuckles cage match. I suspect no quarter will be asked for, or given.
Agreed. What is their effing problem? That screams out pettiness. Any insight as to what she did to piss them off?
So a neoconservative is not a conservative, in your books? Seriously?
And do you think the Rebel Media crowd are objective journalists? Seriously?
I’m prepared to vote CPC because I think Selfie Boy is an idiot for all kinds of reasons, but why does the CPC have to be so thin-skinned, petty and vindictive? Why can’t they act like fucking adults when it comes to stuff like this? Warren is bang-on: the CPC constantly does gratuitous stuff to unnecessarily narrow their appeal and alienate people who should be supporters.
Memo to Double P: think Big Tent.
(The operative word is “think”)
Yes but Tasha did what many conservatives don’t do when their pic loses(at least right away and sometimes never-it’s a problem) and basically stopped attacking him once he won.
Last time I checked this isn’t North Korea. And Tasha is. Or a CPC staffer or official. This is stupid.
Auto complete fail. Tasha is not a CPC official or staffer. This is stupid. Really fucking stupid. It’s like the current CPC decision-makers are a bunch of 14 year olds.
Warren,
The IdiotPrimeMinisterTM is all overblown ego and excessive pride like quite a few others in his caucus. So…he knows that he’s past Ignatieff territory in actual number of seats potentially delivered in the next election. And even with that likely stark reality in play, he ain’t going anywhere. They’ll just all go down with him, since no man or woman has the political balls to take him on and TELL HIM to leave. Incredibly good for us in the CPC. No doubt about that.
The Liberal takeover by the Chinese PRC must be incredibly damaging and probably non-recoverable. Hence, lip service to an inquiry and then a quick attempt to pivot and deeply bury it. In the end, all that does is increase the chances exponentially of the CPC finishing off the LPC in the next election.
Interesting what Freeland just did re that Chinese-connected bank.
Doc,
Where there’s smoke, etc. I imagine that national security concerns were by far subordinated by in-crisis political considerations. I suspect inevitable payback will be lots of fun, at least for the PRC’s ever-willing acolytes. We’re right on the edge of shit-in-your-pants time in Ottawa. Absolute panic ahead. That should drop them even further in the polls once the whole story comes out.
More smoke and mirrors. Just move a few different people in. Nothing changes. That should never have been a Schedule 1 bank in the first place.
Warren,
Tasha and opposition MPs: keeping these people out makes the party braintrust look weak and hardly surefooted. The fact that Pierre has not intervened and overruled this is, to put it charitably, rather telling. This is wrong and not worth defending by any CPC member.
As for yours truly, it’s in my city but I won’t be there. Gave both MacKay and Aitchison the maximum but HQ in Ottawa wanted another $1,700 for a free ticket.
Nope, not good enough. Not happening. Enjoy the convention.
You have better things to do.
Trudeau resignation, maybe next Spring.
He loves the perks, and doesn’t have to do much.
He won’t be pushed.
And when he leaves, the party will be fractured much like Turner/Chretien, and Chretien/Martin.
The party will require some serious healing.
I don’t think the party will be fractured at all after Justin leaves. There is no Justin faction. The only fight is between his staff and reality. The party won’t require healing, but it will require an exorcism and a fumigation.
Laughed out loud but agree. Saw somewhere online today that maybe Lametti tried to talk some sense into Justin and that was why he got kicked out of cabinet? PET had a couple of MPs turn on him and they were basically never heard from again. Can’t remember now who they were so the revenge clearly worked.
Martin,
I remember Ralph Stewart.
Not him Ronald. I don’t remember him either. Just checked out his story. In 1979, I was too busy trying to get through the CA exams to pay any attention to politics. First time I got involved was in in 1984 and Rick Sterne’s second failed attempt to unseat NDPer Derek Blackburn in Brantford. Pretty good battle.
Party Candidate Votes %
New Democratic Derek Blackburn 23,103 44.20
Progressive Conservative Rick Sterne 21,679 41.47
Liberal Peter Hexamer 7,286 13.94
Social Credit Charley Harris 207 0.40
Total valid votes 52,275 100.00
Total rejected ballots 266
Turnout 52,541 73.16
Electors on the lists 71,821
Martin,
You still beat me by a country mile. I didn’t take out a PCP membership until 2001-2002. And right after that, the apostasy! (Just kidding, LOL.)
Cat fight for the ages: Freeland v Anand.
It’ll go the full 15 rounds.
Douglas,
Is it still accurate that Freeland has that globalist gig lined up for the future? Or, has something changed, that I missed?
She will land some high paying consulting job that requires lots of yakity yak yak at silly tax payer funded conferences without any consequence or responsibility. Here, she will join the rest of Justin’s former cabmins in failed politician heaven.
She can get a globalist gig, any time.
One kick at the can to be PM.
And she wants it, whether Canadians like her or not.
From Warren’s favourite newspaper:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/04/world/europe/nato-next-secretary-general.html
Who Will Be NATO’s Next Chief? The Race Is On.
What would the catfight be about? Who comes in 5th and 6th place on the first ballot?
Douglas,
I thought she didn’t want it after the elevator incident.
Some guy with small penis syndrome…
Will Trudeau leave? I don’t think so.
What else could he do?
Perhaps he could be a climate ambassador a la John Kerry and fly around the planet.
He could give climate lectures dressed up in local costumes.
The moment he leaves, Canada will be a more respected nation, the public will have more faith in it’s institutions, Liberals won’t have to keep swallowing back their own puke every day (to paraphrase Bardish Chagger).
No one cares what he will do next. Just as no one cares what he did before he became Prime Minister. The only thing left to do is just shut the F%&k up and leave town with the sliver of dignity he has left.
Sean,
I thought being summarily jilted from cabinet was inevitably a term of endearment. Apparently, not.
Interesting how long his dad hung on. But I think his dad got into elected politics later than JT did and therin lies an important difference. I didn’t like his dad but at least his dad had a real career before politics and had real intellectual chops. JT is just such a fucking lightweight.
Doc,
What I heard was that P-E-T was ready to go after the loss to Clark in 1979 but was persuaded chiefly by MacEachen and others to stay on and we all know what happened after that. (Sigh.)
Don’t forget – Trudeau Sr. decisively won the popular vote in 1979. Clarke’s victory was really a weird fluke of the system. Total reverse situation for Trudeau Jr. who has lost the popular vote twice and inexplicably been allowed to continue on as Leader. Indeed, the Liberal Party has never known a Leader who has been allowed to stay on so long despite repeatedly losing the popular vote.
I find it interesting these days how the Liberal Party in Canada and Republicans in the US both have these strategic/structural advantages at the federal electoral level. Both able to lose popular vote chronically yet win.
I think it’s currently estimated that Trump could lose the popular vote in 2014 by as much as 7 million votes and still win. And I understand the Republican record on the Presidential popular vote over the last 20 years is abysmal.
Sliver of dignity? Made my coffee come out of my nose.
Fred,
I with you on this one.
The opposition parties shouldn’t want an enquiry but it’s best for them to continue to pretending that they do.
The best way to use that to their advantage is to drag it out long enough that it is still an issue during the election.
Liberals should want to get it over with right away but it’s impossible for Justin to ever get ahead of any situation. He is naturally a reaction politician…. rather than a competent leader who understands how to get ahead of the story and control the narrative.
I agree he had it easy coming in because circa 2015
there was such a severe anti-Harper animus.
Doc,
And Harper had only HIMSELF to blame for that. He should have been more politically sophisticated and strategic than that. Harper was totally blinded by his own preconceived view of the world and it finished him off but good.
Memo to Pierre: don’t be like Harper, unless you want to lose.
Harper’s biggest mistake was running for the 5th time. I don’t care how much of a genius the guy is, you get 2, maybe 3 stabs at it if you’re lucky. And the third time you’re really pushing it. Harper was going for five. ’04, ’06, ’08, ’11 and ’15. He should of organized a succession midway through his last term. As Warren pointed out, figuring out the time to leave is always the hardest decision and very, VERY few politicians have the sense to know when enough is enough.
Sean,
I left the CPC when Dion was Liberal leader. I could take it no longer with so much of that wacko excessively right-wing garbage. Not to mention muzzling scientists and other assorted stupidities. Command and control right down to the last detail was way beyond ridiculous.
Harper was a control freak, no question. He was also very enamoured of his own supposed strategic genius. Which meant that sometimes (and too often, especially later on) he tried to be too clever by half.
Well said.
The Leader is hopelessly and irreversibly ruined. Everyone knows it. Every day that passes without planning a leadership convention is just spitting in the face of the entire membership.
I’ve disliked Trudeau since becoming aware of his existence. What does it say of a country that three times elected someone with no leadership skills or experience on the basis that he might continue his father’s legacy and that he is allegedly good looking? Trudeau is a nepo baby leading a cabinet of leftist social activists who have driven the country into the ground. Per capita GDP has been flat to negative under their reign. Business investment is almost non-existent. Government spending and levels of federal employment are at record highs yet almost every service metric is poor Endless campaigning on wedge issues has needlessly stoked division. The sooner he quits and answers his true calling through Only Fans, the better. Boomer women retired from the civil service have plenty of disposable income and housing wealth, so Trudeau’s potential Only Fans market is huge.
I agree with a lot of you say but I don’t think they’re all left-wing social activists. Freeland is not that, congenitally, for example. She’s a centrist Liberal. I watched her on Bill Maher a lot back in the day, and noted her book Plutocrats. She would be no further left than the centre or even centre-right of the Democratic Party in the US – which is not far-left/SJW by Canadian standards.
Canadians are completely fed up with the idiocy and incompetence from the LIBDP.
I hope the small C faction of the CPC party can steer the ship on a moderate course. Otherwise, come election time the Cons may find many stayed home disgusted with the whole lot.
The politicians and their war room brain trust are not reading the room too well these days.
Way too much focus on reelection for their sake, not enough on fixing this country
“Will he leave”? I’m in the not likely camp. JT’s hubris is greater than his judgement. He also has an agenda, to keep moulding Canada into his own vision. With a bought & paid for national media and the NDP beside him, I see no challenges. His caucus is afraid of him. Those with courage, leave.
I gather he is off to a G20 meeting in Asia. He’s probably trying on new suits, as we type our comments here. The CBC will do some prominent features of his trip. At minimum, he’s likely assuming some polling bumps. Regardless, he can continue playing out his term – two more years. He can wait for his opponents to keep falling on their faces – they always have (Harper, Scheer, O’Toole). Why would Poilievre be any different?
I shudder, but that’s how it appears to be going. Have a great long weekend and enjoy the weather. And, we should all read up on Argentina.
RKJ,
Yup, he’s going precisely nowhere. His humongous ego and excessive pride just can’t conceive of such an eventuality.
Trudeau could still win. He could also lose badly –
Curious V,
Yup, theoretically anything is still possible but IMHO it would require the bonehead play of the century for the CPC to sink its own chances. The election is not sown up ahead of time but it looks mighty good from here.
Ads depicting Poilievre as a fringe right-wing conservative will change things, just that they’re too late playing them – not sure if there’s enough time left to change the polls.
Curious V,
Remember how the Martin ads worked like a charm in 2004 and bombed fantastically in 2006? That’s what I expect this time: people are REALLY sick of his face, especially after what caused the breakup. Trudeau has been there far too long and has finally worn out his welcome with at least a plurality of future voters. They’re more likely than not done as dinner.
Maybe they’ll have better ads this time.