Thank you for pointing out that Freeland has been complicit in the tearing down of Canada for as long as this government has been in power. She showed her 'true colours' during the COVID fiascos.
Agreed. We are firmly in a show over substance era. I thought both Danielle Smith and Wab Kinew held it together best in their interviews. Maybe they can run the country?
Yes, both Danielle Smith and Wab Kinew strike me as sincere in their intentions and concerns, whether or not you agree with their policies. Actual leadership seems in short supply at the moment.
Wan Kinew is a progressive nightmare. He has already destroyed the school system in his already short tenure, aligning his government with teachers union instead of supporting families and students. Budgets are already ballooning. He will leave the province in tatters long before he will be forced out.
Finally! Someone calling out Freeland for exactly what she is. Thank you for this! She doesn't deserve a shred of sympathy for all the reasons you cited - and more (including an abominable performance as Finance Minister).
Also, focusing on her sex is annoying. Junior screwed over Morneau and when you see what Marc Garneau had to say about Junior we know he is an equal-opportunity asshole.
That said, her resignation letter was outstanding.
Thank you for naming the mess, as deeply worrisome as it is. And also--while I have to admit Freeland's move was pretty brilliant/vicious political strategy--that she is significantly responsible for where the country is now. Others in their feminist or Trudeau-loathing commentary seem to be forgetting this very important point.
I'm sorry, but this is what we can look forward to with so many of our institutions dominated by educated females. The country starts to resemble the female office pool where passive aggressive behavior, and covert narcissism reign supreme in a game of destructive social status one-upmanship. Trudeau is just another chick in this cat fight... pulling hair and attempting to scratch out eyes.
Meanwhile the business of the country gets ignored.
As Tara has pointed out, Freeland's resignation is as self-interested as Trudeau's determination to stay on despite the will of the party, not to mention the will of the people. I will neither forgive nor forget the gross violation of Canadians' rights as a result of invoking the Emergency Act, and Freeland's seizure of bank accounts. As a lifelong Liberal I say goodbye and good riddance to Freeland, Trudeau and the whole lot of them.
Thank you for this poignant and necessary piece. I appreciate your honesty in reflecting on so many short fallings in this government (and in Ms Freeland) that seem to have been forgotten and certainly not accounted for (COVID related). Freeland does not need our sympathy, as you said - she stuck by this PM far too long and played her own very devastating role in this outcome for our country. I deeply appreciate you bringing all this to the light.
Thank you for writing a synopsis of the past few crazy days in government and for also outlining some of the very serious challenges we face as a country. Have Canadians really lost faith in Canada? Given the current state of our nation they may feel, due to the hot mess created by Trudeau, his government, and so many other progressives, justifiably unhappy and discouraged. When will this attitude change? Only after an election, if it is ever called. A government that is proud of Canada and works for the people could help restore faith in our country. However, the government cannot do it all. I have faith that Canadians will eventually wake from our slumber, get to work and restore our country. The current crisis we find ourselves in is also an opportunity for change.
The government has introduced a culture of death with drugs to distract reality leaving many in hopeless despair giving in to suicide. Canada is broken needing strong dedicated people to put Canada first ahead of their egos.
I wonder if the LPC's mini-uprising against Trudeau, which seemed to pop up almost out of the blue, has something to do with Trump's tariff threat behind the scenes. Maybe the wiser and less self-absorbed party members apprehend what's really going on, and realize that there's an enormous gap between the seriousness of the situation and Trudeau's response.
One week ago, just eleven days after meeting with Trump at Mar A Lago, Trudeau said that Kamala Harris' loss was a setback for women's progress, and that American women are under attack by "regressive" and "reactionary" political forces. To call this obvious shot against the incoming president ill-timed and ill-advised would be an understatement. It shows that we have a prime minister who sees himself, and his virtue signalling , as being at the center of all things, not one who's acting in Canada's best long term interests.
Trump made clear that the immigration issue as it pertains to the border is sole reason for the tariff threat. Well, ( h/t Alexander Brown for connecting the dots) Housing Minister Sean Fraser, who was Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship during a critical period when things got out of control, and was by some estimations the person most responsible for the mess, resigned from Cabinet one day before Freeland did, to much less fanfare. Is that maybe a sign that a more serious group of Liberals are making adjustments behind the scenes, in response to the serious threat and in preparation for the real future , while Trudeau postures and preens?
I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me if members of the party that's still in power for the time being realize that Trudeau isn't exactly the smartest or most mature guy in the room, and that it's probably best for the country and for the LPC if he steps aside before he does too much more damage.
If there are more serious minded Liberals behind the scenes I can’t help but wonder here they have been for the last 9 years. The party took a serious sharp turn to the progressive left and I have heard crickets from centrists or more fiscally responsible Liberals. Do serious minded Liberals even exist anymore or have they left the party?
It's a good question. I would think there must be a few relatively centrist old-school-ish Liberals in the party who spent the last nine years just going along for the ride and counting their money and enjoying their status and perks. Now that the party is polling dead in a fossilized way -- it's clear that it's not just a blip -- they would understand that Trudeau's economic and immigration policies have put their own careers and reputations and pensions at risk, and that this is their best opportunity to make the required changes and maybe start considering the next possible front-runners.
I don’t think we should read too much into increased use of food banks. More people use them because many more food banks are readily available. Students are using them. Regular folks who don’t feel like paying for groceries use them. Anyone and everyone can use them, and they are masking the dependency people have on the system, which is a terrible thing.
JGP...I suspect we're of a similar generation. But I'm concerned that Poilievre's mandate will be so strong that we'll be unbalanced. That isn't good either.
My theory is that all problems can be traced back to a love triangle. Trudeau and Freeland had a thing for a while, then he kicked her to the curb for Melanie Jolie. He really wanted lots of women in government to build his harem. In all seriousness, I despise Freeland for the reasons you lay out, but she's way more impressive than Trudeau. Who would you choose to run your company?
Good article and an excellent summary of where we are today. I share your pessimism on the current bunch of Liberals are not going to be able to deal with the chaos coming right at us. Have a great Christmas though!
Thank you for pointing out that Freeland has been complicit in the tearing down of Canada for as long as this government has been in power. She showed her 'true colours' during the COVID fiascos.
Agreed. We are firmly in a show over substance era. I thought both Danielle Smith and Wab Kinew held it together best in their interviews. Maybe they can run the country?
Yes, both Danielle Smith and Wab Kinew strike me as sincere in their intentions and concerns, whether or not you agree with their policies. Actual leadership seems in short supply at the moment.
Wan Kinew is a progressive nightmare. He has already destroyed the school system in his already short tenure, aligning his government with teachers union instead of supporting families and students. Budgets are already ballooning. He will leave the province in tatters long before he will be forced out.
How is it that the Kinew government is not supporting families via improved services in the school system?
Try a long canoe trip without a machete (which WK is outlawing ffs). It won't seem like leadership.
Facts matter...
https://c2cjournal.ca/2024/12/knives-out-as-manitoba-regulates-machetes-could-a-national-knife-law-be-next/
Finally! Someone calling out Freeland for exactly what she is. Thank you for this! She doesn't deserve a shred of sympathy for all the reasons you cited - and more (including an abominable performance as Finance Minister).
Also, focusing on her sex is annoying. Junior screwed over Morneau and when you see what Marc Garneau had to say about Junior we know he is an equal-opportunity asshole.
That said, her resignation letter was outstanding.
Thank you for naming the mess, as deeply worrisome as it is. And also--while I have to admit Freeland's move was pretty brilliant/vicious political strategy--that she is significantly responsible for where the country is now. Others in their feminist or Trudeau-loathing commentary seem to be forgetting this very important point.
I'm sorry, but this is what we can look forward to with so many of our institutions dominated by educated females. The country starts to resemble the female office pool where passive aggressive behavior, and covert narcissism reign supreme in a game of destructive social status one-upmanship. Trudeau is just another chick in this cat fight... pulling hair and attempting to scratch out eyes.
Meanwhile the business of the country gets ignored.
Bro .... save it. Brutal comment. Just saying.
Seriously boomer? You can talk about the business of the country with a straight face while making such petty and small-minded remarks??
Great satire or petty small-minded blind hypocrisy.
As Tara has pointed out, Freeland's resignation is as self-interested as Trudeau's determination to stay on despite the will of the party, not to mention the will of the people. I will neither forgive nor forget the gross violation of Canadians' rights as a result of invoking the Emergency Act, and Freeland's seizure of bank accounts. As a lifelong Liberal I say goodbye and good riddance to Freeland, Trudeau and the whole lot of them.
Thank you for this poignant and necessary piece. I appreciate your honesty in reflecting on so many short fallings in this government (and in Ms Freeland) that seem to have been forgotten and certainly not accounted for (COVID related). Freeland does not need our sympathy, as you said - she stuck by this PM far too long and played her own very devastating role in this outcome for our country. I deeply appreciate you bringing all this to the light.
Thank you for writing a synopsis of the past few crazy days in government and for also outlining some of the very serious challenges we face as a country. Have Canadians really lost faith in Canada? Given the current state of our nation they may feel, due to the hot mess created by Trudeau, his government, and so many other progressives, justifiably unhappy and discouraged. When will this attitude change? Only after an election, if it is ever called. A government that is proud of Canada and works for the people could help restore faith in our country. However, the government cannot do it all. I have faith that Canadians will eventually wake from our slumber, get to work and restore our country. The current crisis we find ourselves in is also an opportunity for change.
Thanks, Yohanna. For sure, I share your baseline optimism - and faith in the Canadian public!
Ha ha ha ha.
Schadenfreude.
You brought this all on yourselves.
I bet most the people you know voted for this.
Canadians used to be thought of as calm, sophisticated cultured neighbors to the north.
Now, spineless serfs.
The government has introduced a culture of death with drugs to distract reality leaving many in hopeless despair giving in to suicide. Canada is broken needing strong dedicated people to put Canada first ahead of their egos.
I wonder if the LPC's mini-uprising against Trudeau, which seemed to pop up almost out of the blue, has something to do with Trump's tariff threat behind the scenes. Maybe the wiser and less self-absorbed party members apprehend what's really going on, and realize that there's an enormous gap between the seriousness of the situation and Trudeau's response.
One week ago, just eleven days after meeting with Trump at Mar A Lago, Trudeau said that Kamala Harris' loss was a setback for women's progress, and that American women are under attack by "regressive" and "reactionary" political forces. To call this obvious shot against the incoming president ill-timed and ill-advised would be an understatement. It shows that we have a prime minister who sees himself, and his virtue signalling , as being at the center of all things, not one who's acting in Canada's best long term interests.
Trump made clear that the immigration issue as it pertains to the border is sole reason for the tariff threat. Well, ( h/t Alexander Brown for connecting the dots) Housing Minister Sean Fraser, who was Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship during a critical period when things got out of control, and was by some estimations the person most responsible for the mess, resigned from Cabinet one day before Freeland did, to much less fanfare. Is that maybe a sign that a more serious group of Liberals are making adjustments behind the scenes, in response to the serious threat and in preparation for the real future , while Trudeau postures and preens?
I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me if members of the party that's still in power for the time being realize that Trudeau isn't exactly the smartest or most mature guy in the room, and that it's probably best for the country and for the LPC if he steps aside before he does too much more damage.
If there are more serious minded Liberals behind the scenes I can’t help but wonder here they have been for the last 9 years. The party took a serious sharp turn to the progressive left and I have heard crickets from centrists or more fiscally responsible Liberals. Do serious minded Liberals even exist anymore or have they left the party?
It's a good question. I would think there must be a few relatively centrist old-school-ish Liberals in the party who spent the last nine years just going along for the ride and counting their money and enjoying their status and perks. Now that the party is polling dead in a fossilized way -- it's clear that it's not just a blip -- they would understand that Trudeau's economic and immigration policies have put their own careers and reputations and pensions at risk, and that this is their best opportunity to make the required changes and maybe start considering the next possible front-runners.
I don’t think we should read too much into increased use of food banks. More people use them because many more food banks are readily available. Students are using them. Regular folks who don’t feel like paying for groceries use them. Anyone and everyone can use them, and they are masking the dependency people have on the system, which is a terrible thing.
Please do a story on the Tamara Lich and Christine Anderson trial.
Tara, Conservatism is beginning to show in you. :-)
How it used to be said: "If you're not a socialist in your 20's, you have no heart. If you are still a socialist in you have no brain".
JGP...I suspect we're of a similar generation. But I'm concerned that Poilievre's mandate will be so strong that we'll be unbalanced. That isn't good either.
My theory is that all problems can be traced back to a love triangle. Trudeau and Freeland had a thing for a while, then he kicked her to the curb for Melanie Jolie. He really wanted lots of women in government to build his harem. In all seriousness, I despise Freeland for the reasons you lay out, but she's way more impressive than Trudeau. Who would you choose to run your company?
Neither.
I suppose the answer to all this is, “What did you expect from someone who thought that budgets balance themselves.”?
Good article and an excellent summary of where we are today. I share your pessimism on the current bunch of Liberals are not going to be able to deal with the chaos coming right at us. Have a great Christmas though!