With a federal election a little more than a year away, the Trudeau government, like all sitting governments, will be drawing up a list of accomplishments to convince voters to give them a second mandate in 2019.
The economy will, of course, play a major role in that campaign and on that front, the Liberals suffered a couple of severe setbacks in the past week that could have a dramatic impact on their re-election ambitions.
ANALYSIS: After Trudeau’s terrible week, can Liberals list any accomplishments?
The court decision to delay the Trans Mountain pipeline may not have killed the project, but it does mean that it will likely still be an albatross around the neck of the government for some time to come.
But the bigger issue is the troublesome NAFTA talks with our American neighbours.
WATCH: NAFTA, Trans Mountain developments now pose problems for Trudeau
Recent polling has suggested that Canadians are still willing to cut the Trudeau government some slack because they’re dealing with an unhinged narcissist in the White House, but the economic implications of no deal could change that in a heartbeat.
The threat of auto sector tariffs is real, mainly because of spineless Republican legislators who give Trump free rein to do as he pleases. But such a move would deal a crushing blow to the Canadian economy that’s not the kind of thing any government wants to see heading into an election.
Liberal strategists need to realize that the biggest obstacle in their quest for re-election isn’t the opposition Conservatives, it’s that unstable guy in the White House.
Bill Kelly is the host of the Bill Kelly Show on Global News Radio 900 CHML