Roy Green: Justin Trudeau must defend his many stumbles in the upcoming election campaign

With his first mandate stewarding the fortunes of Canada largely in his wake, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberals are fully engaged in political self-preservation.

And you can’t blame them, as Trudeau has stumbled repeatedly and badly.

Just weeks ago, a popular newspaper columnist suggested senior Liberals were already casting about for Trudeau’s replacement should his record convince voters nationally they’d had enough.

READ MORE: Majority of Canadians want change in Ottawa, Ipsos poll says

Enough of a prime minister who, in a clear act of political desperation, shoved his former attorney general and national minister of justice into enforced silence. This, after Jody Wilson-Raybould informed Canadians there is more to share than she has already while testifying before the parliamentary justice committee about unrelenting pressure from senior PMO staffers to directly dissuade independent federal prosecutors from proceeding with criminal charges against Quebec firm SNC-Lavalin.

Wilson-Raybould had by then already been shuffled out of her attorney general portfolio and would find herself shoved all the way out of the Liberal caucus, along with her former federal Minister of Health and Treasury Board president Jane Philpott, who couldn’t quite stomach Trudeau’s actions and stated so publicly.

WATCH BELOW: Jane Philpott says Justin Trudeau broke the law by expelling her and Jody Wilson-Raybould

2:37 Philpott: Trudeau broke law by expelling her and Jody Wilson-Raybould

More recently, the matter of Vice-Admiral Mark Norman has rocked Trudeau. Miserably treated and criminally charged, the vice-admiral also had to listen to Trudeau twice publicly muse that the 38-year military veteran would find himself in a Canadian courtroom before any charge had been laid against Norman.

After the case against the vice-admiral crumbled dramatically and the criminal charge was stayed, a settlement was arrived at between the federal government and Norman. Call this the political equivalent of waving the white flag of surrender. Norman would proceed with life outside the military, though Canadians will neither be privy to details of the settlement nor hear the vice-admiral speak to the additional information he had stated he intended to share publicly.

Back up the calendar a little. Trudeau’s severely criticized India sojourn will no doubt feature during election campaigning. Even earlier, there were the four violations of parliamentary ethics, and a laudatory PMO obituary for murderous Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

The prime minister will have a difficult time defending these as well as other actions and decisions he has taken. A majority government and its prime minister, after one term in office, might be expected to find itself in far safer electoral territory than Trudeau and his Liberals occupy heading toward Oct. 21.

All the Trudeau baggage notwithstanding, the question remains: have the opposition parties seeking to persuade Canadians that their way is the better option connected sufficiently well to be heard, believed and supported?

Roy Green is the host of the Roy Green Show on the Global News Radio network.

Listen to the latest from the Roy Green Show

Subscribe to the Roy Green Show Podcast now at Apple Podcast or Google Play