A “brazen boldness coupled with impudent assurance and insolence.”
While Merriam-Webster folks weren’t musing over the behaviours of Canada’s 23rd prime minister, might we apply their definition of “gall” to the modus operandi of the leader of the federal Liberal Party?
Thursday, Canada was treated to a confident-looking Justin Trudeau steering a canoe in calm northern Ontario lake waters prior to announcing that if returned to power, the Liberals will pack off some 75,000 families for $2,000 national or provincial park camping trips.
Exactly one week earlier, the same Trudeau was facing national television cameras in much choppier waters while attempting to defuse the impact of horrid images of the scion of the Trudeau clan joyfully partying in racist makeup. Three such occasions have been confirmed.
Under direct questioning, Trudeau refused to confirm or deny additional blackface and/or brownface appearances.
Steadfastly and with a tinge of arrogance or perhaps guilt, Trudeau has continued to sidestep all queries, including, “Was 2001 the last time you appeared in either blackface or brownface?”
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Federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, appearing on my program last Sunday, offered, “It’s pretty clear he thinks there are more (occasions), but he’s not sure exactly how many.”
Meanwhile, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has spoken with Trudeau about the issue — but is keeping the content of that discussion private. “I wanted to be very clear that while I would accept a sincere gesture on his part to reach out to me, I didn’t want to be used as a checklist of steps taken to exonerate himself from the situation.”
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This week, the Liberal leader’s apparent main challenger in the run-up to Oct. 21, Conservative Party of Canada Leader Andrew Scheer, picked away at a scab Justin Trudeau is desperately attempting to keep from public view and interest.
Scheer promised that if elected prime minister, he would engage the levers of a public inquiry into the facts concerning Trudeau, the Prime Minister’s Office, and alleged interference with then-federal attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould over a criminal charge levelled at Quebec firm SNC-Lavalin.
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While Canada’s national police have very recently spoken with Wilson-Raybould about the case, she is unable to answer all RCMP questions because Trudeau refuses to lift cabinet confidentiality over the matter.
Galling as well is that the RCMP has suspended probing the Trudeau-PMO-SNC-JWR issue for the duration of the election campaign. Justice on hold is not a democratic template Canadians find comforting.
While committing to 75,000 camping trips at $2,000 per occasion, reality appears to have escaped both the Trudeau and Liberal strategists. For too many homeless Canadians and those existing on its cusp, occupancy of a tent might be a welcome relief from otherwise daily reality.
As someone who experienced homelessness, I can vouch for that.
Roy Green is the host of the Roy Green Show on the Global News Radio network.
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