The federal Liberals don’t seem to understand: the Canada existing now under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is a LOT different than Canada under his father Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
Corruption, political interference and illegal payoffs may still be practiced, tolerated … even treated with a chuckle or two in Quebec … but it WON’T SELL anymore anywhere in the rest of Canada.
And the latest polling shows it!
Five of six different polls carried out since the scandal broke involving political pressures surrounding the criminal case facing Montreal-based SNC Lavalin show Trudeau/Liberals BEHIND Andrew Scheer/Conservatives.
And what makes that all the more astounding and significant is that ..until Trudeau and the Liberals gave the Tories this GIFT … most Canadians were barely aware of … let alone impressed by Scheer.
Trudeau blew it!
Not only was his demotion of Jody Wilson-Raybould from Justice Minister OUTRAGEOUS, he and his Liberal minions came across as liars, con-men and cheats (sound familiar?) in the way they tried … but FAILED … to explain Trudeau’s actions.
The Liberals gambled they were acting on behalf of the “old Quebec” … with a long tradition of political interference, favoritism, corruption and illegal actions… often rewarded with votes.
But today NO voters like to be taken for fools … or even feel the Prime Minister and his Cabinet are taking them for fools.
British Columbians in particular have the right to feel particularly insulted by the way Trudeau treated our rising star Vancouver MP and Justice Minister.
However, it may not even play as well as Trudeau and his strategists think in Quebec …where 9,000 of Lavalin’s 52,000 worldwide jobs could be impacted by a conviction in any criminal case for bribery or fraud and any subsequent disqualification of the company from being granted federal contracts for 10 years.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault called for an out-of-court deal to help Lavalin out of its current predicament … and some sort of plea arrangement would not be so unusual IF done by the Prosecutors, Defence Attorneys and Company officials…with the approval of the Court.
BUT when its politicians, the Prime Minister, Cabinet and/or PMO officials putting pressure on the Justice Minister behind the scenes to intervene and get it done …that STINKS.
And Quebeckers … especially younger voters who should expect something better than maybe their older family members remember from the province’s political history … deserve better.
And clearly, voters in the rest of Canada are disappointed … even disgusted.
It also embarrasses Canada and hurts Trudeau/government’s credibility when he and other Cabinet Minsters repeatedly informed Chinese officials that IN CANADA government cannot intervene in cases before the Courts …like that involving Huawei’s CEO. HA!!!
And I believe putting political pressure on … even firing … a Justice Minister for failing to cave, could even be illegal.
It certainly has tarnished Trudeau’s image, credibility and trustworthiness.
In my earlier blog Feb 14 on Wilson Raybould’s demotion, I suggested that, with the next federal election Oct. 21, this case could turn out to be Trudeau’s Achilles Heel: https://harveyoberfeld.ca/lavelin-coverup-would-be-trudeaus-achilles-heel/
Little did even I know that the PM would be politically bleeding so profusely … so soon.
Harv Oberfeld