By Tim Parkin
January 7th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
For nearly 10 years, Justin Trudeau governed in the rear-view mirror, driving slowly in the left lane to prevent the NDP from overtaking, but letting lots of traffic by on the right.
Trudeau would regularly speak in progressive liberal tones, contrasting himself to conservatives.
But pretty words weren’t backed by action. His swerves were to preserve himself, not to maneouver to a new position from which to better accomplish his goals for Canadians. He had no such goals, except to have them elect him again.
A party of strategic centrism, not liberalism
Trudeau would regularly speak in progressive liberal tones, contrasting himself to conservatives.
With no vision for reshaping government or Canadian society, the Liberals operated by reaction, buffeted by crisis after crisis rather than pushing through them with eyes set on their political North Pole.
Justin Trudeau was not a liberal, though he could speak like one. In actions, he was a centrist, but not one of policy practicality who borrows from different traditions to reach objectives. Rather, his centrism was one of strategy and freedom of maneuver.
Trudeau said he would help working people join the middle class, but stood back while inflation ravaged paycheques and home ownership dreams disappeared.
He called himself a feminist and a proponent of reconciliation, but fired the strongest women in cabinet and fought against Indigenous kids in court.
He was a defender of healthcare but gave premiers healthcare dollars that they spent on tax cuts or spa palaces – whatever they wished.
He declared himself against the separatists and conservatives but sabotaged electoral reform that would have crushed the Bloc Quebecois and sidelined the Conservatives.
The Liberal Party let down actual liberals, who were habitually abandoned and betrayed.
Ironically, Singh’s fights with Trudeau created his legacy
If a Trudeau legacy exists,
If a Trudeau legacy exists, it’s the one the NDP had to fight with him to create.
For years, Jagmeet Singh’s NDP fought Trudeau over childcare, dental care, pharamacare and anti-scab laws. Singh’s NDP campaigned on them, tabled private members bills about them, put motions and petitions to the Commons. They endlessly fought the Liberals over them.
The Liberals were against them all until the moment they discovered their survival depended upon being in favour, when they immediately tried to claim credit. Even then, Singh twice had to threaten to bring down the Liberal government if written and signed promises weren’t kept.
Liberal Party loyalty always lay with Trudeau’s machinations
The claim is often made the Liberal Party of Canada died somewhere around 2009 to be resurrected as the Justin Trudeau Party.
Certainly as Trudeau careened and swerved, with eyes focused in the rear-view mirror, blocking all attempted passing, the current Liberal MPs stuck with him through it all.
Certainly as Trudeau careened and swerved, with eyes focused in the rear-view mirror, blocking all attempted passing, the current Liberal MPs stuck with him through it all.
When Jody Wilson-Raybould was kicked out of cabinet and caucus, anonymously and personally attacked for refusing to interfere in a criminal prosecution, only one other Liberal MP stood with her. She’s also gone.
The rest stuck with Trudeau, waiting to turn on him after the NDP committed to defeat him, after it was obvious Trudeau would quit, after there was a power vacuum their ambitions sought to fill.
An election is now coming. One choice is cuts by Poilievre. The other is Singh’s NDP, which fought Trudeau, battles proven by the wins no one in the upcoming Liberal leader race had the courage to fight for.
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