Don Martin: A warning for Justin Trudeau as he ponders an early election about nothing
Justin Trudeau’s blueprint for his future career is an easy read.
The prime minister aims to call an election this summer, coast to a majority mandate on post-vaccination euphoria, spend a couple years as ‘dean’ of world leaders at the G7 before retiring to lucrative corporate directorships and an international speaking tour paying a cool $150,000 per canned speech.
But that victory march might hit a nasty speedbump if voters believe they’re being dragged to the polls by an arrogant government using false pretenses to call Trudeau’s last election.
There was plenty of evidence this week that all Trudeau’s protestations about not wanting a fall vote are merely deceptions rooted solely in his minority government’s pursuit of greater power.
It was only last month all MPs, including Trudeau, united to support a motion which ruled out an election during the pandemic.
Yet, despite a virus that’s still got the government so rattled it won’t open the U.S. border amid signs of a COVID-19 resurgence in the U.K., a pandemic call to the ballot box is clearly weeks or, at most, a couple months away.
The signs got blatantly obvious this week when all the usual buzzwords were deployed by Trudeau and his ministers to frame the need for an electoral reset.
Parliament has become “paralysed” by a ‘toxic’ environment and is bogged down in opposition ‘obstructions’ to Liberal agendas, blah, blah, blah. By inference, harmony and unity would miraculously be restored to Parliament Hill if only it could get back to a Liberal majority.
Of course, the only paralysis in this Parliament was having the Liberals obstruct a probe into allegations of sexual misconduct by the country’s top general and thwart an investigation into the handling of the WE contract before giving a final flip of the bird to a Commons which demanding documents on the firing of two viral scientists under very suspicious circumstances.
The Liberals can also try, but can’t argue with a straight face, that their legislation priorities are being blocked by a gauntlet of opposition nitpicking.
Strange, then, how their priority budget implementation, conversion therapy, climate change and broadcasting bills have all passed and are awaiting approval in the independent Senate which Trudeau unleashed. If senators adjourn for the holidays with unfinished Liberal business, that’s not the fault of opposition parties.
And so, with farewell speeches by departing MPs delivered and goodbyes echoing in the almost-empty Commons, all that remains to confirm the imminent election call is a tweak of the cabinet to get rid of lousy performers like Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Public Safety Minister Bill Blair.
Once that happens, Canadians will be asked the $500-million question (the estimated cost of a general election) in a vote about nothing.
Trudeau will merely insist voters need to give the Liberals a stronger mandate, even though the prime minister has repeatedly shown he’s just as control freakish and more contemptible of Parliament than Stephen Harper on a bad day.
It will all come down to a hunt for the 15 new seats Trudeau needs to reclaim the world’s most powerful democratic position – a majority Canadian government.
And the latest poll is telling him it’s in the bag with today’s release from putting the Liberals ten points ahead of the Conservatives with extremely strong public approval for the government’s handling of the pandemic and for Trudeau’s performance.
Yet old-timers like me have a two-word warning for what can happen if voters think an out-of-touch government is forcing a snap vote simply for blatant partisan gain: David Peterson.
That’s the one-term Liberal premier of Ontario, who was swept out of office after calling an early election in 1990 for no obvious reason beyond having a massive lead in the polls.
The NDP leader who won the premier’s job in a stunning upset might want to remind Trudeau about that election. Yes, that’s you Bob Rae, the prime minister’s current ambassador to the United Nations.
Look, it’s Trudeau’s right to call an election as prime minister, even without suffering a loss of confidence in a House of Commons vote. Fixed election law does not apply to minority governments.
But there has to be a better excuse than seeking to end what is really just routine partisan bitterness and regular parliamentary paralysis to foist an election on Canadians struggling back to post-pandemic normal.
If he decides the current Parliament absolutely must be put out its misery, Trudeau might want to wait until October 19 for vote day. That’s when all those MPs first elected in the 2015 Liberal surge will qualify for a lucrative fully-indexed parliamentary pension for life.
That’s clearly on a few MP minds, as reflected in cabinet minister Carolyn Bennett’s recent text to class-of-2015 MP Jody Wilson Raybould suggesting it was the pension behind her arguments against a fall election.
After all, they might need the money if Trudeau does a David Peterson.
After all, the basic defeated, pension-less Liberal MP won’t be commanding $150,000 for a half-hour speech in life after politics.
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago. The former Hedley frontman had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.
Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'
The body of a British Columbia mountain climber has been located and recovered after the 39-year-old man was reported missing during a solo climb on Washington state's Mount Baker earlier this week.
Following child's death in Ontario, here's what you need to know about rabies and bats
An Ontario child died last month after coming into contact with a rabid bat in their bedroom, which was the first known human rabies case in Canada since 2019.
A French judge in a shocking rape case allows the public to see some of the video evidence
A French judge in the trial of dozens of men accused of raping an unconscious woman whose now former husband had repeatedly drugged her so that he and others could assault her decided on Friday to allow the public to see some of the video recordings of the alleged rapes.
Former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters sentenced to 9 years for voting data scheme
A judge ripped into a Colorado county clerk for her crimes and lies before sentencing her Thursday to nine years behind bars for a data-breach scheme spawned from the rampant false claims about voting machine fraud in the 2020 presidential race.
Anne Hathaway confirms 'Princess Diaries 3': 'Miracles happen'
You might be thinking, 'Shut up!' but it’s officially true: the 'Princess Diaries' franchise is finally growing.
A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
A Saskatchewan man living in the United States has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after he unknowingly provided disturbing videos to an FBI agent he thought was a pedophile.
Local Spotlight
Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.
From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.
A husband and wife have been on the road trip of a lifetime and have decided to stop in Saskatchewan for the winter.
The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.
A group of classic car enthusiasts donated hundreds of blankets to nursing homes in Nova Scotia.
Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north
What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.
The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.
New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.