Joël Lightbound, MP for the Quebec City riding of Louis-Hëbert did something rare for a liberal MP the other day. He spoke openly to the Ottawa news media. He was unhappy with what he calls his government’s politicized approach to the pandemic. He says his government’s approach is both politicized and divisive. While I will cheerfully defend his right to say it, I do not think that I agree with him.
Many Canadians seem to be confused by who is doing what to whom in making rules for this pandemic. Blame the Canadian constitution if you must but we have had lots of problems over pandemic jurisdiction during the past two years. You would expect a Toronto-born, Quebec MP to be more familiar with the division of powers between the federal and provincial governments.
There is no question that mistakes have been made at both levels of government but I would suggest to Lightbound that Trudeau has not done too bad a job in trying to stay off the provincial toes. He took a lot of crap from the inexperienced premier in Ontario and the usual shots from the Tories in Alberta and Saskatchewan but he handled most of it with good humour.
But trucks crossing international borders coming into Canada have to deal with federal jurisdiction. Passengers flying into Canada have to follow federal rules. The provinces those travellers entered where not all on the same pandemic page. We should not forget the federal government procures and distributes the vaccines Canada needs to stare down the pandemic. We are still working on more vaccines and medicines. The pandemic is not yet over.
I guess it would be fair to let Lightbound rant if he wishes. Trudeau is hardly perfect. And yes, I made fun of the prime minister popping in and out of Rideau Cottage like it was a cuckoo clock. Despite everyone tiring of his one-man stand-up show there, it was quite helpful in getting us through the earlier stages of the pandemic.
What Mr. Lightbound needs to understand is that Justin Trudeau is basically an actor who has stepped into the role of prime minister. His only role model was his father. Regrettably, the son lacks his father’s intellectual acuity.
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Copyright 2022 © Peter Lowry
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