We used to call it Consolidated Reports on Approved Policies (CRAP). That was what you wrote for politicians who did not know what to say and asked you to write something for them. “Just don’t rock the boat,” was always their final instruction. That must be how MP Justin Trudeau got his first policy paper of the campaign for the Liberal Party leadership. This example of CRAP was called Middle class left out of the growth equation when it ran as an op-ed item in the Toronto Star last week. Any more like it from the Trudeau team will require the Liberal Party of Canada to get serious about finding better candidates for its upcoming leadership convention.
It is the Toronto Star that should really be embarrassed by this effort. Not only is the article trite, out of date and pedantic but it contributes little to serious discussion about what is happening to the middle class in Canada. For the article to note that a major change is the large numbers of women who have joined the Canadian workforce is something that Justin Trudeau’s father might have noted 60 years ago in Cité Libre.
Even worse, the writer says that he (ostensibly Justin Trudeau) has nothing against wealth. This is not only gratuitous but serves to remind people that Justin was born to wealth and privilege. It makes you wonder just who he is trying to reach? There are new definitions of society in the 21st Century and Justin’s writers need to be more aware of reality.
The middle class that backed Justin’s father so strongly have been sliding downhill into poverty as they age. As seniors, they are struggling to maintain a standard of living as their savings are ravaged by a lack of earnings and rising inflation. What was once a comfortable retirement base is now decimated and a worry.
And here we have Justin Trudeau saying: Have no fear. “The Liberal party I want to lead would pursue pro-growth policies and actively seek to broaden the positive effects of economic growth.” And the rest of the article goes on with drivel such as that.
The only thing that can be said for the article is that it is early in the campaign and no candidate wants to peak too early. Eventually, Trudeau and his campaign team are going to realize that Liberal party members and supporters are serious about the need for a clear direction for the party.
The Trudeau team needs to realize that the Liberal Party of Canada must be a democratic party; electoral districts must choose their own candidates and make the party decisions. The party must have a clear left of centre platform that addresses real needs with real solutions. The party must be a party of inclusion, recognizing and furthering our history of reform and building a stronger and better country for all.
-30-
Copyright 2012 © Peter Lowry
Complaints, comments, criticisms and compliments can be sent to [email protected]