Tuesday, January 02, 2018

What Are the Top Three Things You Expect From the Trudeau Government in 2018?


As the government of Justin Trudeau sails into the third year of its mandate this would be a good time to reflect on the most important expectations we have of this government for 2018.

I'm asking you to outline your priorities. I'm not being facetious when I admit that I've come up empty-handed. Oh I supposed they're going to legalize pot but that was last year's business, wasn't it?

I had plenty of hopeful expectations of Team Trudeau when they took office. Those were reasonable given the solemn promises young Trudeau made on the campaign trail in 2015. We've learned a lot since then.

Lately there hasn't been a lot of wind in Justin's sails. The ship of state is becalmed but, fortunately for Cap'n Selfie, the passengers in steerage class don't seem to mind as one month blurs into the next.

So please, lift my spirits with your enthusiasms. What do you expect from JT and his orchestra this year?

And, without wanting to put a damper on your ponderings, you may want to have a look at Konrad Yakabuski's take on our "disengaged prime minister."


Mr. Trudeau's managerial style suggests a leader somewhat disengaged from the job he was elected to perform. After Stephen Harper's frigid personality, Canadians wanted likeability and empathy from their Prime Minister and Mr. Trudeau scores highly on both.

But no one could ever accuse Mr. Harper of being disengaged from his job. He inhabited it, often to excess. He was intimate with the "details" of government business, but his administration was largely a one-man show. And there was no room for opinions that did not mesh with his own.

Unlike Mr. Harper, Mr. Trudeau did not enter politics on a mission to undo decades of statist Liberal policy. He clearly prefers the "ceremonial" aspects of his job to the actual exercise of power. He has moved decisively to banish MPs and staffers who appear to have contravened his feminist values.

But he is no policy wonk, allowing PMO staffers and bureaucrats to work out the details of government decisions. He seems to view his job as one of brand-building and selling the final product.

This yields the results we have come to know. Can anyone imagine the torturous Bill Morneau affair enduring this long under Mr. Harper, Jean Chrétien or Brian Mulroney? Granted, each of these previous prime ministers had very different managerial styles. But no one can argue they did not assume the full weight of their responsibilities. It showed in their faces.

Someone needs to write Mr. Trudeau his own mandate letter
.

Yeah, amen to that.


12 comments:

the salamander said...

.. Super !

- I want Canada's environment protected & prioritized. Yes that means any & all 'Ministries' constrained & twisted inside out by Stephen Harper & Ray Novak.. enhanced and working for Canadians. Thus Environment, Fisheries & Oceans (Coast Guard), Agriculture, Forests, .. and Resources constrained from screwing it all up. I want to see endangered species protected, not abandoned. I want to see inland waters and our coastal waters protected.. not sold out for foreign interests.. aka Big Energy. Can expand on that.. but farmed fish should be on land.. not killing off wild fisheries

- secondly.. I want politics, elections and partisanship cleaned up. Screw the polls, the fraud, the insidious political voter data crap, the corporate donations & vested interest, captured governments. I could expand on that.. but I believe we need more indy candidates.. and an end to career political animals a la Jason Kenney, Andrew Scheer etc.. eliminate Party Whips might help.. that goes against the whole point of elected public servants representing their constituents. Maybe limit MP's to 4 years or so.. and let them vote on issues while working within their ridings. Question Period is farcical posturing.. so reform Parliament accordingly.

- finally, I want mainstream media & education cleaned up. The Paul Godfreys, Nick Kouvalis, Tom Flanagans et al given the boot instead of tenures as 'Distinuished Fellow' - that includes the money flowing from the Koch brothers into twisted toxic education systems.

the salamander said...

.. BTW ..
Lots of meat to mr Yakabuski's effort.. but..
He kind of fell apart with his 2nd last paragraph
Every one of those pristine wondrous former PM's
have & had runaway boat anchor 'legacy' baggage
in their respective closets..


Conflicts of interest ? Y'say ?
Brown paper bags of cash.. Election Fraud.. come to mind..
sudden memory blackouts & payola aussi..
Nothing new.. just myriad ways to fail Canadians
while thriving on the public dime..
and pushing contrived talking points

We're pre-conditioned to acceptance..
that grooming, gooning and dirtbag lunacy
are part n parcel to 'demockracy'..
as we now know it.. or ignore it, or accept it
.. as 'status quo'

The Mound of Sound said...


I like your three preferences, Sal. They mirror my own. Now, where would you set the odds of any of those happening?

Anonymous said...

1/ Sunshine
2/ Lollipops
3/ Rainbows

The Mound of Sound said...

Yes, Anon - sunshine, lollipops, rainbows and a cure for Anonymice.

HDG said...

I regard the reversal of electoral reform as the most egregious of Mr Trudeau's vacated promises. I have refused to support them because I regarded that promise as the keystone which would make all future governments more accountable to the voters.

Sadly they have never replied , inane meaningful way, to my e-mails



Toby said...

What I expect from Mr Trudeau and crew is nothing. What I'd like is pretty much all the things he promised during his campaign.

Lorne said...

One of the things I would dearly love to hear from Mr. Trudeau is an explanation of why the investor-dispute settlement mechanism of his beloved free-trade deals are good for Canadians. I will not hold my breath for an answer, Mound.

The Mound of Sound said...


Yes, HDG, electoral reform would be the keystone of democratic restoration. I figure that's why JT balked at delivering it. The idea of empowering the plebs to demand whatever sort of government they wanted was probably much too scary for the feds.

The Mound of Sound said...


You'll live longer, far longer, if you don't hold your breath waiting for that one, Lorne.

rumleyfips said...

Yes, responsible government would be as nice now as it was 180 years ago. The problem is that the 'plebs' don't want it. We voted Harper in twice, as an anti-democratic action as we could do. Trump was electoraled- nuff said.

My problem is that I can't figure out why people vote against their own best interests. People say that people get the government they deserve; more and more we see this happening. Sometimes I feel like saying ' deal with your mistakes you idiots ' but then I find a way to still hope.

Anonymous said...

Bingo!
"He seems to view his job as... selling the final product."
Not willing or unable to any other job?