Justin Trudeau shuffled his cabinet yesterday. He's getting ready for the next election and for more immediate battles. And the most pressing battle will be with Doug Ford. Susan Delacourt writes:
The more you look at this so-called pre-election shuffle, the more you see Doug Ford’s victory rippling through the some of the biggest changes to the federal Liberal ministry. If shuffles had ad slogans, this one would be: Built Ford Tough.
It's of considerable interest that Trudeau has raised former Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair's profile:
There’s Bill Blair, an old enemy of the Ford brothers, in a job that will inevitably put him soon on a collision course with the new premier. Or as the Conservatives’ deputy leader Lisa Raitt predicted at her post-shuffle news conference, a relationship bound to be “fraught” with difficulties.
But Donald Trump is also not far from Trudeau's musings. Jim Carr is now the Minister of Trade Diversification. And, by establishing a new ministry for seniors, Trudeau will be making a pitch for those of us over 65 who can be reliably counted on to vote Blue. Still,
Blair’s promotion may actually be one of the most interesting features of a shuffle that was altogether fascinating for what it says about the Trudeau government a little more than a year away from seeking re-election. Eighteen months ago, the deck was shuffled to deal with Trump. That’s still a big concern — witness Jim Carr’s transfer to minister of international trade diversification, which you could call Plan B for potentially faltering NAFTA talks. But Ford has clearly joined Trump on the list of shuffle-worthy worries for the Trudeau team. How do you deal with the Fords? Call the cops.
The battle will move to the courts first. By breaking a contract to build a wind farm in Prince Edward County, by breaking another contract with Brewers Retail and by challenging the Trudeau government's carbon tax, lawyers for the Ontario government will be kept very busy.
But, in the next election, Ontario will be Ground Zero. The cabinet shuffle is a signal that Trudeau knows what's around the corner.
Image: Huffington Post Canada
10 comments:
Were there any losers in this shuffle? Anyone dropped from Cabinet? No longer titled Minister? At first glance this just looks like Trudeau expanded the ranks and payroll mostly to benefit his friends. What's in it for Canada and ordinary Canadians?
I would sure like to have seen McKenna out and replaced by a real Environment Minister. How about Elizabeth May? Yeah, I know she's not in Trudeau's party but so what? We need someone to tackle Global Warming who doesn't put trade and oil first.
Odd, I suppose, but I find myself withdrawn almost entirely from federal politics. I've always been engaged before. Never missed an election, save for one when I lived in Britain.
Federal politics, for me, is now an "eastern" thing. It's a contest to decide who will run the petro-state for the next four years. With Jagmeet's lacklustre performance it will be either Liberal or Tory and, as we've seen since 2015, there's not a lot of daylight between them.
The election of Doug Ford, that guy named Moe, and the ascendant Jason Kenney, have fueled my alienation from Canada east of the Rockies. Federally or provincially they all pursue a core agenda that circumvents or flatly rejects the issues that resonate with me. I'm sure there are a great many disaffected by these governments.
Trudeau's victory left scars. All those lofty promises broken as easily as a snake sheds its skin. Whether Scheer, Trudeau or Singh tell the truth or lie through their teeth, you've got a pretty good idea of what you'll get after the winner is sworn into office.
I will vote in the next election for whomever the Greens put up for election but that's the end of it.
These moves appear to be primarily defensive, Toby. Trudeau sees Conservative premiers in Ontario and Saskatchewan -- and quite possibly Alberta. And with dim bulbs like Doug Ford leading the charge, he's going to have his hands full.
What is sad, Mound, is that there is very little traction for the Green Party anywhere in Canada.
I'm not bothering any more. What's the point exactly?
I don't vote Green with any expectations, Owen. I do it because, to my mind, it's the right way to vote. My sadness lasts one day - until the results come in. Were I to vote Liberal or, theoretically, Tory, the misery would last for the entire term in office. See, I win.
Most of my votes have been for losing candidates, Mound. I used to tell myself that my conscience wouldn't bother me. And it hasn't. But then I look at the future and find little comfort.
As I wrote to Mound, I used to be able to comfort my conscience Deacon. But, these days, that doesn't seem to be enough.
I am singularly unimpressed by Fiomena Tassi, my MP and the new minister for seniors, Owen. Despite emails and phone calls to her constituency office, she has never even acknowledged my communications. Clearly, by playing it safe and being slavishly devoted to Mr. Trudeau, she has earned her reward.
She is completely unknown to me, Lorne. Your experience suggests that we should not expect much from Ms.Tassi.
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