Trudeau’s Summer of Failures
It would be an understatement to say this was a summer of failure for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. This is following a terrible winter and spring beginning with his disastrous trip to India and the Jaspal Atwal affair and introducing a Carbon Tax without telling Canadian taxpayers its cost, as well as Budget 2018 that fails to deliver real support to middle class Canadians, increases taxes, and piles on more national debt. The summer did not prove to be any better for the Prime Minister. It was a summer of failure on several fronts, including: the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion boondoggle; the economy and taxes; trade; illegal border crossers; and ethics.
On September 17, 2018, the House of Commons resumed sitting for the fall session. After months and months of failing to deliver on everything from trade to taxes to pipelines, Prime Minister Trudeau had an opportunity to finally get the big issues right this summer. He was elected on a platform of strengthening the middle class, running a clean and ethical government, running small deficits, and improving Canada’s presence on the world stage. He’s failed on absolutely all counts.
Prime Minister Trudeau’s economic policies have failed to create the growth and opportunity Canada needs to compete with the U.S. and the rest of the world. His small and temporary deficits have become massive and are here to stay until at least 2045, according to his government’s own numbers. He’s failed middle class Canadians, as they’re paying more taxes while the wealthiest pay less. His stubborn refusal to acknowledge Canada’s tax and regulatory disadvantages has seen billions of dollars in investment leave the country, taking jobs and opportunity with it.
In terms of trade, Prime Minister Trudeau failed to pass the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and was sidelined this summer while Mexico and the U.S. worked out a free trade agreement. He’s damaged relationships with important trading partners and jeopardized the millions of jobs that depend on international trade. By refusing to compete with the U.S. on taxation and regulation, by killing major pipeline projects, and by harming relationships with other trading partners, the Prime Minister has failed to put Canada in a position to complete a deal with the U.S.
The Prime Minister has failed to fix the mess he created at the border with respect to illegal border crossers. This summer, we found out that his border crisis is causing massive delays for the entire immigration system. These delays are extremely unfair for those who enter Canada legally and threaten to undermine the security and integrity of our entire immigration system. Furthermore, Prime Minister Trudeau has no answers and no plan. Canadians are demanding leadership.
Prime Minister Trudeau continues to fail on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project. We’ve now begun the fall session of Parliament without a plan to get the Trans Mountain pipeline built. After spending $4.5 billion to buy it, we learned this summer that the Prime Minister can’t even build it.
The Prime Minister has failed on ethics too. He and his ministers can’t stop breaking the rules. This summer, yet another Trudeau minister was found guilty by the Ethics Commissioner of breaking conflict of interest laws. It’s, of course, no surprise since the Prime Minister himself has already been found guilty of the same.
All of Prime Minister Trudeau’s summer failures are of his own making and they have real consequences for Canadians – fewer jobs, less opportunity, and uncertain futures. Canadians are understandably sick of it and want accountability.