Canada's Trudeau kicks off tough re-election campaign, faces ethics questions

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Canada's Trudeau kicks off tough re-election campaign, faces ethics questions

By David Ljunggren

 

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau leave Rideau Hall after asking Governor General Julie Payette to dissolve Parliament, and mark the start of a federal election campaign in Canada, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, September 11, 2019. REUTERS/Patrick Doyle

 

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau kicked off a challenging six-week re-election campaign on Wednesday and immediately faced new questions about a nagging ethics scandal that could cut support for his Liberal Party.

 

Trudeau, who swept to office in November 2015 promising "sunny ways" and stressing the importance of gender equality and the environment, faces an electorate more focused on the economy and affordability when it votes on Oct 21.

 

"We have a huge amount of work still to do ... under a Liberal government, Canada will continue to move forward," he told reporters after launching the race.

 

The 47-year-old married father of three, whose colorful socks and classic good looks are often splashed across the international media, may have history on his side. Not since 1935 has a Canadian prime minister who won a parliamentary majority in his first term been booted from office in the next election.

 

But polls strongly suggest Trudeau may not win enough seats to govern by himself after a series of missteps that called into question his leadership while cutting into his once sky-high popularity. That would leave him weakened, relying on opposition members of parliament to push through legislation.

 

Last month, a top watchdog ruled the prime minister had breached ethics rules by pressuring the former justice minister to ensure a major construction firm avoid a corruption trial.

 

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are probing whether there is enough evidence to lay charges. The Globe and Mail said on Wednesday that Ottawa was limiting what potential witnesses could say.

 

Trudeau side-stepped repeated questions about the matter on Wednesday, repeating the government's line that witnesses already had plenty of freedom to speak.

 

Andrew Scheer, leader of the official opposition Conservative Party, said the Globe and Mail report showed Trudeau could not be trusted.

 

"He has lied. He has looked Canadians in the eyes and said things that he knew were not true," he told reporters.

 

A Nanos Research poll released on Tuesday showed the Liberals at 34.6% and the Conservatives at 30.7%. That margin would not be enough to guarantee a majority of seats in the House of Commons.

 

'PUNISH THE BUMS'

Liberals say they are quietly confident of victory and predict Trudeau will campaign much more effectively than Scheer, 40, who is fighting his first election as Conservative leader.

 

But Canadian campaigns can produce major surprises. The Liberals trailed in third place when the 2015 election was called but steadily improved to pull off an outright victory.

 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau kicked off a challenging six-week re-election campaign on Wednesday and immediately faced new questions about a nagging ethics scandal that could cut support for his Liberal Party. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).

Trudeau, who swept to office in November 2015 promising "sunny ways" and stressing the importance of gender equality and the environment, faces an electorate more focused on the economy and affordability when it votes on Oct 21.

"We have a huge amount of work still to do ... under a Liberal government, Canada will continue to move forward," he told reporters after launching the race.

The 47-year-old married father of three, whose colorful socks and classic good looks are often splashed across the international media, may have history on his side. Not since 1935 has a Canadian prime minister who won a parliamentary majority in his first term been booted from office in the next election.

But polls strongly suggest Trudeau may not win enough seats to govern by himself after a series of missteps that called into question his leadership while cutting into his once sky-high popularity.

That would leave him weakened, relying on opposition members of parliament to push through legislation.

Last month, a top watchdog ruled the prime minister had breached ethics rules by pressuring the former justice minister to ensure a major construction firm avoid a corruption trial.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are probing whether there is enough evidence to lay charges.

The Globe and Mail said on Wednesday that Ottawa was limiting what potential witnesses could say.

Trudeau side-stepped repeated questions about the matter on Wednesday, repeating the government's line that witnesses already had plenty of freedom to speak.

 

"This is not a 'Throw the bums out' election. This is a 'Punish the bums' election," said Nik Nanos, head of Nanos Research.

 

Trudeau, the son of former Liberal Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, has broken major campaign promises by scrapping plans to introduce voter reform and allowing budget deficits to mushroom. He also angered environmentalists by buying an oil pipeline to ensure crude exports could increase.

 

"For average Canadians, the key takeaway ... is that Justin Trudeau is not an exception, he's like other politicians," said Nanos.

 

Liberals cite near-record low jobless numbers, booming growth and lower levels of poverty as grounds for re-election.

 

WORLD IS WATCHING

Although rivals may dismiss Trudeau's achievements, diplomats in allied countries say his focus on feminism, the environment and the need for multilateral organizations is important at a time when populism is on the rise and the United States seems intent on shrinking its global ambitions.

 

"We are paying very close attention. What will it mean if one of the few remaining progressive leaders is defeated?" said an official at one major Western embassy in Ottawa.

 

Scheer had surged after the SNC-Lavalin affair, but he appears to be struggling in Ontario, the most populous of Canada's 10 provinces, where a conservative premier is pushing through unpopular spending cuts.

 

Major planks of the Liberal platform will include measures to address cellphone and internet bills and a limited expansion to the universal healthcare system to cover part of the cost of prescription drugs, say party insiders.

 

(Additional reporting by Kelsey Johnson and Steve Scherer in Ottawa; Editing by Steve Scherer, Peter Cooney and Marguerita Choy)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-12

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[Samui Bodoh]

it is going to be another Liberal majority, and that doesn't please me much.

 

Why do I say that? It is a simple matter; the only party that realistically can supplant the Grits are the Tories, and the conditions aren't right for the Tories to win.

 

In order for the Tories to win, they need a few factors;

• They need the NDP to be strong enough to pull votes away from the Grits, enough to split the vote and allow a Tory to slip through. The NDP does not seem strong enough at the moment.
• They need to win big/sweep two regions and pick up a smattering of seats in the Maritimes and elsewhere, but they don't have a second region outside of the West. They won't sweep Ontario because of Doug Ford; when a Tory provincial government in Ontario exists, especially an unpopular one, Tories do not do well at a national level. Scheer doesn't have the ability to sweep Quebec. The Maritimes don't have enough seats, and the Tories won't sweep it anyway.
• There is no over-riding national issue like the 1988 Free Trade election where the Tories can be on one side and all others on the other side.
• The economy, while it isn't great, isn't terrible either, and that lack of economic difficulty doesn't play to Tory strength.

I would add another factor, but it is much less quantifiable and thus much less certain; Trudeau has experience running in a national campaign while the other party leaders do not; that matters. You can't ever be certain what is going to occur when someone becomes Leader, but the law of averages says it take s a bit for a new Leader to get comfortable; Trudeau/Grits will have an advantage and modern campaigns focus heavily on the Leader (don't believe me? See how well Boris Johnson is doing just out of the gate...).

 

So Boys and Girls, I would bet on a Liberal majority. And, I am not terrible happy about that.

 

What say you?

 

 

[canuckamuck]

Sadly Canada still has Ontario so it will be difficult for the decent folk to have their say. Especially because of the left leaning media. But Trudeau really is garbage and he has made a mess of his first term. Perhaps the pink and green haired social justice warriors will help to split the socialist vote and the good people of the west will regain some sense and vote as a block for the conservatives. We could use some help from the maritimes, but they generally have an interest in social programs and not so much into strong economic principles. And then there is Quebec, You can't expect any help from them.

I guess it could be another four years of sabotaging our economy and dancing about the world in silly costumes. All my friends are bankrupt now anyways How much worse can it get?

[DoctorG]

Probably some sort of Liberal coalition win. Scheer does not seem to be strong enough to force the change.

[Stargeezr]

I do hope that Trudeau is defeated in the up coming election. I do not see the NDP getting many votes except in BC and Quebec, maybe from some in Ontario. The Green

Party may get some votes from the people who wear fur and pure cloth clothes, and who think that we do not need oil. There are some hypocrites who do not know th, lat even

their briefs and socks have oil products in the elastics. They do not think that electric  and hybrid cars have much oil products in them, like the dash boards, headliners, sound

proofing materials, the batteries and the wiring rubber coatings, the steering wheel  and seats, oh and the bumpers front and back and the foam inside them, all oil products.

  Just stating this for those on this forum who love the Greens. The conservatives  need to do well in the next 39 days.  I just hope that there are some intelligent people in

both Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes who have had enough of Liberals. 

  I do not even know what the voters in BC will vote for.

 I can only hope the Conservatives do win.  Go Alberta go.

Geezer

[pegman]

2 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Sadly Canada still has Ontario so it will be difficult for the decent folk to have their say. Especially because of the left leaning media. But Trudeau really is garbage and he has made a mess of his first term. Perhaps the pink and green haired social justice warriors will help to split the socialist vote and the good people of the west will regain some sense and vote as a block for the conservatives. We could use some help from the maritimes, but they generally have an interest in social programs and not so much into strong economic principles. And then there is Quebec, You can't expect any help from them.

I guess it could be another four years of sabotaging our economy and dancing about the world in silly costumes. All my friends are bankrupt now anyways How much worse can it get?

Who are these bankrupt friends of yours?  Most provinces have record or near record low unemployment. My equities have gone up  >50%  in the last four years. The only factor that has done bad is the one that was gouging us for years. Were your friends by chance in the oil patch? Seems to me they got what they deserved  by over producing along with the American shale frackers. $150 crude  wasn't good enough they had to flood the market too. Looks good on them. 

 

Bible thumper Shreer has no chance.  All his support is in three provinces and none of them are in the big three. I just watched The National and one of the lead stories was  former drug dealer Doug Ford firing 3500 teachers. Thanks to good old Doug the conservatives are dead in Ontario.  The dairy cartel may own a piece of him but the cow farmers are spread out and won't get him any seats. 

 

 I have no use for the Liberals and have never voted for them but I hate conservatives with every fibre in my body so I can live with the outcome. Trudeau made one mistake in appointing that  naïve native woman lawyer as Justice Minister.  Most Canadians, at least those outside of Alberta, are reasonable people and know that she's a wingnut who got shown the door.

 

 

[blazes]

Trudeau, with his ridiculous woke agenda in favour of Green-ism and "diversity" and gender crapology, appointed a cabinet that was all about "equity" and nothing, absolutely nothing, about competence.

In short, the Liberals have been incompetent (and corrupt).  They have been out-foxed by the Americans in the handling of the Huawei heiress, and have lost important trade advantages to the Chinese.

They don't deserve a second term.  Unfortunately there is no obvious alternative leader lurking in the background to take over....

[BobBKK]

Surely PC Trudeau can't win again?  severe backlash against pc'ers is going to pass canada by?  really?

[Banana7]

Trudeau won the last election because he said he would legalize cannabis, so lots of young people turned up to vote, who normal don't vote.

 

[Samui Bodoh]

Wow!

 

Respectfully (I always say that just before I start taking shots at people, ????), I find the posts that claim that the Liberals won't win or that Justin is too PC are... just wow. I sincerely can't recall the last time I saw so much empty political rhetoric in so few posts. 

 

First, no one seems to argue with my post (#2) suggesting that the Liberals will gain another majority. Why not? If, as you seem to be arguing, Trudeau/Liberals are soooo very bad and evil that no one will vote for them, why are you not arguing that case? Is it because you agree with my post (#2)? You also think that the Liberals will gain a majority?

 

Second, how many American, Right-Wing, Trumpian vocabulary units can you state? "Left-leaning media"? "PC'? "Trudeau really is garbage"? "the pink and green haired social justice warriors"? "split the socialist vote"? "they generally have an interest in social programs and not so much into strong economic principles?" "another four years of sabotaging our economy and dancing about the world in silly costumes"? "the people who wear fur and pure cloth clothes"? "hypocrites"? "hope that there are some intelligent people in both Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes who have had enough of Liberals"? "Trudeau, with his ridiculous woke agenda in favour of Green-ism and "diversity" and gender crapology"? "the Liberals have been incompetent (and corrupt)"? "PC Trudeau can't win again"? "severe backlash against pc'ers is going to pass canada by?"?

 

That is some heavy-duty rhetoric, but as none of it actually explains why the Liberals will/won't get re-elected, it is meaningless. C'mon American rhetoric users; please explain why the Liberals/Trudeau aren't going to win again! They are pure evil, right? Right?

 

Notwithstanding the sentence above, I do have to say that that is some world-class, Trumpian, Virtue-Signalling that you all have going on! 

 

 

 

[samran]

10 minutes ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Wow!

 

Respectfully (I always say that just before I start taking shots at people, ????), I find the posts that claim that the Liberals won't win or that Justin is too PC are... just wow. I sincerely can't recall the last time I saw so much empty political rhetoric in so few posts. 

 

First, no one seems to argue with my post (#2) suggesting that the Liberals will gain another majority. Why not? If, as you seem to be arguing, Trudeau/Liberals are soooo very bad and evil that no one will vote for them, why are you not arguing that case? Is it because you agree with my post (#2)? You also think that the Liberals will gain a majority?

 

Second, how many American, Right-Wing, Trumpian vocabulary units can you state? "Left-leaning media"? "PC'? "Trudeau really is garbage"? "the pink and green haired social justice warriors"? "split the socialist vote"? "they generally have an interest in social programs and not so much into strong economic principles?" "another four years of sabotaging our economy and dancing about the world in silly costumes"? "the people who wear fur and pure cloth clothes"? "hypocrites"? "hope that there are some intelligent people in both Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes who have had enough of Liberals"? "Trudeau, with his ridiculous woke agenda in favour of Green-ism and "diversity" and gender crapology"? "the Liberals have been incompetent (and corrupt)"? "PC Trudeau can't win again"? "severe backlash against pc'ers is going to pass canada by?"?

 

That is some heavy-duty rhetoric, but as none of it actually explains why the Liberals will/won't get re-elected, it is meaningless. C'mon American rhetoric users; please explain why the Liberals/Trudeau aren't going to win again! They are pure evil, right? Right?

 

Notwithstanding the sentence above, I do have to say that that is some world-class, Trumpian, Virtue-Signalling that you all have going on! 

 

 

 

I give them an 6.5/10 for effort. The forgot a few easy ones like 'lib-tard' and 'social justice warriors'. While one of them used 'woke' he didn't follow up with a good 'triggered' and none of them commented on the PM's lack of manliness or made a misogynistic swipe at his wife for good measure. The potshot at the French wasn't a bad addition, but no one made a joke about all the Chinese in Vancouver. The crying about biased media was a good one, but they all forgot to drop the compulsory 'fake news'.

 

So, all in all, a passable day at the keyboard for our Canadian Warriors, but I'd be upping my game if I was them.

[canuckamuck]

3 hours ago, pegman said:

Who are these bankrupt friends of yours?  Most provinces have record or near record low unemployment. My equities have gone up  >50%  in the last four years. The only factor that has done bad is the one that was gouging us for years. Were your friends by chance in the oil patch? Seems to me they got what they deserved  by over producing along with the American shale frackers. $150 crude  wasn't good enough they had to flood the market too. Looks good on them. 

 

Bible thumper Shreer has no chance.  All his support is in three provinces and none of them are in the big three. I just watched The National and one of the lead stories was  former drug dealer Doug Ford firing 3500 teachers. Thanks to good old Doug the conservatives are dead in Ontario.  The dairy cartel may own a piece of him but the cow farmers are spread out and won't get him any seats. 

 

 I have no use for the Liberals and have never voted for them but I hate conservatives with every fibre in my body so I can live with the outcome. Trudeau made one mistake in appointing that  naïve native woman lawyer as Justice Minister.  Most Canadians, at least those outside of Alberta, are reasonable people and know that she's a wingnut who got shown the door.

 

 

She was naïve by showing character in a government that has no use for ethics. If the situation was reversed and a conservative had been caught pressuring the justice minister to make corrupt decisions. I am sure it would amount to our largest political scandal in decades. But corruption in your favor, that's just cake.

And yes my friends are all from the oil patch. You might remember us we generated all the billions of dollars in transfer payments to all the weak sister provinces for the last 40 years. But now cute socks want's to protect gophers from a one in a million chance of an oil spill from a high tech pipeline to anywhere. So Alberta is now getting what it deserves, as you say, and the wheels of industry have come screeching to a halt for the only area in the country that won't vote for Trudeau. Glad you are doing fine though. Good luck in the revolution comrade.

 

[DrTuner]

Two things come to mind when I hear Canada. Cirque de Soleil and a circus director at the helm of the country. They must love their clowns up there.

[Sakeopete]

Lol can't wait to see Quebec implode when Alberta has no more money to send them. Honestly I hope Liberals win a majority it might be the push the west needs to separate from Canada. As it stands now they have no say in how the country is run. Politicians only care about appeasing Ontario and Quebec. 

[from the home of CC]

Corruption has run rampant in the province of Quebec for decades and other than short jail sentences and fines for MPs that were caught out the government of Canada has basically looked the other way. When SNC were accused of bribery offences Trudeau circumvented the justice system and due to a principled Canadian, his sleazy attempt ended up in the news. Now, they are trying to stall the RCMP investigation in the whole affair. Whoever contributes in putting this mess back in power deserves whatever happens.

 https://www.citynews1130.com/2019/09/11/rcmp-blocked-from-investigating-snc-lavalin-affair-by-campaign-federal-govt-reports/

[Scott]

Off-topic, troll posts and replies removed.  

 

[pegman]

7 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

Corruption has run rampant in the province of Quebec for decades and other than short jail sentences and fines for MPs that were caught out the government of Canada has basically looked the other way. When SNC were accused of bribery offences Trudeau circumvented the justice system and due to a principled Canadian, his sleazy attempt ended up in the news. Now, they are trying to stall the RCMP investigation in the whole affair. Whoever contributes in putting this mess back in power deserves whatever happens.

 https://www.citynews1130.com/2019/09/11/rcmp-blocked-from-investigating-snc-lavalin-affair-by-campaign-federal-govt-reports/

How much of the world would be cut off from our resource companies if they couldn't bribe?  To criminalize it in Canada was a moronic move by Harper.  Canada is known worldwide for our mining expertise and it's very unlikely any of our mining companies do not pay bribes to government officials somewhere.  If anyone thinks that American, Chinese, Russian, French, Brits,…… don't give bribes somewhere they're fooling themselves.  Trudeau's mistake was in appointing that dimwit Justice Minister to begin with.  Quebec isn't the only place were illegal things happen. Just look at the last election in Alberta where closet boy Kenny  had his campaign pay another conservative candidate to run so as to split the vote in his favor against Jean.

[pegman]

Projections are for terrible times for Tories:

 

http://338canada.com

[annabel]

On 9/12/2019 at 11:04 AM, BobBKK said:

Surely PC Trudeau can't win again?  severe backlash against pc'ers is going to pass canada by?  really?

Trump did !!!

[daveAustin]

A trudeau win for the betterment of HUMANkind...

 

 

 

... fewer nutty lefty liberalist loons in the public eye, please.

[pegman]

Turns out LAVSCAM is seen by Quebecers as a reason to vote Liberal rather against them as the terrible Tories had hoped. It was dumb to appoint an equity MP to Justice but his old man made a stupid mistake his 1st term too in screwing with U.I. benefits. P.E.T. lost his majority over that when the Maritime provinces turned on him. Right now it looks like Young Justin will hold his majority unless the M/T Turban running my NDP can start getting some traction. My early prediction is a 35 seat majority for the Liberals.

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/snc-quebec-1.5282858

[blazes]

1 hour ago, pegman said:

Turns out LAVSCAM is seen by Quebecers as a reason to vote Liberal rather against them as the terrible Tories had hoped. It was dumb to appoint an equity MP to Justice but his old man made a stupid mistake his 1st term too in screwing with U.I. benefits. P.E.T. lost his majority over that when the Maritime provinces turned on him. Right now it looks like Young Justin will hold his majority unless the M/T Turban running my NDP can start getting some traction. My early prediction is a 35 seat majority for the Liberals.

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/snc-quebec-1.5282858

"unless the M/T Turban running my NDP"

 

Curious:  was "running" a typo for "ruining"???

 

How can someone who says "my" NDP be pleased (as seems to be the case) with the prospect of another four years of this gang of Woke incompetents?

 

(Of course, champagne socialists, tired of social democratic parties, can still preserve their woke virginity by voting Green.)