The Trudeau government has squandered any sense of national solidarity that once existed.
When NAFTA negotiations began, many people across the political spectrum presented a united front with the Trudeau government.
The Liberals could have made effective use of that, by negotiating in a common sense, rational way that was focused on Canada’s best interests.
Instead, the Trudeau Liberals embarked on a far-left virtue signalling tour where they gave lectures, tried to throw in elitist and leftist ‘negotiation points’ that had nothing to do with trade, and acted as if they had unlimited leverage.
Predictably, it’s failed miserably, and the moment of national solidarity has clearly ended. On Twitter, Andrew Scheer – who was once willing to provide some political cover to Trudeau on NAFTA – slammed the failure of Trudeau’s ‘strategy.’
“Thanks to Justin Trudeau, Canada is on the outside looking in while Canadian jobs hang in the balance. His economic failures have ruined Canada’s bargaining position and jeopardized thousands of jobs.”
Thanks to Justin Trudeau, Canada is on the outside looking in while Canadian jobs hang in the balance. His economic failures have ruined Canada’s bargaining position and jeopardized thousands of jobs. https://t.co/8TAa5kNQca
— Andrew Scheer (@AndrewScheer) August 27, 2018
Scheer is correct that thousands of jobs are now at risk because of Trudeau and Freeland’s ineptness. And while some have criticized Scheer for tying himself to close to Trudeau on NAFTA, it’s also true that the Conservatives would have been extremely unlikely to have pushed all the virtue-signalling that Trudeau did.
In fact, the Conservatives (along with many others) were carefully criticizing Trudeau for months and months as his virtue-signalling approach started shifting the relative positions of Canada and Mexico when it came to the attention and ire of the United States.
Now, the challenge for the Conservatives will be to explain to Canadians what they would have done differently, and make the case that Justin Trudeau’s arrogance, virtue-signalling, and incompetence represents a massive threat to Canada’s economy.
Spencer Fernando
Photos – YouTube
