Grumpy Granny column today.
Why are so many political spokespersons so snarky these days? I’ll pick on Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre because he’s so good at it. He insists Canada is broken and it’s entirely Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s fault. The Prime Minister certainly knows how to mess up, but he hasn’t got the power to do all the damage he’s accused of doing.
For example, in blaming Trudeau personally for the chaotic air travel situation over the holiday, Mr. P just stopped short of blaming him for creating the weather that caused the debacle. And, in blaming Trudeau for the federal “red tape” hindering resource development (mining, for example) the Opposition leader seemed unaware the rules existed long before Justin’s time and most are there for good reasons.
The matter of obnoxious political comments was discussed by CBCTV’s At Issue panel recently. Long-time panelist Chantal Hebert noted that Mr. Poilievre is great on Offense (attacking the questioner rather than answering questions), which is effective with his followers, but she wondered if he will be as good at playing Defense during a general election.
Mr. Poilievre is correct in calling attention to the issues that plague us, there is plenty to squawk about. As Opposition leader, that’s his job. And, loud mouths get the headlines, and politicians like headlines, but his constant playing the blame game rather than providing solutions to the issues does get tiresome.
As retiring Marc Garneau, a long time MP and former cabinet minister, noted in his goodbye speech, parliamentary business can be done in a civilized manner. Our MPs and MLAs are elected by people who’ve entrusted them to run the country or provinces. As “Honourable Members” surely they can discuss issues with respect.
Why not give it a try?
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