Justin Trudeau and the De-Harperization of Canada

He has only been in power for eighty days, but already Justin Trudeau is being caught between the right and the left.

Between the Cons who are enraged at the way he is tearing down their beloved Harperland.

And progressives like Michael Harris, who want him to de-Harperize Canada faster. 

No matter what the pundits, pols or PR types tell you, de-Harperizing Canada will be the biggest political story of 2016.

The writing, or rather the graffiti, is already on the wall; it’s all about Liberal credibility now. The Conservative Opposition has made it crystal clear — if the Trudeau government doesn’t change Harper’s decisions, it’s endorsing them.

While people voted for Justin Trudeau in large numbers because of the ‘positive’ things he promised to do, they also have a long list of things they expect him to undo. In the Westerns, it’s called ‘cleaning up Tombstone’. Trudeau is Wyatt Earp.

Progressives who are unhappy that Trudeau hasn't yet ended our bombing mission in Iraq.

Every day the question is asked with a slightly greater sense of unease: When will Trudeau bring the CF-18s home? And how deeply will Canada remain enmeshed in this inscrutable conflict when we do stop bombing? The answers so far have been mushy. Bringing Steve’s bombers back from the Middle East is a touchy business. But it’s a necessary step, if Trudeau is to keep faith with his supporters.

Or isn't cancelling the Con's $15 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia that Stephen Harper signed...



The young Trudeau government has declared that it will not cancel this dubious contract. Given Saudi Arabia’s abysmal human rights record — which includes that country’s use of Canadian military hardware in Bahrain to quell public protests against the government in 2011 — Ottawa’s stance is flatly contradictory. It’s turning Canada into a Dictator’s Little Helper in the Kingdom.

Or isn't bringing in refugees in fast enough.

But while all those concerns are legitimate, and I share them myself. I don't see any of them as a major problem.

For although I personally believe that we shouldn't be selling weapons to anyone, let alone the barbarous kingdom of Saudi Arabia. These facts should be taken into consideration:

A contract was signed, factories all over the place are gearing up, and in an area which has been reduced to a wasteland of lost jobs and shattered hopes...



Who is going to tell those 3,000 Canadian workers and their families that those good jobs won't be coming after all?

And at a time when this country's economy is tanking, how do you think that decision would be received? 

During the election campaign neither the Liberals nor the NDP promised to scrap the deal. So why are some of them, with jobs and comfortable pensions, ignoring the plight of the unemployed?

Or making it such a big deal out of the issue.

Which only plays into the hands of the Cons who want to see us divided.

As for the CF-18s, I too would like to see them fly home as soon as possible. ..



But we are part of an alliance. We did agree to keep the planes there until March. So what's another couple of months?

When it's the commitment to pull them out that counts. 

Just like on the refugee front it's the commitment to bring them in that counts. Not the timetable.

Why fall over ourselves to meet some artificial deadline? When the important thing is making sure we are ready to welcome the refugees as well and as warmly as possible.

As this school in Toronto welcomed Ibrahim Sultan. 



This is what young Syria can look like as it begins its way in Canada; wide-eyed and quiet, smiling yet tentative, living with unimaginable memories — old schools bombed to rubble, neighbours blown to pieces — but now bursting to be one of the locals.

Because if we keep doing that we'll know that we are definitely heading in the right direction.

So although I like the idea of Justin Trudeau as Wyatt Earp...



Wyatt Earp drew fast and shot straight. Nothing less is expected of the man who laid low the baddest man in Tombstone.

Because Justin Trudeau did bring down the bad guy, and has done a lot to de-Harperize this country in just eighty days.

I think progressives should be more patient, and give him more time to keep his promises.

Show us what he can do.

And finish what he started....



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