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The Niagara Independent, May 14, 2021 \u2014<\/em> One cannot look at the news from Ottawa these days without wondering whether our Canadian ship of state is adrift \u2013 and rudderless. Is there anyone manning the bridge and steering the Trudeau government? Here are a few scandalous items to consider when attempting to answer this question.<\/p>\n Allowing Vance off the hook There appears to have been an abrogation of any responsibility when the sexual misconduct of the country\u2019s Chief of Defence Staff is willfully ignored by those who should take the lead in bringing this man to justice. General Jonathan Vance became chief in 2015 with a pledge to fight sexual misconduct in the Canadian military. Yet, through his career he himself was engaged in clandestine affairs with subordinates. Seeking justice, Major Kellie Brennan went public to accuse General Vance of misconduct and reveal a 20-year affair that saw her bore two of Vance\u2019s children. She even recalled that she had sex with Vance the night before he was sworn in as chief, when he sought her advice on his speech condemning sexual misconduct in the Forces.<\/p>\n Brennan testified about Vance, \u201cAs he told me, he was untouchable.\u201d And, as it has played out in the corridors of power, it appears people were stumbling over themselves to stay clear of the sex scandal. The current Minister of Defence Harjit Sajjan has been accused of ignoring the Vance allegations. MPs at the National Defence Committee heard that Sajjan \u201cphysically recoiled\u201d when presented with evidence that his former military commander was entangled. Sajjan deliberately did not want to hear the details and threw the file (unopened) from his office.<\/p>\n Canadians learned this week that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau\u2019s chief of staff Katie Telford also declined to be informed of the details of the wayward General when first told about his exploits in 2018. Telford testified she deliberately kept the Vance file from the PM\u2019s eyes. Her modus operandi is evident: see no evil; hear no evil\u2026presto, there is nothing the PM or Prime Minister\u2019s Office will be responsible for.<\/em> Scandal averted by rejecting the onus of responsibility. (It is incredible that the public airing of these sexual misdeeds would be suppressed by this feminist-active government.)<\/p>\n Policy initiatives not worth sharing Here are two major policy initiatives that have not been highlighted in mainstream media.<\/p>\n First, this week the Trudeau cabinet formally listed all plastic items manufactured in Canada as toxic. As Blacklock\u2019s Reporter<\/em> uncovers, the \u201ctoxic\u201d listing applies to items from auto parts to carpets, fertilizer bags, floor covering, fridges, furniture, \u201cglass substitutes\u201d, kettles, packaging, piping, stoves, textiles, toys and water bottles. Going forward Canadian plastic manufacturers will need to consider federal \u201crisk management measures.\u201d No details are given on what Canadian companies will be subjected to \u2013 although it is understood these national standards will not apply to imported plastic goods.<\/p>\n Second, the Trudeau government chose not to announce that it would be adding another five years to its self-imposed timeline to end First Nations water advisories. Justin Trudeau promised in the 2015 election campaign to end all long-term drinking-water advisories with First Nations by 2021. However, apparently, there is an extended deadline to 2026 \u2013 as revealed in Indigenous Services Canada documents that were buried in the government\u2019s public accounts files.<\/p>\n A fascination with censorship The drama around the legislation amending the Broadcasting Act<\/em> have left many to question both Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault\u2019s competency and the government\u2019s unstated intent to censor Canadians. The minister is publicly stating that the government wants internet giants like Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon to \u201cpay their fair share\u201d and promote Canadian content. In the Bill C-10 legislation Guilbeault empowers the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission to create their regulatory regime at some future time (after the election). Critics of Bill C-10 are concerned this plan would give unelected federal bureaucrats the power to regulate and censor Canadians\u2019 internet content, including user-generated content. There is a serious question that this legislation violates the Canadian Charter of Rights.<\/p>\n In a National Post<\/em> interview, former CRTC commissioner Peter Menzies stated the proposed government plan \u201cdoesn\u2019t just infringe on free expression, it constitutes a full-blown assault upon it and, through it, the foundations of democracy.\u201d One of Canada\u2019s leading scholars on the internet, Professor Michael Geist, has also spoken out strongly against Guilbeault\u2019s over-reach. Jordan Peterson has also stepped into the fray: \u201cI have a million more YouTube subscribers than our national broadcaster CBC. So does that make me a broadcaster to be regulated by Trudeau\u2019s pathetic minions?\u2026Just try and regulate my YouTube channel and see what happens Justin Trudeau.\u201d In the House of Commons, the PM and his minister have resorted to name-calling and ridiculing critics by stating they are nothing more than conspiracy theorists wearing tinfoil caps.<\/p>\n An inability to secure oil (and vaccines) Just this week two more critical issues came to the fore as a direct result of the federal government\u2019s inaction. On Wednesday, there was a high-drama showdown caused by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer\u2019s deadline for turning off the taps of Enbridge Line 5 pipeline. This pipeline moves more than half a million barrels of Western Canada crude oil a day to refineries in Ontario, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Ontario and Quebec motorists are dependent on this oil supply \u2013 and Toronto Pearson International Airport is fully serviced by the fuel pumped through Line 5.<\/p>\n The Canadian government has warned that Line 5 shutdown would represent a threat to this country\u2019s energy security \u2013 PM Trudeau even talked directly to his friend, U.S. President Joe Biden, on the importance of this pipeline. Still there is the possible likelihood that the oil will stop flowing and central Canadians will need to access other energy resources. Given no federal official \u2013 elected or otherwise \u2013 wants to speak publicly on this crisis, it appears the Trudeau government has no idea on how to deal with Governor Whitmer\u2019s environmental zeal to bring the oil industry to heel. (It\u2019s ironic that Trudeau is in this position given his government\u2019s measures to throttle the Canadian oil and gas industry.)<\/p>\n There was also further disturbing news for Canadians on the subject of the country\u2019s supply of vaccines. Canada currently ranks 39 in the world in \u201ctotal vaccines per 100 people\u201d and it ranks 87 globally for \u201cfully vaccinated\u201d citizens. With these grim facts, the PM held a press conference to announce to Canadians that they should expect \u201ca one-dose summer\u201d and perhaps that will lead to \u201ca two-dose fall, when we\u2019ll be able to talk about going back to school, back to work, and back to more normality.\u201d Trudeau told us that, \u201cThere is hope for a slightly better summer\u201d in which we might be able to \u201csee our loved ones and invite friends over for BBQs.\u201d This is conditional on the numbers going down, if more Canadians are vaccinated (and left unsaid: if we have the supply of vaccines<\/em>).<\/p>\n So, as our faint hopes for summertime BBQs fade, shall we return to the question of whether there is anyone in the Trudeau government willing to take responsibility for steering our ship of state?<\/p>\n Chris George<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0is an Ottawa-based government affairs advisor and wordsmith, president of\u00a0CG&A COMMUNICATIONS<\/a>. Contact:\u00a0ChrisG.George@gmail.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
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