The formula for losing the next federal general election for “the natural governing party of Canada”

The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau has found ways to apparently fumble away a strong majority position going into the 43rd federal general election scheduled for Monday, October 21st, 2019.

Promises to repair the Phoenix pay roll processing system for Canadian federal government employees that came online in early 2016 have not been kept. In fact, Phoenix has been mired in problems with underpayments, over-payments, and non-payments. Recent complications have arisen with faulty T-4 income tax slips being issued.  Some experts believe that it will take a full decade to have the Phoenix clear up the backload and to be running efficiently.

At a town hall meeting In Sherbrooke, Quebec, in January of 2017, Justin refused to answer in English a question asked of him in English, responding instead in French. Three days later at a meeting in Peterborough, Ontario, he answered a question asked of him in French in English.  So much for the Official Languages Act!  

In December of 2017, the Report of the Ethics Commissioner found that the Prime Minister violated four sections of the Conflict of Interest Act regarding two of his family’s trips during 2016 to Bell’s Cay, the private island owned by the Aga Khan, the billionaire spiritual leader of the world’s Ismali Muslims, whose organizations frequently deal with the federal government of Canada.

The Prime Minister’s week-long first official visit to India in February of 2018 lacked the requisite planning and preparation for it to be the diplomatic success that it was intended to be.  Many considered it to really be an      international embarrassment for Canada. 

Also in February of 2018, the Prime Minister abandoned one of his major campaign promises of 2015 by announcing his intention of not proceeding with his plan to reform the electoral system at the federal level.

On October 17th, 2018, Canada finally became the second country after Uruguay, to legalize the use of recreational marijuana by adults.  There was widespread criticism of the lack of consultation with the provincial governments and the public at large.  

On November 30th, 2018, Canada, the United States, and Mexico, signed the new Canada-United States- Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).  Many Canadian businesses, unions, and workers preferred the terms previously negotiated under NAFTA.

In December of 2018, Ottawa’s move to formally authorize the extradition process for Huawei Technologies Company chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou to be sent to the United States has created major problems in overall business dealings with China, Canada’s second largest trading partner after the United States.  Canadian Ambassador to China, the Honourable John McCallum, a former Liberal Federal Cabinet Minister, was dismissed for delivering inappropriate remarks in public in January of 2019. 

Also, in January of 2019, Treasury Board President, the Honourable Scott Brisson resigned as Minister and Member of Parliament under clouds of rumours regarding shipbuilding contracts involving Irving and the Davie shipyards, and a court case proceeding against suspended Vice-Admiral Mark Norman.

Montreal-based SNC-Lavalin Group Incorporated’s relationship with the Liberal Party of Canada is long standing through the financial contributions offered over the years during election campaigns.  The involvement of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in trying to solve legal difficulties faced by SNC-Lavalin has recently resulted in the resignations of the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould   from the portfolios of Minister of Justice and Attorney General and then Minister of Veterans Affairs, Gerald Butts as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, and the Honourable Jane Philpott from the portfolio of President of the Treasury Board.

All of the above results in the following “Elephant in the Corner” question:

What does the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, have to do during the next seven months, so as to avoid going down in Canadian history with the legacy of being the Prime Minister leading a majority government for a full four-year term, and having the record of being the most ineffectual in delivering on his electoral promises?