Is there no depth to which the national Conservative Party of Canada will sink to in order to obtain power or leverage position?
Listening to lame-duck leader Andrew Scheer’s attempt at a press conference April 1 to make political hay during the coronavirus pandemic was difficult to watch.
Here are two examples suffice to expose Trump-worthy machiavellianism:
First, was the issue around Canada having sent medical supplies to China when we now find ourselves scurrying to secure more of the same.
Shame, says Scheer, ignoring our international humanitarian obligations, not to mention the necessity of softening the diplomatic standoff that arose from the Huawei Meng Wenzhou extradition affair. And no mention that just this week China announced its intention to renew the previous cancelled purchase of nearly $3-billion worth of Canadian Canola produce.
Then there was the fatuous criticism of the Trudeau government allowing MPs and Senators to receive an indexed increase in pay even though it was enshrined in law and would require recalling parliament (and self-quarantine coming and going) to enact a rollback.
We know this was slimy politics because when a reporter asked if he would also fight to roll back the pay raises of public service workers Scheer stuttered, dittered and made no commitment knowing full well that while politicians are easy targets it would not be wise to alienate the public-sector unions before the next election.
Scheer went on to deal with other boogeymen that make up the right-wing, conservative agenda i.e. the budget deficit, the carbon tax, insufficient money for business, etc.
It was hard to watch Scheer’s absurd attempt to ingratiate himself to his base and listless viewers and a reminder of why his party lost the last election.
An April Fool’s joke that forced me to turn to American coronavirus coverage for relief.
Tom Hawco
St. John's
