Mid-Week Post

 

And they're off!:

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has arrived at Rideau Hall on Wednesday morning to request the dissolution of Parliament from the Governor-General, sparking an election.

The visit sets in motion the official start to the election campaign that will span 40 days, with Canadians to vote on Oct. 21.

From the most "transparent" government in the country's history:

The RCMP has been looking into potential obstruction of justice in the handling of the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., but its examination has been stymied by the federal government’s refusal to lift cabinet confidentiality for all witnesses, The Globe and Mail has learned.

This means individuals involved in the matter cannot discuss events or share documents with police that have not been exempted from the rule of cabinet confidentiality, according to sources, who The Globe agreed not to identify so they could discuss the RCMP inquiries.

In Canada, the principle of cabinet confidentiality is intended to allow ministers to debate decisions freely in private. As a result, discussions involving cabinet matters must be kept secret unless a waiver is granted. In the SNC matter, the Liberals say that the Clerk of the Privy Council, who heads the bureaucratic agency that serves the Prime Minister’s Office, made the decision not to offer a broad waiver to either the RCMP or to the Ethics Commissioner, and that the PMO played no role.

(Sidebar: oh, I'm sure.)

A source who was recently interviewed by the RCMP told The Globe that investigators indicated they are looking into possible obstruction of justice. The Criminal Code says obstruction of justice occurs when an effort is made to “obstruct, pervert or defeat the course of justice in a judicial proceeding.”

The national police force will pause the operation because of the coming election campaign.

(Sidebar: why? Does crime sleep?)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scheduled to go to Rideau Hall Wednesday to ask the Governor-General to dissolve Parliament and call the vote for Oct. 21, and the RCMP has a policy to suspend politically sensitive operations during campaigns.

Justice Department spokesman Ian McLeod said the decision not to offer a broader waiver for the RCMP “was made solely by the Clerk of the Privy Council as guardian of cabinet confidences.” Mr. Trudeau’s director of communications, Cameron Ahmad, said the PMO was not involved in the decision.

Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion faced the same obstacle as the RCMP in his investigation into the SNC-Lavalin affair earlier this year, stating in his final report that nine witnesses were unable to provide full testimony because government allowed only a limited waiver on cabinet secrecy.

Mr. Dion found that Mr. Trudeau breached the Conflict of Interest Act. His report said the Prime Minister and senior federal officials improperly pressed Jody Wilson-Raybould when she was justice minister and attorney-general to order the director of public prosecutions to settle bribery and fraud charges against SNC-Lavalin without a trial.

This conflict-of-interest:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau oversaw his government’s efforts to obtain an out-of-court settlement for engineering firm SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. starting in 2016, undermining the authority of former attorney-general Jody Wilson-Raybould and breaking Canada’s ethics rules in the process, the Ethics Commissioner has found.

If Justin has nothing to hide, then he doesn't have to order his underlings to not co-operate.

He certainly doesn't have to dodge questions about it.

This is how a banana republic operates. 

If I were one of his opponents (Andy!), I would bring this up every damn day right up until October 21st and then even after.




Because this is an election, the usual crooked masses will bring up issues they don't really want to address but don't mind making a big deal about:

Green party Leader Elizabeth May raised eyebrows on Monday when she told the CBC she would not whip votes or try to prevent anyone in her caucus from putting forward legislation on the issue, despite personally believing women should have access to safe and legal abortions.

(Sidebar: which are neither in Canada but whatever.)

**

It never seems to occur to progressives that in demanding abortion never be discussed in Parliament, they are validating a risk-averse, leader-centric orthodoxy that keeps so many bold and controversial ideas they support from ever getting a look-in. They’re about to get the campaign they deserve: A savage pantomime battle between barely-right-of-centre and barely-left-of-centre, fought by soldiers who would rather discuss anything but the difficult questions.

Abortion is political poison, even in a country where people can't wait to not be grandparents. They love having the personal license to do what they want but refuse to accept responsibility when that license involves a third party. They would rather keep the status quo and never discuss it under penalty of torture.




These guys are the limit:

The Liberal Party has brought Laura Huang’s surprising bid to run in next month’s federal election to a sudden end, adding another wrinkle to a nomination contest already marked by marital drama and tragedy.

The party has rejected Huang as a potential candidate in Toronto’s Don Valley North riding, currently held by her husband, rookie MP Geng Tan.

Huang entered the race for the constituency’s Liberal nomination after Tan unexpectedly announced he would not run again. That revelation came as news emerged of his dispute with a woman who said she’d been having an affair with Tan for years.

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister keeps his seat:

Brian Pallister’s Progressive Conservatives have won re-election in Manitoba in a victory that solidifies a bloc of conservative premiers who have lined up against the Trudeau government ahead of a federal campaign.

That is not looking good for the Liberals before the election.




Oh, good luck with that, Jag:

The NDP’s proposed wealth tax, a centrepiece of the party’s election platform, could raise nearly $70 billion over the next 10 years, Canada’s budget watchdog has found.

Will Justin be paying this tax?:

Trudeau is the guy who likes to talk about the middle class, a lot.  But he has never, ever actually experienced the middle class.  Trudeau has never had to worry about paying the rent, or coming up with the next mortgage statement.

He has never wondered where he’ll get the dough to pay a hydro bill.  He has never wanted for anything.  His life has been one of mansions, private jets, and hanging out with celebrities like the Aga Khan.

Against Andrew Scheer – who grew up in a big immigrant Catholic family and whose family didn’t have the wealth Trudeau did – the Liberal leader will likely appear privileged and out-of-touch.  Scheer worked as a waiter and a salesman.

Trudeau, meanwhile, wears a $15,000 IWC Portuguese Regulateur watch and drives a Mercedes-Benz 300SL he got from his Dad.  (Which, apparently, can sell for millions.)

Who is in it for me – who best understands my life?

If the 2019 election ballot question becomes that question, Justin Trudeau is deep, deep trouble.

More, please:

The US Air Force has dropped 40 tonnes of laser-guided explosives on to an island in northern Iraq it says is “infested” with members of Isis.

How is that Singapore thing working out?:

North Korea said Wednesday leader Kim Jong Un observed the test-launch of a super-large multiple rocket launcher, the latest in a series of weapons tests performed amid stalled diplomacy over the North’s nuclear program.

Tuesday’s rocket launcher test was made hours after North Korea said it was willing to resume nuclear negotiations with the United States in late September. While offering talks, North Korea still warned its dealings with the U.S. may end if Washington fails to come to the negotiating table without new acceptable proposals.