While some media try to make last week’s woeful event in the House about an inadvertent elbow (#elbowgate), which was no doubt unintentional collateral damage, the real issue is the behaviour and attitude of Justin Trudeau.
As MP Cathy McLeod (Kamloops-Thompson-Caribou) pointed out in the House of Commons – the tenets of the throne speech and reality in Parliament are harshly different: To quote the Liberal throne speech, “In this Parliament, all members will be honoured, respected and heard, wherever they sit.”
In reality, the Liberal Motion 6, the 35 second delay of which seems to have caused the PM’s ire and subsequent inappropriate behaviour is “a motion that would remove procedural tools and power — from opposition MPs.”
In other words, the Opposition would be little more than an audience to anything and everything the Liberals choose to do. This effort by the Liberals would have replaced democracy with tyranny – a far cry from the promised ‘sunny ways.’ As a result of Mr. Trudeau’s wilful grabbing of the Conservative whip, the Liberals chose to retract Motion 6, which otherwise would have been rammed through the house by the Liberal majority.
Should staunch Liberal supporters be inclined to dismiss this behaviour of the nation’s prime minister as of little consequence, keep in mind that Trudeau, as he made his way to the Opposition side of the House, swore at those in his way, grabbed MP Brown, forcefully quick- marched him along the Commons corridor, and gave him a final shove toward his chair as he released him.
Feel how wrong that is? That’s how all Canadians should feel about their PM’s disrespect and physically bullying of another Canadian. Canada is back? Not with that behaviour.
Marie Kolenosky
