View From the Legislature

On Tuesday of this week Manitoba’s NDP placed a large flag on the front of the Manitoba Legislature to use as a backdrop for a news conference for the Premier who was responding to the imposition of tariffs from the United States on all Canadian goods entering their country. Some on social media criticized the move as merely symbolic. However, sometimes symbolism matters. And at a time when Canadians feel attacked by their neighbors to the south there is nothing wrong with a bit of overt patriotism.

Of course, with a threat as great as the tariffs, leaders will have to move well beyond symbolism. It is hard to know if these tariffs will be short or long term, whether they will go up or down or whether they will disappear and then come back. That is the nature of the current U.S. government.

But what is clear is that while Canada is in a difficult position, it has been made far worse by inaction at the federal level. It is almost unfathomable that at a time when Canada faces one of the most significant economic threats it has ever encountered, Parliament is not sitting. As a result, not only is Parliament not sitting, but the Prime Minister has no real mandate to negotiate long term solutions for Canadians because it is only days until he hands in the keys to his Prime Ministerial home. It is worth saying that this is not simply a gratuitous rant against the Liberal Prime Minister. There is enough of that happening elsewhere. There is much of what Prime Minister Trudeau has said in response to U.S. tariffs and in defense of Canada that I agree with. The point is that he is a leader who is unable to actually lead because he is on the verge of turning the reigns of power over.

While the threat of these specific tariffs was not known at the time, I joined many people months ago who were calling for Trudeau to step aside or call an election. Had that happened a government with a fresh mandate would now be negotiating or at the very least leading Canada’s response to the tariffs and Parliament would be in session doing the work that is needed.

Instead, both Parliament and the government party are in a state of paralysis.

Of course, many provincial leaders have stepped up to try to fill the leadership gap. Most notably, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has been leading the charge and been highly visible on U.S. television making the case against tariffs and using some pretty tough language about Canada’s potential response. He did much of this while contesting a provincial election himself, which he won handily.

And while kudos go out to Premier Ford, it is difficult for any Premier to speak on behalf of all of Canada. That is the job of the Prime Minister. And that is a hard enough job at anytime, let alone when the Prime Minister has one foot out the door.

With the Liberal leadership to be decided in a matter of days, it is time for Parliament to either be recalled or an election held. The stakes for Canada are too high to have the federal government sitting in limbo. This is a leadership void that should never have happened. And it happened at the worse possible time.