Justin Trudeau — Genuinely insincere

"Because it’s 2015.” Remember that missive by our “feminist” Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau? Two key pillars in his election platform were his commitment to women’s issues and his commitment to Indigenous people in Canada.

After becoming Prime Minister, Trudeau anointed himself as the spokesperson for women’s empowerment and declared to all of Canada: to be a feminist, you must be pro-choice, pro-quota and in favour of a zero tolerance policy in the cases of sexual harassment matters. This policy includes supporting and believing all victims (unless, of course, it involves Trudeau himself as the perpetrator. In this case, one should not believe the victim, but understand that there are two sides to every story).

On the Indigenous file, Trudeau didn’t just promise to listen to their concerns, but to act. Sadly, Trudeau’s sunny disposition often hid the fact that he said one thing while his officials did another. Take the case of Josey Willier, a Cree teen living in Calgary who had ongoing problems with her teeth that resulted in chronic pain in her lower gums. Orthodontist Mark Antosz recommended braces to avoid future invasive jaw surgery. Willier’s mother sought payment under the First Nations and Inuit Health Benefit Program, but was denied the claim three times by Health Canada, the department that administers the insurance plan. She took the case to Federal Court, where the “enlightened” Trudeau Liberal government spent $110,336.51 in legal fees between January 2016 and April 2017 to fight against payments for a $6,000 procedure.

Jane Philpott, Indigenous Affairs Minister, former Health Minister and medical doctor, went along with the decision to use taxpayer-funded government lawyers to deny the teenager the services. NDP MP Charlie Angus called the decision “simply perverse, bordering on institutional malevolence.” He pointed out that the Liberals voted to support an NDP motion last year–one that called on the government to stop fighting Indigenous families who are seeking access to government-funded services.

Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada, was an intervener in the case. “As a human being, I think it’s immoral that Canada would not fund services where two concurring pediatric orthodontists agree that without treatment this girl will experience chronic pain and will have difficulty eating and talking,” she said. “They could have used that money ($110,000) to buy 18 children in medical need the orthodontic services they needed.”

All of this becomes understandable once realization dawns: Justin Trudeau is genuinely insincere. Look no further than the demotion of Canada’s first female Indigenous Justice Minister, the Hon. Jody Wilson-Raybould who was unceremoniously tossed from her role by Trudeau despite her superb performance as Minister. Trudeau’s “feminist” principles were checked at the door so he could save his pal Seamus O’Regan, Veterans Affairs Minister — who was easily his most incompetent Minister. O’Regan oversaw the file when the government took the veterans to court — something Trudeau sincerely promised them he would never do in the 2015 election. This betrayal and lie by Trudeau to veterans will linger for a long time.

Sadly, two local Liberals went along with this spineless perfidy: former army general Andy Leslie, MP for Ottawa Orleans, and Karen McCrimmon, MP for Kanata and a former military officer. O’Regan then managed to further snub veterans in a highly self-indulgent moment in December when he compared “the turmoil” of his move from journalism to politics to what members of the military go through when they take off the uniform.

Trudeau has now appointed his worst performing Minister, O’Regan, as the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and demoted one of his best Ministers, Wilson-Raybould, to the junior Veterans Affairs portfolio.

Justin Trudeau is genuinely insincere and leads a government that lacks integrity. His words cannot be taken at face value. They must be judged on their deeds, and his actions are failing women, Indigenous people, Veterans, and ultimately, all of Canada.

In 2019, a reckoning is coming. Sunny ways indeed.