The main thing missing from Wednesday’s leadership debate was someone who remotely resembled a masterful leader..No one on that stage emerged as the desperately needed deliverer with the right stuff to lead Canada out of the debt-ridden, divided, confused mess this country is in..In fact, many policies of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are largely responsible for much that severely ails Canada..But there he stood, boldly pitching his tarnished wares alongside Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet, and Green Party Leader Annamie Paul..There was predictable finger-pointing that failed to achieve the desired dramatic effect. There was debate, sort of. It’s impossible to have a knock-down, passionate debate when you’re all in basic agreement on the main issues..Climate change is bad. COVID-19 vaccinations are good. Health care needs to be funded. Many guns owned by law-abiding citizens must be banned. Childcare is really, very important. All leaders say aye!.These hopefuls pining to get their mail delivered to 24 Sussex Drive certainly breathed a huge sigh of relief when People’s Party Leader Maxime Bernier was banished from the debates. The Leaders Debates Commission decided Canadian voters don’t get to hear from him. Our loss. Bernier, who cares not about being politically correct to win votes, would have lit a fire on that tepid stage..Instead, 30 million voters outside of Quebec got a lack-luster debate in French, one of two of three in all, to appease eight million francophones..The winner in debates such as this is pre-determined by whom the biased Liberal media favours. The one who delivers the best rehearsed one-liners wins points. The loser is Canada..Moderator Patrick Roy opened with a question about the chances of another snap election if the September 20 election brings another minority government..Seriously? Yes, Trudeau decided for his own personal benefit to call an election two years early during a pandemic. Yes, Canadians are furious. How many times must the other leaders express dismay? O’Toole said he’d commit to a four-year interval. Singh called it an “egotistical” decision, but, like Trudeau, wouldn’t commit to a yes or no..End of discussion. Time to move on..Did the questions shift to issues Canadians deserve answers to? Well, no..While Canadians remain trapped in Afghanistan, not a peep about the Liberal’s incompetent failure to heed warnings starting years ago and escalating in recent months from military personnel to get citizens and allies at risk out..Why did Trudeau stand behind Women’s Minister Maryam Monsef when she called the Taliban terrorists “our brothers?” Is Canada planning to formally recognize these thugs who brutally seized control of Afghanistan? How much money is Canada sending them?.No mention of whether Catherine McKenna — who is leaving politics — will be held accountable for no evidence of 20,000 projects said to be representing half of the Infrastructure Ministry’s $187-billion budget..What about the Liberal government’s assaults on freedom of speech through Bill C-10 and Bill C-36?.When will 40,000 Canadian veterans — some waiting for years — get their disability pensions?.Why is the Liberal government hellbent on destroying Alberta?.The debate focused on a handful of issues including deficits, healthcare, the environment and Indigenous issues..That the leaders even had to debate the lack of access to clean drinking water on some First Nations is a disgrace..How many times has this been debated? How many promises were made? Yet countless indigenous children are still deprived of clean drinking water. Sickening! Trudeau, hungry for the indigenous vote, had years to fix this. The best he could come up with is there’s work to be done..As for mandatory vaccines creating a two-tiered system in Canada, well, Trudeau stuck to his tyrannical ‘your body, my choice’ stand. O’Toole remains wishy-washy. Where’s Bernier when you need him?.Climate change and the environment debate was predictable, with O’Toole being the only one to promise to create jobs in the energy sector while also working to reduce emissions. Singh would electrify transportation. Paul would end federal support for the fossil fuel industry..Everybody’s on board wooing votes with big child care promises. Trudeau defended his plan to invest billions. O’Toole would move to a system of tax credits to help parents pay for child care. Paul lost credibility when she played the woman card, saying because she’s female she should get to talk about child care issues..Speaking of childish, Trudeau got a tad cross and almost hollered at the Bloc’s Blanchet. Apparently, there’s a contest going on to see who is more devoted to Quebec. “You do not have a monopoly over Quebec. You do not get to accuse me of not being Quebecker enough,” said Trudeau..Maybe Trudeau will be comforted to know no one outside of Quebec would ever be delusional enough to accuse him of such a thing..All in all, a bit of a waste of time. It comes down to who voters distrust the least. Sad..Hopefully, the September 9 English debate — held in Quebec — will bring fresh questions..But don’t hold your breath..Slobodian is the Senior Manitoba Columnist for the Western Standard.,.lslobodian@westernstandardonline.com
The main thing missing from Wednesday’s leadership debate was someone who remotely resembled a masterful leader..No one on that stage emerged as the desperately needed deliverer with the right stuff to lead Canada out of the debt-ridden, divided, confused mess this country is in..In fact, many policies of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are largely responsible for much that severely ails Canada..But there he stood, boldly pitching his tarnished wares alongside Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet, and Green Party Leader Annamie Paul..There was predictable finger-pointing that failed to achieve the desired dramatic effect. There was debate, sort of. It’s impossible to have a knock-down, passionate debate when you’re all in basic agreement on the main issues..Climate change is bad. COVID-19 vaccinations are good. Health care needs to be funded. Many guns owned by law-abiding citizens must be banned. Childcare is really, very important. All leaders say aye!.These hopefuls pining to get their mail delivered to 24 Sussex Drive certainly breathed a huge sigh of relief when People’s Party Leader Maxime Bernier was banished from the debates. The Leaders Debates Commission decided Canadian voters don’t get to hear from him. Our loss. Bernier, who cares not about being politically correct to win votes, would have lit a fire on that tepid stage..Instead, 30 million voters outside of Quebec got a lack-luster debate in French, one of two of three in all, to appease eight million francophones..The winner in debates such as this is pre-determined by whom the biased Liberal media favours. The one who delivers the best rehearsed one-liners wins points. The loser is Canada..Moderator Patrick Roy opened with a question about the chances of another snap election if the September 20 election brings another minority government..Seriously? Yes, Trudeau decided for his own personal benefit to call an election two years early during a pandemic. Yes, Canadians are furious. How many times must the other leaders express dismay? O’Toole said he’d commit to a four-year interval. Singh called it an “egotistical” decision, but, like Trudeau, wouldn’t commit to a yes or no..End of discussion. Time to move on..Did the questions shift to issues Canadians deserve answers to? Well, no..While Canadians remain trapped in Afghanistan, not a peep about the Liberal’s incompetent failure to heed warnings starting years ago and escalating in recent months from military personnel to get citizens and allies at risk out..Why did Trudeau stand behind Women’s Minister Maryam Monsef when she called the Taliban terrorists “our brothers?” Is Canada planning to formally recognize these thugs who brutally seized control of Afghanistan? How much money is Canada sending them?.No mention of whether Catherine McKenna — who is leaving politics — will be held accountable for no evidence of 20,000 projects said to be representing half of the Infrastructure Ministry’s $187-billion budget..What about the Liberal government’s assaults on freedom of speech through Bill C-10 and Bill C-36?.When will 40,000 Canadian veterans — some waiting for years — get their disability pensions?.Why is the Liberal government hellbent on destroying Alberta?.The debate focused on a handful of issues including deficits, healthcare, the environment and Indigenous issues..That the leaders even had to debate the lack of access to clean drinking water on some First Nations is a disgrace..How many times has this been debated? How many promises were made? Yet countless indigenous children are still deprived of clean drinking water. Sickening! Trudeau, hungry for the indigenous vote, had years to fix this. The best he could come up with is there’s work to be done..As for mandatory vaccines creating a two-tiered system in Canada, well, Trudeau stuck to his tyrannical ‘your body, my choice’ stand. O’Toole remains wishy-washy. Where’s Bernier when you need him?.Climate change and the environment debate was predictable, with O’Toole being the only one to promise to create jobs in the energy sector while also working to reduce emissions. Singh would electrify transportation. Paul would end federal support for the fossil fuel industry..Everybody’s on board wooing votes with big child care promises. Trudeau defended his plan to invest billions. O’Toole would move to a system of tax credits to help parents pay for child care. Paul lost credibility when she played the woman card, saying because she’s female she should get to talk about child care issues..Speaking of childish, Trudeau got a tad cross and almost hollered at the Bloc’s Blanchet. Apparently, there’s a contest going on to see who is more devoted to Quebec. “You do not have a monopoly over Quebec. You do not get to accuse me of not being Quebecker enough,” said Trudeau..Maybe Trudeau will be comforted to know no one outside of Quebec would ever be delusional enough to accuse him of such a thing..All in all, a bit of a waste of time. It comes down to who voters distrust the least. Sad..Hopefully, the September 9 English debate — held in Quebec — will bring fresh questions..But don’t hold your breath..Slobodian is the Senior Manitoba Columnist for the Western Standard.,.lslobodian@westernstandardonline.com