BAROOTES: Blink all you like, you won't miss a thing in Liberal leadership race

Erika Barootes is the Department Head of the Applied Politics and Public Affairs Program MaKami College. She is also one of Alberta's Senators-ElectOh, Canada's Liberal leadership race — could it be any more fixed and favouring the few? It's like watching a rerun of a show you never liked in the first place. The contenders are all singing the same tired tune, obsessing over Trump's tariff threats as if they're the only issue that matters, while conveniently ignoring the real challenges that shape the Great White North.And let's talk about diversity of ideas — this lineup is about as varied as a bag of plain potato chips. It's almost over, and nothing remotely interesting or groundbreaking has been said. With nearly 400,000 registered Liberals, you’d think they could've found at least one with a fresh idea or two.The whole affair is so predictable it feels like we're stuck in a loop — like being trapped in an elevator playing elevator music on repeat.Once the tariff tempest subsides, what then? Will we see a dramatic U-turn on the carbon tax? A sudden rewriting of the Liberal narrative we've been force-fed for nearly a decade? These are the questions that should be keeping Canadians up at night, but instead, we're treated to a parade of familiar faces, all cut from the same Liberal Laurentian cloth.Take Mark Carney and Chrystia Freeland, the two frontrunners in this political circus. Carney, the supposed economic saviour, is about as fresh and exciting as week-old poutine. Swapping Trudeau for Carney is like trading Darth Vader for the Emperor — same Empire, different helmet. He won't even run his business in Canada, yet we're expected to believe he'll lead a "Team Canada" charge against tariffs?Then there's Freeland, Trudeau's right-hand woman, now trying to rebrand herself as the Trump-fighter extraordinaire. It's like watching the dark-side’s Anakin Skywalker don Darth Vader's mask — new look, same person, just with a different pitch to their voice.The carbon-tax conundrum... the elephant in the room is the carbon tax. Carney's grand plan to scrap the consumer carbon tax and replace it with a convoluted system of "rewards" for sustainable choices is about as clear as mud. Meanwhile, Freeland is singing a similar tune, promising to eliminate the carbon price for Canadians while still claiming to combat climate change. It's a classic case of same-same-but-not-different.Meanwhile Canadians grapple with skyrocketing home prices and a severe lack of affordable housing, our leadership hopefuls seem more concerned with political posturing than providing real solutions. The average home price in Canada has risen by nearly $300,000 in the last decade, yet we hear crickets from Carney and Freeland on meaningful reforms. Housing crisis? What housing crisis?Both frontrunners are eager to distance themselves from unpopular Trudeau-era policies, but where's the vision for the future? Are we undoing horrible policies or setting up for more of the same? Carney and Freeland are so busy trying to out-Trump each other that they've forgotten to lay out any meaningful plans for governing effectively over the next four years (or is it weeks… maybe months?)It's worth noting that Freeland didn't even raise the second-highest amount for her campaign. Could she be the Sarah Hoffman of this leadership race — all bark, no bite?Canadians should be asking: What's the plan beyond scrapping the carbon tax? How will you address the housing crisis? What's your vision for Canada beyond reacting to Trump's tariffs? So far, the answers are as elusive as finding Obi-Wan Kenobi in a galaxy far, far away.In the end, this leadership race feels less like a democratic process and more like a carefully choreographed changing of the guard. Same puppet masters, different puppets. And while they're all busy trying to out-Trump each other, real issues are left gathering dust in the corner.So buckle up, Canada. The Liberal leadership circus is in town, and it promises to be quite the show. Just don't expect any real magic — it's all smoke and mirrors, folks. Same old tricks with a shiny new top hat; after all. Even Yoda would advise “by appearances alone, choose not our next leader. Deceiving, the surface can be.”Erika Barootes is the Department Head of the Applied Politics and Public Affairs Program MaKami College. She is also one of Alberta's Senators-Elect.

BAROOTES: Blink all you like, you won't miss a thing in Liberal leadership race

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