HANNAFORD: The Trudeau spell lost its magic in Alberta a long time ago

Prime Minister Trudeau certainly has that peculiar gift of persuasion that makes men reach into their wallets and women, apparently, kick off their shoes. Not long after meeting with Premier Danielle Smith, he was delivering it in volume and intensity at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology this morning, sleeves rolled up, tie loose and eyes gleaming, the former, a comms-department signal that we’re ‘sitting down to get to work,’ and the latter a fortunate gift of nature.You can see why people who’ve never heard it before tend to be seduced by all that passion and eagerness about ‘stepping up’ to fight our national enemies — inflation, a housing shortage and carbon pollution.But, we have heard it all before. And so, when the prime minister cites inflation as a problem, the informed audience understands that the problem he wants us to support him in fighting is a direct and immediate consequence of his own reckless borrowing. And, significantly, of the carbon tax that he insists upon levying. These things, and his ignorance of monetary policy, are things for which he asks us to forgive him ‘if he doesn’t spend much time thinking about it.’ Ah yes. Filthy lucre were simply beneath his refined and elevated gaze. Those budgets take care of themselves anyway, right?Much the same might be said of his determination to deal with housing, the reasons for which again, all find their way back to prime ministerial policy.The inevitable central bank response to inflation for example, is to raise interest rates. Suddenly, the cost of a mortgage puts a house out of reach for many Canadians in some of our biggest cities. Then double immigration in an attempt to conceal a faltering GDP growth and up go the rents as new arrivals contend with young people trying to set up their first homes. The prime minister’s solution? Another government program.As for ‘carbon pollution’ — a phrase the prime minister repeats with the frequency and urgency of a TV salesman telling you ‘but you must call now’ — it’s actually plant food. Any Grade 7 student can tell you that, but the prime minister chooses not to acknowledge it.This is because in his ‘war on climate change,’ he has a great cause that resists analysis — predictions of what may happen a hundred years out are by definition unprovable.On the other hand because it’s unprovable, people can believe what he wants them to believe and saving the planet has strong emotive appeal. And look at the droughts, the wildfires, see, see?The fact is that climate change has been going on for millions of years and so have droughts and wildfires. But people believe what they want to believe, and so does the prime minister.Meanwhile he defends the carbon tax on the basis that it is actually returned to the taxpayer, ‘who gets back more than they pay.’Taxpayers can check their own bills to see whether this is so or not: My impression is that the Hannaford household experiences things differently.However, in her statement after meeting the prime minister this morning, Premier Smith referred to the “cascading effects on inflation, affordability and sustained higher interest rates,” that the carbon tax generates as it works its way through the economy as truckers pay the tax and pass it on. That seems more like it.Not that the prime minister was fazed in the least. Asked whether he was going to fire his Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault who in our view needs counselling, Mr. Trudeau replied that Guilbeault still had his confidence and that if people didn’t get along with him, perhaps they should change their own approach.Ah. So that’s it. We’re the problem.Well, he would say that, wouldn’t he? And yes, he says it very well.But it’s not 2015 anymore.And we’re not buying it.‘Because it’s 2024.’

HANNAFORD: The Trudeau spell lost its magic in Alberta a long time ago

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