Politics is very much like war. Except, instead of bullets, bombs, and soldiers, you have suits, soliloquies, and politicians. A good general or politician knows how to fight a war — sometimes you attack, sometimes you retreat. Justin Trudeau, as a politician and Generalissimo of the Liberal Party, should have retreated over yesterday’s vote in Parliament to exempt all home heating fuels from the Carbon Tax. Now, he and his party face a rout.If you missed the vote or the media coverage about it, here’s a quick recap.Last week Trudeau announced home heating oil would be exempt from the carbon tax. This was a move that was universally seen as a vote buying scheme in Atlantic Canada where the Liberals were starting to fall rapidly in the polls. All provincial leaders criticized Trudeau's move and all but called for the exemption to apply to all home heating.The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) made a non-binding motion in the House of Commons yesterday to give a break to all Canadians and have all sources of home heating made exempt from the Carbon Tax.This motion was supported by every provincial premier, along with members of the NDP, but it was defeated by the Liberal Party with the help of the Bloq Quebecois (BQ).Unbeknown to Trudeau and his MP’s, all they’ve managed to achieve was a Pyrrhic victory. This a term which means they did achieve success, but in the process of doing so, inflicted so much damage on themselves it’s tantamount to defeat.By voting against the motion the Liberals and the BQ intentionally pitted Canadians and regions against one another, for nothing more than obvious and cheap political gain. They instantly created two classes of Canadians; one gets a break from the cost of heating their homes in country where winter kills, and the other doesn’t.That is a message that will not sit well with voters — tax break or not.For starters, this will undoubtedly offended the hardworking, honest, and kind-hearted Maritimers that I know.Just like most Canadians, they don’t want to get ahead at the expense of others. They want what all Canadians want — to be treated equally and fairly. They want to make an honest living, put a roof over their heads, food on the table, and pray the government doesn’t make their life any harder than it is.Yet now, through no fault of their own, they are facing an onslaught of jealousy and ire from the rest of their countrymen and women. All because of the actions of a petulant man and his government who are trying to buy their votes instead of managing the country in a fair and impartial manner.The remainder of the nation feeling spurned, will think of this betrayal and duplicity all winter. Every time they have to pay the bill for their home heating energy, they will remember that those primarily in the Maritimes and Quebec are paying less, just so they’d continue to vote Liberal.This was a battle that didn’t have to be fought.Trudeau and the Liberals didn’t fall into a crafty well laid ambush set for them by the opposition parties, no. They were fooling around, tripped, and impaled themselves on the sword that they so frequently use to divide us.That initial wound, in and of itself, wasn’t fatal. Nor was the CPC’s recent motion in Parliament. All the Liberals had to do was admit they were wounded, back away from the fight, and scrap the tax on home heating. Even if it had only been for the next six months, Canadians would have been mollified, and the opposition counteroffensive effectively blunted.Instead, in their typically dramatic fashion, they pulled the sword out from where it impaled them and brandished it for a fight. But in doing, so they mortally wounded themselves. Now, they will slowly bleed to death from that careless, self-inflicted wound until the next election is called.Not only that, but their ensuing decline will be much more agonizing now.Their decision to contest the Conservative motion ostensibly conveyed to all other Canadians, who will not benefit from the home heating oil tax break, that they don’t matter. This is a message that the CPC and Poilievre will weaponize very effectively, and with which they will now bludgeon the incumbent government relentlessly.General George Patton said it best, “There is only one tactical principle which is not subject to change. It is, ‘To use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wounds, death, and destruction on the enemy in the minimum amount of time.’ ”Justin Trudeau just gave Poilievre those means.
Politics is very much like war. Except, instead of bullets, bombs, and soldiers, you have suits, soliloquies, and politicians. A good general or politician knows how to fight a war — sometimes you attack, sometimes you retreat. Justin Trudeau, as a politician and Generalissimo of the Liberal Party, should have retreated over yesterday’s vote in Parliament to exempt all home heating fuels from the Carbon Tax. Now, he and his party face a rout.If you missed the vote or the media coverage about it, here’s a quick recap.Last week Trudeau announced home heating oil would be exempt from the carbon tax. This was a move that was universally seen as a vote buying scheme in Atlantic Canada where the Liberals were starting to fall rapidly in the polls. All provincial leaders criticized Trudeau's move and all but called for the exemption to apply to all home heating.The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) made a non-binding motion in the House of Commons yesterday to give a break to all Canadians and have all sources of home heating made exempt from the Carbon Tax.This motion was supported by every provincial premier, along with members of the NDP, but it was defeated by the Liberal Party with the help of the Bloq Quebecois (BQ).Unbeknown to Trudeau and his MP’s, all they’ve managed to achieve was a Pyrrhic victory. This a term which means they did achieve success, but in the process of doing so, inflicted so much damage on themselves it’s tantamount to defeat.By voting against the motion the Liberals and the BQ intentionally pitted Canadians and regions against one another, for nothing more than obvious and cheap political gain. They instantly created two classes of Canadians; one gets a break from the cost of heating their homes in country where winter kills, and the other doesn’t.That is a message that will not sit well with voters — tax break or not.For starters, this will undoubtedly offended the hardworking, honest, and kind-hearted Maritimers that I know.Just like most Canadians, they don’t want to get ahead at the expense of others. They want what all Canadians want — to be treated equally and fairly. They want to make an honest living, put a roof over their heads, food on the table, and pray the government doesn’t make their life any harder than it is.Yet now, through no fault of their own, they are facing an onslaught of jealousy and ire from the rest of their countrymen and women. All because of the actions of a petulant man and his government who are trying to buy their votes instead of managing the country in a fair and impartial manner.The remainder of the nation feeling spurned, will think of this betrayal and duplicity all winter. Every time they have to pay the bill for their home heating energy, they will remember that those primarily in the Maritimes and Quebec are paying less, just so they’d continue to vote Liberal.This was a battle that didn’t have to be fought.Trudeau and the Liberals didn’t fall into a crafty well laid ambush set for them by the opposition parties, no. They were fooling around, tripped, and impaled themselves on the sword that they so frequently use to divide us.That initial wound, in and of itself, wasn’t fatal. Nor was the CPC’s recent motion in Parliament. All the Liberals had to do was admit they were wounded, back away from the fight, and scrap the tax on home heating. Even if it had only been for the next six months, Canadians would have been mollified, and the opposition counteroffensive effectively blunted.Instead, in their typically dramatic fashion, they pulled the sword out from where it impaled them and brandished it for a fight. But in doing, so they mortally wounded themselves. Now, they will slowly bleed to death from that careless, self-inflicted wound until the next election is called.Not only that, but their ensuing decline will be much more agonizing now.Their decision to contest the Conservative motion ostensibly conveyed to all other Canadians, who will not benefit from the home heating oil tax break, that they don’t matter. This is a message that the CPC and Poilievre will weaponize very effectively, and with which they will now bludgeon the incumbent government relentlessly.General George Patton said it best, “There is only one tactical principle which is not subject to change. It is, ‘To use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wounds, death, and destruction on the enemy in the minimum amount of time.’ ”Justin Trudeau just gave Poilievre those means.
