The “heavy weight” will deliver the knock outs when the others enter the campaign ring.
Trudeau is the heavy weight about to fight two competitors who aren’t in the same weight class.
Scheer has little charisma to attract voters. The votes he is getting are dissatisfied voters who want the incumbent government to be alerted that the electorate is not happy. This federal election may mirror the Ontario election where Kathleen Wynne was annihilated by the Ford Conservatives. Few voters were attracted to Ford, definitely no one for his policies which were unstated thoughout the campaign. The same thing is happening in the 2019 federal election. Scheer is promising to flesh out his policies during the campaign. Hence, there is no meat on the bones with the Conservatives at this time.
Singh doesnt have a prayer at winning any significant votes, not because he is a poor choice but because there may be a latent racist card at play in Canada. The party doesnt have candidates in nearly 200 ridings across the country. They have no money. They have no party membership. They have no chance.
Trudeau inteverviewed by the Toronto Star, Sept 5
Trudeau responded to every question a manner that said, “I am PM material as I have demonstrated and I will continue doing.” It wasn’t an arrogant manner, nor pompous, nor haughty in any way. He is a practiced and polished townhall speaker. We hate to see what he will do when there is a full federal leaders debate.
An abbreviated look at the Star queried issues
CHILD CARE PROGRAMS/PHARMA CARE
In both of these issues, Trudeau indicates the Liberals have done positive things but he underlines “more needs to be done and the Liberals have plans and programs planned.”
He emphasizes that the difficulty with implementation of any and all policies is a factor of Canada as a confederation. Federal initiatives need to be in sync with provincial philosophies…an ongoing problem that goes across the whole country. He emphasizes that different political parties governing different provinces have differing philosophies than the federal Liberals. Hence, getting anything done require negotiation, compromise and give and take.
WAGE GAP
Trudeau feels his party has been working on this issue through Child Care Benefits program and with the Canada Pension Plan. But he underlines that more must be done.
HOUSING MARKET
Restating that more must be done, Trudeau states that the Libs have worked with cities, citing the example of John Tory and Toronto. Trudeau points out that cities struggle financially because they lack revenue sources. The Harper government failed in solving housing issues across Canada. Scheer is singing the Harper melody.
CLIMATE
Again, Trudeau emphasizes that more can be done and should be. He talked about the need for action, positive, productive and immediate. The Liberals considers that pollution must cost the polluters. Hence, the carbon tax. Whereas the Conservatives offer no constructive climate policies.
CORRUPTION, ETHICS
Trudeau admits to errors in the areas of scandals and ethics and he acknowledges the recent report from the ethics minister in Ottaw, a report that Trudeau states his party will work with and abide by. Rather than apologizing for violations and transgressions, Trudeau emphasizes that the responsibility of the Prime Minister is to work on improving economic conditions for Canadians which means creating jobs. That has and continues to be his goal, to increase employment across Canada.
CHINA, POPULIST GOVERNMENTS
Trudeau’s replies to these issues was to emphasize the positive. He points out that Canada has proven itself successful in developing and initiating policies that adhere to the philosophies of equality and universality. The Libs have worked on heated issues with success. They have successfully passed policies even in fed-prov environments which may have caused Ottawa greater difficulties.
China is a very serious challenge according to Trudeau. The second biggest economy in the world cannot be treated lightly nor treated agressively. Trudeau sees that it is crucial to show countries which may be on the other side of the political spectrum when compared to the Canada of the Liberals that tough policies can be initiated and worked successfully if these countries are open minded and willing to budge. The Liberal philosophy is negotiation rather than escalation.
GUNS, VIOLENCE
Here again, the emphasis was that more could be done but Trudeau underlined that the Liberals continue working hard on these issues. Bill Blair, former Toronto Chief of Police, is a Liberal minister with the responsibility of investigating and exploring ways to reduce the problems in Canada in these areas. Trudeau never ducked the issue of gun control and gang violence reduction but again he emphasized his government has been doing things in these areas and agrees that more can be done.
Trudeau’s emphasis here has been that the Liberals have been implementing policies that are positive and constructive but that more needs to be done. His party considers what is working rather than what may seem like it might work. The concrete vs the ideal.
FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL RELATIONS
Trudeau acknowledges that some provinces are led by political parties whose political philosophies differ from the Liberals. An example is that the Liberals have demonstrated financial support of major cities with their problems with housing, transit, immigration and violence but there are provincial governments who have agendas that differ from the federal Liberals to the detriment of their urban population.
Canadians are faced with federal party leadership of differing moulds. Singh and Scheer have serious problems with charisma and reality. Trudeau has the good fortune to be in a campaign where the other leaders are not in his weight class. They may be welter weights or worse, lightweights. Trudeau looks like a real heavy weight and he will deliver the knock out blows in October.
