2024-05-21 Sen Plett speaks on PM Trudeau Legacy of Failure (Episode #2)

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I rise today to continue my response to the Speech from the Throne. As you know, I will use this time to go over Trudeau’s legacy. Today I will focus on another important component of that legacy, the cultivation of a divided Canada. I know many of you will be tempted to leave the chamber as I speak, but I want you all to know, colleagues, I am not doing this for the benefit of those of you in the chamber. I am doing this for the benefit of the almost 1 million viewers who watched the last speech I made about Trudeau’s legacy. I am doing it for the 6 million plus Conservatives who voted for the Conservatives and a different prime minister in the last election, and I am doing it for the 3 million extra voters who want to vote for someone other than Justin Trudeau in the next election. (1510) Colleagues, in 2015, Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party of Canada formed government with the promise of national unity and sunny ways. As you will see, their record is one of dismal failure. It would be unfair not to acknowledge that the world is very divided. In the past decade, the political climate — certainly in Western democracies — has seen the embrace of radical ideologies, the doctrines of which have been adopted into policy. The rise of identity politics is dividing citizens by gender, race, religion and perceived level of oppression. The narrowing of acceptable thought punishes those who fall outside the lines. This has spurred populist revolts by those who feel abandoned and disregarded by the established elite groups. More and more people define themselves in opposition to the system, which further fuels division. Canada has not been immune to those forces; however, a leader with any integrity or sense would acknowledge the political climate, as well as remind citizens of who we are as a country, our common goals and our principles, and focus on moving forward with policies that could bring us together. Justin Trudeau has done precisely the opposite. He plays the game of division by taking a very predictable ideological stance in every quarrel and then literally insulting and dismissing those who disagree with him, all the while preaching a vacant message of unity. In 2024, it should be clear to every Canadian that our “sunny ways” Prime Minister has left the country far more divided than he found it. Is there a person in Canada who can honestly say that we are more united and unified than we were prior to Justin Trudeau taking office? Colleagues, our country is a mess, and I fear that this is not by accident. It would appear that Trudeau’s divide-and-conquer politics are intentionally stoking the flames of division. It is a calculated attempt to distract Canadians from the failures of his government. If they hate their neighbours, or if they are divided into distinct group identities, they can each blame the other for Canada’s problems. If they are afraid, maybe they will forget about the myriad of crises happening simultaneously throughout our country, which has leaked into our own homes, including the inability to pay the bills and put food on the table. When recently trying to defend the indefensible — in this particular case, the ill-timed carbon tax increase — Trudeau stated, “My job is not to be popular.” An Hon. Senator: He’s doing a good job of that. Senator Plett: No, Prime Minister, it is not. It is also not your job, Prime Minister, to cultivate polarization and ostracize swaths of the Canadian population who disagree with you. John Ibbitson wrote the following in The Globe and Mail in October: . . . every Prime Minister’s highest priority should be to leave the federation stronger, or at least not weaker, than they found it. He noted, “By that measure, Mr. Trudeau’s tenure has been a failure.” Honourable senators, allow me to walk you through some of the many ways our national unity has unravelled during and under Trudeau’s watch. The COVID-19 pandemic was, indeed, a challenging time for leaders around the world. Their citizens were dealing with the loss — or fear of loss — of loved ones, the economic uncertainty as a result of lockdowns, the mental health impact of isolation, the inability to mourn the loss of family members together, and the list goes on. When the vaccines eventually came, so did the onslaught of fear. Many were left wondering: How effective are these vaccines in preventing transmission? What are the risks? Is it safe and advisable for children to be vaccinated? There was a wide range of medical opinions on this.