This morning an email comes winging in from Newmarket-Aurora’s timid Liberal MP, Tony Van Bynen, reminding us of the government’s tax break 

“making essentially all food and many holiday essentials tax-free for two months.” 

Van Bynen lists the tax exempt items which include beer, wine and cider, chips, candy, granola bars, Christmas trees and decorations.  Van Bynen says this will 

“put between $100 and $300 more in workers’ pockets on a basket of $2,000 in purchases over the next two months.”

Tony Van Bynen is, of course, programmed to parrot the Party line. Always has been.

Costly Political Gimmicks

So I wonder what he makes of the Deputy Prime Minister’s resignation letter which I thought was pretty brutal, directly criticizing Trudeau. 

Chrystia Freeland says the challenges of a second Trump term and the threat of 25% tariffs mean:

“eschewing costly political gimmicks.”

So is the tax-free holiday a gimmick?

No point asking Tony Van Bynen who would never say anything that could generate acrimonious criticism. On 26 January 2021 he told the House of Commons

“I have been a banker for almost 30 years and have seen our economy endure things like sovereign debt crisis, the tech bubble, the real estate bubble and interest rates at 18%. One thing I have learned throughout all of these crises is it is important for us to work together toward a common goal and avoid acrimonious criticism, which is counterproductive for everyone.” 

Doomed

The Federal Liberals are doomed. The wheels are coming off the wagon.

The Liberal caucus increasingly indulges in acrimonious criticism - and to hell with the consequences. They just want Justin gone.

It has been as plain as a pikestaff for months that the Liberals would be better off changing their leader. But, for the moment, he is staying put. Trudeau has faced his critics down before. 

But this time is different.

Sell-by date

All politicians have a shelf life. And the longer they stay, the more people will become disaffected for policy and for other reasons. This is just the nature of the beast in open democracies.

Trudeau promised electoral reform in 2015 but that was quickly jettisoned. He should have banned handguns after the massacre at Portapique. But he didn't. Instead, a long drawn out inquiry which reported years after the anger had subsided. And no ban.

I have a growing list of things that Trudeau should have done but didn't as he endlessly triangulates in the best Bill Clinton fashion.

Morneau's assessment

But reading Bill Morneau's book about his time as Trudeau's Finance Minister was a revelation.

The meeting Morneau had with Trudeau - when he was leaving the Government - was the longest he had ever had, one to one, with the Prime Minister.

Trudeau is just not that interested in policy making.

It's the performative aspects of the job of Prime Minister that appeals.

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