A New Year has dawned and that means the second annual country-wide cathartic/groupie tour has commenced for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Jesus reborn — as some of the PM's disciples apparently figuratively or literally believe him to be because he shares the same birthday as the son of God and his devout followers also believe he performs miracles — has started a new Canadian secular tradition (no one believes Trudeau is actually a Catholic do they?) of doing public penance by allowing himself to be castigated by the Festivus-for-the-disgruntled-rest-of-us crowd airing their grievances over his performance as PM. It's funny how many left-wing atheists end up placing their idolatry on flawed humanity in the absence of a God (e.g. Oprah). Although Trudeau is lashed at verbally at these town halls, the chosen one turns the other cheek and ends up absolved of his sins by sympathetic media selectively editing his finer moments. He'll never get crucified, for his God-given gift of gab allows him to dismantle any verbal barbs thrown at him by a mere layperson.
(Although, unlike immortal Jesus, Trudeau's life could literally be endangered — he is human after all — by attending these events as one town hall goer noted, "Anyone could have brought anything in here. You say that you're concerned and you have the best interests of Canadian security at heart. You can't even run half-decent security at this event here. How are you going to make sure we're all safe?")
Now Wynne is looking for her own miracle; with her popularity flatlining, she's tossed off her glasses and decided to follow the "King of Canlandia" by letting the angry mob have a go at her in the hopes she can garner sympathy (pity?) from the average Ontarian.
I attended Premier Wynne's first town hall held in Toronto and, I have to admit, was impressed with her ability to deal with an onslaught of tough and critical questions for nearly two hours. I say impressed, but I wasn't surprised. As I predicted in a Loonie Politics article published the day of the first town hall, "Furthermore, the town hall environment allows a pro public speaker like Wynne, standing on a stage with a mic and the spotlight, an incredible advantage over any would-be takers potentially in a sea of her supporters hostile to outsiders' impertinence itching to take a shot at asking the consummate professional a quick question. Wynne can then take her sweet time at dismantling any boobytraps thrown her way. Good luck to any takers."
Sure enough, Wynne used the above tactics in her first two town halls late last year. Unlike Trudeau's large town halls, Wynne's have only provided seating for a few hundred attendees in smaller venues. Part of the reason for this might have to do with the premier being unable to draw the same crowds (no one was turned away at the last two events from what I saw and heard), but the other reason for this might have to do with the fact that the Premier's Office is only announcing each event with a week's notice. On Thursday, a Wynne spokesperson announced the next town hall will take place in Ottawa on January 18 in the riding of Ottawa West Nepean, another Liberal stronghold just like her first two town halls were in.
Now, I really don't think attendees stand much of a chance in getting a straight answer from a veteran politician like the premier — journalists have a hard enough time in scrums, with the ability to ask follow-up questions — but here are five questions for Wynne that Ontarians brave enough to voice them in front of what will likely be a Liberal-friendly crowd are welcome to borrow:
- Premier, since your party took office the net debt has tripled to over $312 billion and is projected to continue to climb to $336 billion or $350 billion in 2019 depending on who you ask. Why have you allowed the interest payments on Ontario's out-of-control debt to become the fourth largest expense each year? Are you not upset that your government now annually spends more on interest payments ($11.6 billion) than it does on post-secondary education?
- Premier, recent polls have shown your personal approval rating is still quite low. Why do you think that is? And why, in spite of those numbers, are you seeking re-election?
- Premier, why did your government decide to service the debt for your so-called Fair Hydro Plan through Ontario Power Generation at a much higher interest rate than if the government had taken on the debt directly? The independent auditor general estimates that this "needlessly complex" financing scheme will cost Ontarians an additional $4 billion in interest payments. Please explain how this is not a waste of $4 billion of Ontario taxpayers' money?
- Premier, are you at all concerned that selling off the majority ownership of Hydro One will result in increased hydro rates from increased transmission costs? What do you have to say about the leaked cabinet document showing hydro rates will spike in another four years?
- Premier, why would you increase the minimum wage by 21 per cent, without doing any impact assessment and going against your own promise to not raise it above the inflation rate, with only six-months warning to small businesses? What do you have to say to family businesses that are now closing over this rash policy decision? What is your response to former Liberal Finance Minister Greg Sorbara saying last week that "businesses are going to adjust by moving to technology, laying people off, curtailing hours and in many parts of rural Ontario, businesses will just close because they can't absorb it"?
Photo Credit: CBC News
Written by Graeme C. Gordon
