Ladies and gentlemen and boys and girls of all ages! Gather 'round, as I'm going to tell you a story about a political leader who's made many mistakes with an important issue. Some people are furious, while others have suggested it could be part of a cunning plan.
Let's dig into The Whimsical Tale of Faux Justin Trudeau and the COVID-19 Vaccines.
We find ourselves in Ottawa. It's a city rich in history, art, architecture, music, food and political gossip at the local watering holes.
Trudeau has ruled the roost in our nation's capital since becoming Prime Minister in 2015. Alas, the 49-year-old boy-king of progressive politics has frequently bumbled, fumbled and stumbled in the rough-and-tumble world of politics. It's become a running joke, both domestically and internationally.
Trudeau once praised China's "basic dictatorship" because it helped them "turn their economy around on a dime," although he later claimed it was a joke. He told an Edmonton town hall meeting to use the term "peoplekind" instead of "mankind," which was another knee-slapper.
The PM released a media statement that lavishly praised the late Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, and forgot to name Alberta during a Canada Day speech. These two gaffes may seem funny, but they were distinctly serious.
Trudeau has also had public battles with (mostly) female MPs and cabinet ministers, including Jody Wilson-Raybould. He's already made two trips to the Ethics Commissioner related to a vacation on the Dalai Lama's island and SNC-Lavalin, which were both ruled as violations and WE Charity will likely be the third. We can't forget those three older instances of wearing blackface, too.
"Oh, Prime Minister. You mess up so!," the townsfolk say.
"I know, I know!," says Trudeau.
The newest bumble, fumble and stumble is with COVID-19 vaccines.
Canada has procured 398 million doses, but more than 70 percent are linked to vaccines that haven't been approved yet. Pfizer reduced its vaccine shipment by more than two-thirds since mid-January, which will take several weeks to sort out. Moderna announced last week that only three-quarters of its vaccines will arrive in our country, which is an overall reduction of 50,000 doses.
The PM also misspoke during a Feb. 5 COVID-19 briefing about the (hopefully forthcoming) AstraZeneca vaccine. Trudeau claimed the company's CEO reassured him it would fulfill its order and send 20 million doses to Canada by late June. But according to Ottawa's 680 News, "officials with public service and procurement [said] that is not the case" and the timeline "will not be announced before Health Canada approves the vaccine."
"Oh, Prime Minister. You messed up so!," the townsfolk said.
"I know, I know," acknowledged Trudeau.
Or did he?
Maclean's columnist Paul Wells recently suggested this may be something quite different. The PM "comes out and reassures Canadians in the morning, and then over the course of the day, the substance of his reassurance is walked back by other ministers, or by the public service," he said on CBC's Power and Politics on Feb. 5. "He made claims about the AstraZeneca delivery that were disowned before lunch by the public service."
"The misstatement is always reassuring," Wells said, "and carried live on television by this government's most spectacular public relations asset. And then it is denied later by people you've never heard of, who aren't on camera. It's becoming a pattern."
Is it possible Trudeau's COVID-19 vaccine screw-ups are strategic? Is he supposed to make Canadians feel good by using public forums to present impressive-sounding statistics, only to have less visible figures quietly discredit them and leave the initial impact in place?
"Wait, Prime Minister. Don't you mess up so?," the townsfolk queried.
"Oh, no! Oh, no!," laughed Trudeau.
Oh, please.
While Wells presented an interesting theory, it's highly unlikely Ottawa has mapped out this intricate strategy. Using it a time or two is possible, but consistently? Not a chance.
Canadians, like most people in western democracies, want their leaders to be intelligent, confident, strong, consistent and reassure them everything will be OK. The only way to accomplish these lofty goals is to present information, ideas and policies to a national audience that is accurate and attainable. The more times Trudeau fails to deliver, the less confidence most Canadians will have in his leadership.
The occasional screw-up is par for the course with Trudeau. We all know this. Multiple screw-ups with COVID-19 vaccine distribution which are planned rather than spontaneous would be one of the most insane political strategies in recent memory.
The more likely reason?
Trudeau is obviously being briefed on this important file, but can't keep all his facts straight when speaking to the public. He's done things like this over the years, although not nearly as frequently as what we've seen during the COVID-19 vaccination distribution plan. While it's impossible to know what the PM takes with him to the lectern, or is being fed during media prep, something isn't connecting and it needs to be fixed, fast.
As this whimsical tale comes to a close, our national leader living in the cottage next to 24 Sussex is forced to address a difficult proposition.
"Prime Minister, Prime Minister. These screw-ups are real, and not faux," the townsfolk exclaimed.
"Oh, no," Trudeau said. "They know."
Photo Credit: CBC News
