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Top Liberal says Trudeau should step down as party leader amid dismal polling

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Senator Percy Downe

From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

If the next Liberal Leader is able to bring the party back to the center of the political spectrum, Liberals have a chance of being reelected,’ Senator Percy Downe wrote in an op-ed earlier this week

Amid dismal polling numbers, a Liberal Party of Canada stalwart-turned-senator said the party needs to look for a new leader to replace Justin Trudeau.  

The comments were made by Senator Percy Downe, who served as former Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chrétien’s chief of staff, from 2001 to 2003. Downe was appointed a senator by Chrétien in 2003. 

On Wednesday, in an opinion piece for National Newswatch, Downe said that the “prudent course of action” is for another “Liberal Leader to rise from the impressive Liberal caucus and safeguard those policies [Trudeau] was actually able to accomplish.” 

“If the next Liberal Leader is able to bring the party back to the center of the political spectrum, Liberals have a chance of being reelected,” he wrote.  

Downe claimed that the party needs a new leader as it is the only one that has a “realistic chance of stopping a government led by Pierre Poilievre [the current Conservative leader].” 

Recent polling shows that support for Poilievre’s Conservative Party is hitting positive levels not seen since the early days of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Indeed, a Federal @338Canada model has the “Outcome Odds” for a Conservative majority government at 95 percent.  

Digging a little deeper, a recent Leger poll shows the Conservatives taking some 211 seats, a gain of 90 seats (well over the majority of 170 needed) with the Trudeau Liberals losing some 90 seats to win only 70 if an election were held today.  

According to Downe, the opportunity for a Poilievre government was “created by a lack of fiscal responsibility in the Trudeau government, and the damage it caused our economy is now showing up in the opinion poll numbers.” 

He also said that more centrist Liberal Party members became reluctant to support Trudeau after realizing they could not persuade him to spend less money.

“That naiveté was replaced with the realization that they were not a serious government when it came to the economy, that they simply didn’t care and would throw money at anything that crossed their mind. The resulting interest rate hikes, increasing cost of living, and huge debt didn’t seem to concern them,” he wrote.  

Despite calling for Trudeau to be replaced, Downe expressed a lyrical sentiment toward the prime minister, saying “many party members are also grateful that Justin’s greatest accomplishment as leader has been his success in recruiting multitalented Canadians to serve in Parliament.” 

Liberal heavyweight claims Trudeau could step down as early as February  

Downe suggested, in a recent Hill Times interview, that he thinks Trudeau could step down as party leader as early as February of 2024. This was in the same month in 1984 that Trudeau’s father, Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, decided he was not going to seek re-election. Later that same year, the Conservatives under Brian Mulroney won in a landslide.  

He claimed that there is a “possibility that under our first-past-the-post electoral system, Justin and the NDP could squeeze enough seats to form a minority government.” 

The Liberal Party, which has a minority government, formed an informal coalition with the New Democratic Party (NDP) last year, with the latter agreeing to support and keep the former in power until the next election is mandated by law in 2025.   

However, Downe noted about this possible outcome, that the “questions for Justin Trudeau are: given the divisions in our country, is that the best result for Canada, and is it the best result for Justin personally?” 

Earlier this week, Poilievre dared Trudeau to call a “carbon tax” election so Canadians can decide for themselves if they want a government for or against a tax that has caused home heating bills to double in some provinces.   

The controversy around the carbon tax “pause” came after Trudeau announced last week he was pausing the collection of the carbon tax on home heating oil in Atlantic Canadian provinces for three years. Trudeau’s announcement came amid dismal polling numbers showing his government will be defeated in a landslide by the Conservative Party come the next election.    

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Dan Knight

Trudeau’s $191 Million Scandal – Auditor General Exposes Rampant Cronyism with McKinsey Contracts

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Auditor General’s Scathing Report Reveals Rampant Cronyism and Security Breaches—Conservatives Demands Accountability from Trudeau’s Inner Circle

In a stunning display of government largesse, Auditor General Karen Hogan dropped a bombshell at Meeting No. 128 of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates. Her report pulled back the curtain on a festering pit of crony capitalism under the Trudeau administration. Brace yourselves, folks, because what you’re about to hear is jaw-dropping.

Since 2015, contracts with the consulting firm McKinsey have skyrocketed to an eye-popping $191 million. Let that sink in for a moment. That’s a meteoric rise from a measly one million dollars in the years prior under Harper. So, what changed? Did McKinsey suddenly become a hundred times more competent, or does it have to do with whose in power?

Hogan’s report doesn’t dance around the issue. Oh no, it dives headfirst into the cesspool of corruption swirling around Trudeau’s inner circle. A staggering 70% of contracts with McKinsey were handed out non-competitively, totaling a mind-boggling $118 million. And if that wasn’t enough to make your blood boil, get this: almost half of these contracts lacked the necessary documentation to justify their existence. That’s right, folks, your tax dollars are being thrown around like confetti at a Liberal fundraiser, with little to no accountability.

But wait, it gets worse. Hogan’s audit uncovered a disturbing pattern of government departments using Crown corporations as their personal piggy banks to avoid pesky things like competitive procurement requirements. It’s crony capitalism 101, folks, and Trudeau’s minions are playing the game with gusto.

And as if all that wasn’t enough to make you reach for the pitchforks, Hogan also exposed shocking security breaches within government networks. Contractors were given access to sensitive information without the proper security clearances, putting the privacy of Canadians at risk. It’s a blatant disregard for basic security protocols that would make even the most amateur hacker blush.

But here’s the kicker, folks: despite all the damning evidence laid bare by Hogan’s report, there’s been nary a peep from Trudeau or his cronies about taking responsibility. It’s the same old song and dance we’ve come to expect from this government – sweeping corruption under the rug while hardworking Canadians foot the bill.

It’s high time for some accountability, and thankfully, not everyone in Ottawa is willing to let this scandal slide. Enter Conservative MP Stephanie Kusie. In a bold move to expose the deep-seated corruption within the Trudeau government, Kusie introduced a motion that promises to peel back the layers of deceit and cronyism surrounding the Prime Minister’s cozy relationship with McKinsey. This motion aims to call forth a comprehensive list of witnesses to further investigate the damning issues highlighted in Auditor General Karen Hogan’s recent report.

Here’s the rundown of the motion: Kusie is calling for appearances from:

  • Dominic Barton, former Global Managing Partner of McKinsey
  • Bob Sternfeld, current Global Managing Partner of McKinsey
  • Boyan Gerasimov, former Engagement Manager at McKinsey and former Director of Policy to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada
  • McKinsey Canada officials responsible for securing government contracts
  • The President of the Treasury Board and relevant department officials
  • The Minister of Public Services and Procurement and relevant department officials
  • Officials from the Department of National Defense, Immigration, Business Development Bank of Canada, Export Development Canada, Public Sector Pension Investment Board, Trans Mountain Corporation, and Canada Infrastructure Bank

Kusie’s motion is a clear message to Trudeau’s swamp dwellers: your time is up. The proposed list of witnesses is set to shine a light on the rampant favoritism and misuse of taxpayer dollars that have come to define Trudeau’s tenure. This move is not just about McKinsey, but about unearthing the broader patterns of misconduct and lack of transparency that permeate this administration.

But what did the Liberals do in response? They filibustered the motion by running out the clock of the committee. Typical. However, fret not, my dear readers. This motion is set to be debated on Wednesday. The Liberals can delay, they can obfuscate, but they can’t hide from the truth forever.

The stage is set for a monumental showdown that could finally bring Trudeau and his cronies to justice for their actions. This is about more than just contracts and dollars—it’s about the very soul of our nation. Canadians deserve a government that upholds the highest standards of integrity and transparency, not one that constantly betrays public trust.

The stage is set for a showdown that could finally hold Trudeau and his cronies accountable for their actions. Stay tuned, folks, because the battle for transparency and integrity in government is just heating up. The swamp-sucking Laurentian elite, led by Trudeau himself, might try to run, but they can’t hide forever. Come Wednesday, the Trudeau Liberals will face the music and answer for their rampant cronyism and corruption. It’s time for these elitists to pay the piper and for Canadians to reclaim their government.

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Internet bills should itemize Justin Trudeau’s new streaming tax

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From the Canadian Taxpayers Federation

Author: Jay Goldberg

If streaming services want to fight back against the Trudeau government’s new streaming tax, which will cost them five per cent of their revenue each and every year, they need to be honest with customers and put the tax right on the bill so subscribers see it and understand how much it’s costing them.

The truth is this is a tax. It will cost Canadians money. And everyone knows it, including the prime minister. Maybe not the prime minister of 2024 but certainly the prime minister of 2018, when, in response to NDP pressure to tax streaming services, Justin Trudeau sensibly refused, saying: “The NDP is claiming that Netflix and other web giants are the ones who will pay these new taxes. The reality is that taxpayers will be the ones to pay those taxes.”

Well, that was then and this is now. Trudeau’s 2018 logic has been thrown out the window. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission announced last week it is “requiring online streaming services to contribute five per cent of their revenues to support the Canadian broadcasting system.” That means streaming services like Apple Music, Netflix, Spotify, YouTube and Disney+ will be hit with a new tax. And, as Trudeau pointed out in 2018, Canadians will be the ones paying the bill.

The government’s own analysis says the new measure will cost Canadians $200 million per year. When businesses are forced to hand over hundreds of millions of dollars to the government, they can’t just eat the cost. As Trudeau himself said, this streaming tax will be passed onto consumers. The industry agrees. Canadians should be “deeply concerned” with the government’s decision to “impose a discriminatory tax,” said Digital Media Association President and CEO Graham Davies, adding the move will only worsen the “affordability crisis.”

Translation: prepare for higher prices.

The streaming services targeted by these new measures shouldn’t take them lying down. They shouldn’t cooperate with the government’s plan to hide the new tax. Netflix, Spotify, Apple, Disney, YouTube and all the rest need to be honest with their customers about why prices are going up: the Liberals’ streaming tax.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre recently wrote an op-ed in this paper telling corporations not to rely on lobbying behind the scenes to influence policy. If businesses want policies to change, they need to convince voters so voters will in turn convince politicians. Canadians have to understand why it’s going to cost them more to watch movies and listen to music. They are fed up with tax hikes. But only if they know what’s happening can they make politicians change course. That’s the right way to stop the streaming tax.

In case it’s not already obvious, simply sitting back and waiting for the next election isn’t good enough. “Obviously, my future government will do exactly the opposite of Trudeau on almost every issue,” wrote Poilievre in his NP op-ed. “But that does not mean that businesses will get their way. In fact, they will get nothing from me unless they convince the people first.”

That’s precisely why these streaming services, from Apple and Google to Spotify and YouTube, need to be honest with their customers about the streaming tax. They should add a separate item on every subscriber’s bill showing exactly how much Trudeau’s streaming tax is costing. They should direct angry calls to MP offices instead of customer service lines.

When everything feels unaffordable, a night in with a movie or a walk with a favourite album shouldn’t get hit with yet another tax hike.

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