Speaking of the authoritarians in our midst
‘Enough is enough!” t hundered t he prime minister, in that whispery voice he employs on solemn occasions.
Who knew he meant parliamentary oversight and the tradition of responsible government that is older than Confederation itself ? Who knew that the federal cabinet, faced with a global crisis, would behave like miscreants hoarding hand sanitizer in order to sell it at inflated prices? No time like a killer pandemic to put one’s own interests ahead of the common good.
So shameful and universally condemned was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s authoritarian play that his government immediately abandoned it when caught out, and began feigning ignorance about how such a thing could have ever appeared in the proposed legislation.
Events are moving rapidly, so perhaps a little historical review is in order about abuse of power.
Just over two months ago, political observers noted the first anniversary of Trudeau’s decision to dismiss Jody Wilson-raybould as attorney general of Canada for refusing to take political orders regarding the prosecution of SNC- Lavalin. That wasn’t known at the time, but subsequently confirmed by the ethics commissioner. It was an egregious abuse of power that violated the fundamental principle that the criminal justice system ought to be immune from political pressure.
But that was last year. An election later returned Trudeau to power with a diminished mandate. On the abuse of power front, it seemed that all was clear sailing.
The more important anniversary will come this fall, when we will mark the 50th anniversary of the War Measures Act, which was invoked by former prime minister Pierre Trudeau during the October Crisis of 1970. In a minority parliament, might the NDP — which courageously opposed Pierre Trudeau in 1970 — propose a motion condemning the use of that act? Or even apologizing for it? It would put Justin Trudeau in a difficult spot. He is very fond of apologizing for the sins of others, but condemning his own father might be a bit too close to home.
But that was then, this is now. Events are moving rapidly. The prime minister held a long conference call with the premiers this week to discuss his own potential use of the War Measures Act for the pandemic. It is now called the Emergencies Act, after being amended by the Mulroney government in 1988.
The new act states that a declaration of emergency powers by the cabinet requires parliamentary approval within about a fortnight. Given that Trudeau was seeking to exempt his government from parliamentary oversight for 21 months in relation to taxation and spending, it is quite clear that he would not welcome a vote — in a minority Parliament — on emergency measures within 21 days.
As I said, events are moving rapidly. Just a month ago, the prime minister took the position that the government should not even use the regular powers that it has to uphold ordinary laws and court injunctions. Was it only six weeks ago that anti- pipeline protesters, pretending to represent the interests of Aboriginal peoples, were threatening to # shutdowncanada? Back then, the prime minister’s job was to keep Canada open, but he was not eager to take concrete steps toward that end.
A month ago, the prime minister was accused of choosing impotence. Perhaps that stung, especially as not a few critics observed that his father would have never stood for blockades of the national railway. Maybe that is what prompted him to seek power without limit this week. In dramatic terms, it was like a Greek tragedy where the court eunuch attempts to seize power for himself.
Shut down Canada is now a public health order. Whereas a month ago it was all Wet’suwet’en, all the time, it is now all Wuhan, all the time. Canada has moved from debating whether it is an abuse of office not to use power when it is needed, to whether it is an abuse of office to seek unlimited power in times of need.
South of the border, not a few critics of U. S. President Donald Trump have speculated that he might exploit the crisis to move in an authoritarian direction. Who would have thought, even last week, that it would be Trudeau, not Trump, who was the threat? Events are moving rapidly, indeed.