Trudeau getting too cosy with Europe’s leaders

Dear Editor:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau enjoyed being all clubby with the Euro socialists at the G7 meeting.

He thinks the cool kids live in Europe and wants to be just like them. He’s learned to tax and spend with the best of them.

Tax Freedom Day for Canadians was on June 10. For the Germans it’s July 10. The French and Belgians toil for their governments until July 29. The Liberals won’t say how much their carbon tax will cost us, but with deficits for the next 30 years, we’ll be matching the Germans before we finish paying our obligations to government.

Our ancestors left Europe to escape the exploitation of ruling elites, wars and lack of freedom and opportunity. We went over there twice in 25 years to save Europeans from themselves.

Their solutions aren’t necessarily right for us, and we shouldn’t be too quick to ape them.

Some Europeans have more pressing interests than mutual grooming over Charlevoix duck breast and having fuzzy talks about gender and climate stuff.

Poland wants an American armored division as a bulwark against Putin’s expansionism and Norway is requesting U.S. Marines on a permanent basis. The Baltics already have foreign troops, including Canadians, stationed there.

There’s always a linkage between foreign policy, military posture and international trade.

Last year, Donald Trump went hard on the freeloaders for failing to meet their NATO spending obligations and their preference to default their security to the U.S. It’s no surprise to see the blowback on trade.

No wonder Trump was the party pooper at the G7. Watch for an encore at the upcoming NATO summit.

Trudeau had fun styling around in his pink NATO theme socks last year. He did make a bunch of promises about increased defence spending, but money talks and BS walks.

It was bizarre to see the heads of four sovereign European nations being minded by two potentates from their EU super government. The Japanese PM seemed bemused by it all, and may have been grateful for the language barrier.

The G7 lost weekend cost Canadians more than a billion dollars, including $400 million to educate girls, and $168 million to clean up ocean fouling. That money would have been better used to educate kids right here.

The protesters couldn’t get anywhere near the G7, but it would have felt good to grab a sign and raise a little hell with them.

John Thompson, Kaleden