Trudeau 2.0 takes the stage
Justin Trudeau was asked Wednesday whether he has learned anything in the months since becoming prime minister.
From the bromides and talking points he offered in reply, it’s clear he has learned one thing: stick to the message and don’t muse aloud in front of the media.
Trudeau was hosting one of t hose self- congratulatory press conferences at the end of the parliamentary s ession, where t he prime minister of the day offers reasons why his side is so much better at governing than the other lot. This was followed by a question- and- answer session with a press gallery that’s as keen as he is to head to the cottage.
Not so long ago, the hacks would have left with notebooks bulging — Trudeau fielded a dozen or so questions and would have made news on just about every one.
But there is a message track discipline about him these days that has throttled his innate sense of spontaneity.
He is, in short, a politician, popularly defined as the type of person who would cut down a tree in order to mount the stump and make a speech about conservation.
In his summary of the session, he patted his government on the back for introducing the middle-class tax cut that no-one noticed; the new child benefit that the Liberals better hope people notice, since it will cost $17.3 billion this year; and the Canada Pension Plan expansion, agreed with the provinces this week.
Just as Stephen Harper used to say what he wanted to say and was careful thereafter not to stomp all over his own message, so Trudeau made his point, then stretched every sinew to avoid being interesting in any way.
It was all a far cry from the leadership wannabe I interviewed in 2013, who made a virtue of the fact that he was taking the “beau risque” of doing politics differently.
“I’m not the least bit interested in success for success’s sake. That’s the difference between me and other politicians,” he said. “For Jean Chrétien, it was all about the game. But if it’s all about the game, I should be teaching class or putting my kids to bed. I don’t need money, fame or accolades to prove something to the ghost of my father or the history books.”
Seven months in power have inevitably worn the edges from the third party leadership candidate who proclaimed back then, “Who cares about winning?”
But if Trudeau is succumbing to the power trap, the public either hasn’t noticed or doesn’t care. Opinion polls released Wednesday made gratifying reading for the Liberals. Abacus Data said 56 per cent of Canadians approve of the government.
More than half of respondents have a positive feeling about Trudeau personally, while party support has risen to 44 per cent, from 40 per cent at the last election. The key to this jump is the backing of former New Democrat voters, many of whom proclaim themselves happy with the Liberal agenda.
And why not? From ending the combat mission in Iraq to bringing in 25,000 Syrian refugees; from new environmental requirements for pipelines to social spending on First Nations, progressive voters can’t complain, even if they still do.
When Trudeau has made mistakes, such as his enthusiasm for getting his elbows up in the corners of the House of Commons, the novelty of a prime minister taking responsibility and apologizing has seen the public offer a collective shrug.
Yet, even if Trudeau appears invulnerable, there are chinks in the political armour.
A separate poll by Angus Reid Institute suggested more people think the government relies too heavily on public relations and photo opportunities than think it is getting things done.
But the real hope for the government’s opponents will spring from policy missteps.
The Liberals now have a track record that leaves them susceptible to attack.
On defence, the government pulled fighter jets out of Iraq; cut $3.7 billion from the budget; and appears set to make an interim purchase of Super Hornets without a competition.
On foreign affairs, it has moved away from Israel and toward Iran; has discussed re-establishing full relations with Russia; and has refused to vote for a motion to condemn the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’s behaviour as genocide.
On the economic front, the new CPP will take more disposable income from employees and employers, while the deficit in the first budget came in at three times the advertised figure.
On all these fronts, the opposition parties have built some momentum. But that will abate over the summer. Trudeau didn’t say much at his press conference and, with the exception of the Three Amigos summit next week, he is not expected to say much else until after Labour Day.
As all seasoned politicians know, summer is for the people and politics should not interrupt.