Gang of 24 comes up a dollar short and a day late

HALIFAX—Not to be a party-pooper, but there is not much drama in the soap opera of the Liberal Party’s meltdown. Yes, the gang of 24 has put Prime Minister Justin Trudeau between the Rock of Gibraltar and a hard place. And yes, the prime minister’s claim that the party is strong and united could win the Guinness Book of Records for whistling past the graveyard. Unless he is a political masochist, Trudeau may well decide to step down. And he may not. Never forget, the prime minister doesn’t have to, no matter what grumpy MPs worrying less about Liberal values and more about their seats say about secret ballots to get Trudeau out of the job. But that is not really the question anymore. Whatever path Trudeau takes, the point is this: the damage has already been done, and there is no escaping it, no repairing it. With or without Trudeau. The cardinal rule of politics and governance is presenting a united front to the public. Rubbing their noses in the party’s dirty laundry is the death march of being out of touch. That is what the gang of 24 has done. They have texted journalists from washrooms about the latest twists and turns in this exercise of self-destruction. They have made a vote of non-confidence in their own leader public. And no matter what they call it, some of them have laid down an ultimatum for the prime minister: decide by Oct. 28 whether you plan to stay or go. Normally, ultimatums come with an “or else.” So far, the gang of 24 hasn’t made clear what they plan to do if Trudeau decides to stay. Would they vote against the government in the next non-confidence vote? Would they sit as Independents, making the minority government even more fragile? Would they just take their bats and go home? How bad a game of chess are the dissidents playing? So bad that the Liberals will be checkmated at the next election by a guy who, by the Nanos numbers, is almost as personally unpopular as Trudeau himself. Someone who has promised powerful paycheques and cheaper groceries, but without saying how he would accomplish that little miracle. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre doesn’t have to. The Liberals are giving him a free pass on the details of his policy by presenting Canadians with a Jerry Springer-type distraction—their internal destructive psycho-drama. How foolish is it to set a deadline for the prime minister to decide his future when the government is facing the Bloc Québécois’ deadline for the government to sweeten the Old Age Security to the tune of $16-billion—or else? There is a wise saying in politics, "don’t turn one bad story into two." By putting the prime minister on the clock, the gang of 24 has turned a bad story into a week of bad stories, and that will hurt. Who can have confidence in a government that turns on its own leader, no matter the outcome? It is worth noting that approximately 15 per cent of caucus took to the microphones to ask Trudeau to go. A former Prime Minister's Office staffer in the government of the "Little Guy from Shawinigan" told one television network that that would be a good day back in Jean Chrétien’s time. Which is just to say, politics is full of aggrievement. It is normal. But whether you think that such a small group should be able to remove a prime minister elected by Canadians is an arguable point. What is not in dispute is that the timing of this palace intrigue could not have been worse. After years of hard slugging through the serious economic challenges, largely brought on by the pandemic, the government’s policies are beginning to send up green shoots. The Bank of Canada cut the interest rate by 50 basis points to 3.75 per cent, extending a string of four rate cuts this year. Just as important, the central bank has brought the inflation rate to 1.6 per cent, the lowest rate since February 2021, even undershooting its target of two per cent. The government is hanging tough on its commitment to get justice for Hardeep Singh Nijjar, despite India’s shameful refusal to co-operate in the investigation into that case, and several other instances of outrageous interference in Canada. All of the good news has been drowned out by the hue and cry to get the prime minister to resign. It is always wise to be careful what you wish for. The gang of 24 is pushing a very tricky and dangerous proposition, especially in a minority government situation. They want to change the once shiny pony in mid-stream, without even a decent mule waiting in the wings to take over the job. Trudeau may well decide to go. He’s been through a lot. Here’s what that would mean for a beleaguered Liberal Party. The Grits would have to arrange a leadership convention to replace him, a process that could prove divisive, ill-timed, and likely doomed to failure. If the new leader were to be drawn from the current cabinet, it will still be the Titanic, just another captain. Any cabinet minister who won the post has been in on every decision and policy that Poilievre has been ridiculing for years. The Conservative leader will ask what is the difference between having the organ grinder, or the organ grinder’s monkey. Bottom line here? From the Liberal Party's point of view, the only thing worse than Trudeau remaining as prime minister is his leaving. With no obvious saviour in sight, with the knives already out for a minority government, and with the time well past to allow a leadership candidate not in caucus to establish a connection with Canadians, the gang of 24 has come up a dollar short and a day late. Michael Harris is an award-winning author and journalist. The Hill Times

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Gang of 24 comes up a dollar short and a day late

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