Horrible options

The next federal election is scheduled for October of 2025, but based on the current political discourse in Canada, you’d think it was around the corner.

Overzealous opponents of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – you know, the ones who willingly deface their prized possessions with vulgar slogans despite their rudimentary grasp of politics – will have you believe we can’t withstand 17 more minutes of his leadership, let alone 17 more months.

Buoyed by inane slogans from their beloved PM-in-waiting Pierre Poilievre, these folks have fallen for pretty much every piece of misinformation and disinformation out there, to the point they can no longer differentiate between federal and provincial jurisdictions or, in the most serious of cases, between reality and fiction.

Listen, we get it. As our political cartoon this week indicates, Trudeau is well past his best-before date – and you can make the case he never really had one. 

After close to two full terms, highlighted by innumerable scandals and fiscal policy failures, as well as a nauseating level of constant, spineless virtue signalling, it’s hard to argue he hasn’t worn out his welcome.

Yet that doesn’t stop those on the far left from spouting off about how important their fearless leader is to Canadians. For them, wasting millions – perhaps billions – of taxpayer dollars is immediately forgiven with a couple well-rehearsed sentences from Trudeau about how the Liberals “care” or with an obvious deflection to another topic or with the latest in a long line of apologies (some for behaviours that in the past would rightfully spell the end of a politician’s career).

Quite frankly, Trudeau’s likability has plummeted so far that even some longtime Liberal supporters we know say it’s hard to envision him ever again being elected. 

But Poilievre, the multi-millionaire Conservative leader who’s never had a real job in his life but pontificates about “gatekeepers” and the “elite,” is equally intolerable.

“Surely, he can’t be as bad as Trudeau,” some will say. Really? If ever there was a case of “the devil you know,” this is likely it. 

Let’s not forget what happened in the Ontario election six years ago, the last time voters decided that anyone was better than the incumbent Liberal “wasting our money,” even an extremely annoying and unqualified Conservative leader of little substance with no plans whatsoever to right the ship. 

That turned out to be a complete disaster.

So what can we do? If there was another party worth taking seriously, voters could move on from these two horrible options, but I have yet to see any evidence of that.

Therefore, moderate liberals will continue to be alienated by the most insufferable PM in recent memory and moderate conservatives by a lifelong politician with more slogans than accomplishments, all while these two divisive men court voters on the extreme ends of the political spectrum. 

With 17 months left, it’s not looking good for Canadians.

Editor