For the first time, Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau has found his name and “scandal” in the same sentence. A month ago, former Canada Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould accused the prime minister of pressuring her to drop prosecution against SNC-Lavalin, a prominent engineering firm. The company, based in Trudeau’s home province of Quebec, is accused of bribing Libyan government officials. Trudeau allegedly told Wilson-Raybould that, if convicted, SNC-Lavalin would be forced to cease operations, causing thousands of Canadians to lose their jobs — and, most likely, Trudeau’s Liberal Party to lose votes in the upcoming federal elections.
The so-called scandal might seem rather benign to Americans, but in Canada, it’s caused a national crisis. To date, three ministers have resigned over the affair, including the initial whistleblower, Wilson-Raybould. Canadians across the country have all but lost faith in their once-golden prime minister — and rightly so. If these allegations are true, Justin Trudeau is not the game-changing politician he says he is. His promise to “do politics differently,” his charismatic speeches, and even his bright, family-filled Instagram page are slowly but surely falling apart.
Four years ago, on the campaign trail, Trudeau told Canadians that he would, as his campaign slogan put it, make “real change.” He claimed that change would come in many forms: the legalization of marijuana, indigenous peoples’ rights, enhanced international relations, and equality. But no hope of his was as prominent or radical than his vision of government transparency. He claimed on his website that under Stephen Harper, leader of the Conservative Party and prime minister at that time, the government had grown secretive and closed-off from Canadians. In a turn of events, and perhaps a change of heart, Trudeau now finds himself in his predecessor’s shoes.
Canadians who thought they were voting for a party that would stop scandals like the one in 2011, during which Harper was accused of covering up voter suppression, are now right back to where they were before Trudeau was elected: living under a potentially corrupt and a tight-lipped government. How could Trudeau turn his back so quickly on an idea so central to his campaign? Moreover, how could Trudeau not expect his once-loyal supporters to now turn their backs on him?
Another good example of Trudeau’s wayward values is his treatment of Wilson-Raybould. Trudeau’s progressive views when it comes to social issues are part of what made him so well-loved by many Canadians; he is a self-proclaimed feminist, and his 2015 campaign partly focused on indigenous peoples’ rights Wilson-Raybould also happens to be the first indigenous and the third female attorney general. Upon her appointment, she made for a nice feel-good headline and a good boost to Trudeau’s image.
However, it seems that behind closed doors, the prime minister pays no mind to his Twitter-friendly values about strong female leaders. When Wilson-Raybould stood her ground as Trudeau inappropriately pressured her, he simply pushed her away, demoting her to a lesser position in the Veterans’ Affairs Department. Later, she resigned. So did another prominent female cabinet member, Minister of Health Jane Philpott. Trudeau cannot possibly still claim to be a feminist or supporter of women in politics if he is going to go against what he claims to support as soon as he thinks nobody is watching.
These allegations hurt. They hurt the Canadians who once believed in Trudeau. Honestly, they hurt me — I, too, fell under the spell of this charismatic, progressive leader across the border. But now, the man who once pushed for “sunny politics” is no better than the cold politicians he criticizes. If Trudeau is not held accountable soon, his image will be tarnished forever — including when it’s on the ballot again in a few months.
