The team of Justin Trudeau’s weaker-than-expected

Photo archive, Toma Iczkovits
The experts agree that the most difficult remains to be done to the government of Justin Trudeau, who has favoured the action symbols in the first half of the mandate.

Guillaume St-Pierre

Saturday, 21 October, 2017 08:00

UPDATE
Saturday, 21 October, 2017 08:00

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OTTAWA | Folders managed poorly, crisis management is deficient and the contradictions : the liberal team is weaker than expected, while the Trudeau government arrived at mid-term last Thursday, say experts.

“After two years in power, we would see that the liberal team is not as strong as one would have thought at the start “, says Frédéric Boily, political science professor at the University of Alberta.

The specialist in constitutional law Frédéric Bérard share this opinion. “It is a statement that is self-evident,” he said. This is a government with a lot of youth ministers with no experience. “

The minister of Finance, Bill Morneau, “stuck” in its reform of the taxation of SMES announced in the middle of summer, is not up to the task, according to Mr. Boily. “It was expected that it will take much more place in the government,” he said.

The minister for Heritage Mélanie Joly has also failed to defend its records, as the new cultural policy promoting Netflix to the detriment of the local players, ‘ continues the researcher.

Based on the image

For the moment, thanks to “a lot of the powder in the eyes” and a strong presence on the social networks, the Trudeau government was able to “plug the holes”, said Mr. Berard.

The latter welcomes, however, the change of tone made by the liberals in Ottawa, compared to the era of the Harper conservatives, who ” divided and conquer “.

“Justin Trudeau wants to gather to reign. I think a lot of Canadians identify more with this approach “, he said.

But it remains that under the liberals, the “form” often takes precedence over the ” background “, believes Mr. Bérard, in particular on the environment.

“This is the fun of the photos in the kayak during the day of the Earth, but if two days before you’re gone make the promotion of the oil sands by saying that you would be crazy to pass, it does not lead to Papineau to see the contradiction “, lance-t-il.

Wind from the front

For the political scientist from Université Laval Éric Montigny, the crisis management is the main weakness of the Trudeau government.

“When things are scripted and planned, he is in control of his message. But when faced with the unexpected or crisis, his response leaves something to be desired, ” he said, citing issues related to the massive arrival of illegal migrants, and to the reform of the taxation of SMES.

Because it is simply measures essentially symbolic until now to mark its difference with the old regime, the Trudeau government began the second half of his mandate with a ” headwind “, says Mr. Montigny.

“Traditionally, governments have used their political capital in the beginning of the mandate to begin the reforms, the more difficult,” he explains.

The liberals of Justin Trudeau blow the two candles at a time when a recent poll puts the conservatives of Andrew Scheer at the neck-and-neck in voting intentions at the national level.

Promises kept

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1. More money for the middle class : liberals have reduced the tax rate of 1.5% for the taxable income of 44 700 $ 89 401 $. Conversely, those who enjoy an income of more than $ 200,000 per year now pay 33 % in federal income tax, instead of 29 %. Added to this is the creation of a family allowance is more generous for the vast majority of Canadians.

2. More women at the controls : As promised, Justin Trudeau has appointed as many women as men at the head of the various departments, a first in the history of the country. Why has he kept his word ? “Because we are in 2015 “, was simply the prime minister said, with a smile. The replica became famous, was relayed to the four corners of the planet.

3. Of bilingual judges to the supreme Court of Canada. The Trudeau government has put in place a new procedure to appoint the judges who sit on the highest court in the country. It includes a new criterion for the selection of new judges : the functional bilingualism. Remains to be seen if the quality of the language of the future judges will be at the rendez-vous.

File Photo, AFP

4. Welcoming more syrian refugees. The crisis of syrian migrant was invited in the last election campaign in 2015 as a clap of thunder, after the release of the photo of the little Alan Kurdi found dead on a beach in Turkey. The liberals have promised to act by welcoming the 25 000 refugees. This number has been reached, albeit two months after the deadline.

5. Adopt a national plan on the environment. After discussion on the tense, the federal government and the provinces – with the exception of two – were able to reach agreement on the adoption of a pan-canadian framework for reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases. Manitoba and Saskatchewan have until the end of the year to join. If they resist, the federal plan, which includes a carbon tax, would apply to force.

Of broken promises

1. Deficits exponential : during the election campaign, Justin Trudeau has surprised everyone, including his opponents, promising deficits “modest” 10 million to invest in the economy, followed by a rapid return to a balanced budget. Finally, the deficit has nearly tripled, and there is not the shadow of a return-to-zero deficit in order.

Archival Photo, Sun Media

2. Reform the electoral system. The liberals are downright went for a walk on the beds of the NDP by promising to change the way Canadians elect their mps at the federal level. Justin Trudeau has finally dropped the commitment to make the voting system more fair. Still, he had hammered on all the forums that the election of 2015 would be the last held under a uninominal voting in a round.

File Photo, AFP

3. Abandon the F-35 off the price. The liberals were supposed to forego the F-35 aircraft because of the cost explosion and an immediate start of a tender process open and transparent to replace the fleet of CF-18 obsolete. The call for tenders in question are still made to wait and the option to make the acquisition of the F-35 is still on the table.

4. A government that is less transparent. Despite promises of “openness” and “transparency” of the liberals, the federal government is now more opaque than it was in the last year in power the conservatives of Stephen Harper, has concluded the information commissioner of Canada. In addition, the reform of the access to information proposed by the liberals of Justin Trudeau is simply a ” regression “, writes the commissioner.