Truly, in the Trudeau Liberals’ Canada, Hersh’s question has become a central one: “Is there anything more dangerous than an ideologue who doesn’t know he’s wrong?” Pictured: Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault. Photo Credit: Steven Guilbeault/X.
Seymour Hersh, the American Pulitzer Prize investigative journalist, observed, “Is there anything more dangerous than an ideologue who doesn’t know he’s wrong?” Canadians are coming to appreciate the answer to Hersh’s question as they take in a wide range of disturbing news — from undue foreign interference, to pressures caused by mass immigration, to a fire that has ravaged one of Canada’s most prized communities. In every case Liberals maintain an unfailing confidence in their actions, yet facts and common sense suggest this ideological Liberal government is failing Canadians.
In a performance akin to Nero overlooking Rome, even as Jasper burned, environment minister Steven Guilbeault proclaimed the federal government was faultless. Yet, the recent history relating to the forest management of Jasper Park indicates Canada’s zealous environment minister was more than aware of the ill fate of the woodlands, and federal park officials had opportunity in recent years to avoid, or at least mitigate the extent of the disaster.
Guilbeault took offence to any suggestion that the federal government was negligent with the management of Jasper Park. However, this week Blacklock’s Reporter reminded Canadians of a 2022 Parks Canada appearance before a parliament committee where the precarious state of Jasper Park was reviewed. It was well known to federal officials then that the forests had been infected with pine beetles and there was an excess of dead wood, which posed a heightened risk for fire. It was also known that less than half (46 per cent) of the prescribed burns in the parkland had taken place between 2014 and 2021 – and, additionally, in 2015 Parks Canada had reduced the annual number of controlled fires to less than half (13 down from 28 annually). Parliamentarians also learned that only 18,000 pine seedlings were planted of the 520,000 that were scheduled to be planted to replace the dead wood.
The signature on this foreboding Parks Canada report is that of Guilbeault’s.
A former planner at the Jasper Park, Peter Scholz, was very vocal in his criticism of the park’s fire prevention management and its leadership within Park Canada right up to the minister’s office. Scholz posted on LinkedIn: “If Jasper Town burns, I blame the bureaucrats of Parks Canada, especially all the Jasper National Park Superintendents since 2005. This is on you. Not doing your job because of ecoactivists, who now will blame climate change rather than take responsibility for their own willful ignorance regarding proper forest management.”
The fire ravaged more than 360 square kms and 358 structures in the town of Jasper burned to the ground. A number of Liberal and NDP MPs, including at least one senior cabinet minister, suggested the fire was a result of climate change. When asked by True North Media about these MPs’ claims, Scholz was adamant, stating, “This has nothing to do with climate change. This is entirely a forest management question. The forest fire managers need to be calling the shots and not at the political level.” Lorne Gunter of Sun Media addressed the climate change claim more bluntly, “Parks Canada’s wokeism doomed.”
There are notable issues facing the country where the Trudeau Liberal ideological approach has exacerbated the situation for Canadians. Perhaps there is no other more serious one than the country’s sovereignty, now being undermined by the Trudeau Liberals’ close relations with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The latest episode in this never-ending saga was the surprise “official visit” of foreign minister Melanie Joly to China in mid-July. This visit was to be downplayed by the Canadian government as the minister’s schedule abroad did not include the two days in China and, as it was, the joint meetings were first announced to Canadians by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
After the fact, Canadians learned that the minister was invited to China for talks on how the countries might improve relations. The Canadian summary of the meetings stated Joly discussed trade, combatting illegal drugs like fentanyl, and “environmental protection and climate response.” The China government summary was different: it stated the talks emphasis was to “inject momentum into the restoration of normal relations between the two countries.” Their summary underlined that the topics of Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang, and Hong Kong are to be off limits in the countries’ diplomacy as it is understood there would be “no external interference” allowed.
There was no mention of whether the CCP’s foreign interference in Canadian elections or its harassment of the Chinese diaspora in Canada were raised by Joly. One might expect not, given Joly stated in a Globe and Mail interview that she was clear to distinguish between the government’s desire to reset relations and the current public sentiment in Canada. Joly is quoted to have told her counterpart in the meetings, “It’s not the government. It’s more Canadian perceptions toward China, which are negative right now. And it’s important for China to understand that.”
Joly’s distinction is telling. In May, an interim report from the public inquiry into China’s influence in Canada stated, “The intelligence collected by Canada indicates that the People’s Republic of China stands out as a main perpetrator of foreign interference against Canada.” In June, a parliamentary national security report underlined the threats posed to Canadians by the tactics employed by the CCP. And in a recent Pew Research survey, four in five Canadians (nearly 80 per cent) now view China negatively.
In sharp contrast to Canadians’ views, the Trudeau government is operating on its own agenda. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself dismissed the facts within the national security report and repeatedly his government has refused to identify the parliamentarians who have been acting in the interests of foreign governments. (There was no word on whether this matter was discussed at Joly’s tete-a-tetes in China).
Another serious concern for Canadians has arisen from the Trudeau Liberals’ open borders approach to immigration. Statistics for last year reveal a total of 2.3 million foreigners came into the country, and 1.3 million are to stay (boosting our population by 3.2 per cent in one year). As a result, there are now documented crises in housing, health care, and the provision of social services across the country. Though a growing number of Canadians are vocal about an immigration policy that is “headed in the wrong direction,” the Trudeau Liberals maintain that this increased flow of migrants into Canada is positive for the country.
Minister of Immigration Marc Miller has had to acknowledge Canadians’ anxiousness and this spring he announced the government would begin to curtail its various immigration programs. However, it appears this was nothing more than lip service as recently released statistics indicate new entries into Canada have increased in the first half of the year. Immigration levels rose 9.3 per cent in May. Temporary residents now stand around 2.8 million people as both student visa numbers and temporary foreign worker permits have risen. Remarkably, Canada is on track to welcome a record number of people across its borders in 2024.
This week has brought yet more examples of the troubles and embarrassments that come with an unapologetic ideological governing party. Consider these shameful stories. Minister Harjit Sajjan was in news headlines again with his lobby for 100 members of the Canadian Forces to serve as props for a Punjabi pop superstar’s Vancouver concert. It is apparent that diaspora politics knows no bounds with this minister – and that it is of no concern to Trudeau.
The Jewish community in Toronto was targeted by a series of hate crimes and instead of being outspoken in its condemnation of such unacceptable incidents in Canadian streets, Trudeau and government ministers were noticeably silent. So much so that former Liberal justice minister Irwin Cotler called on the Jewish members of the Liberal caucus to walk from it. Chrétien adviser Warren Kinsella felt compelled to post on X, “As someone who ran for the federal Liberals, ran war rooms for the federal Liberals, worked for years for the federal Liberals, I am sad to say that the federal Liberals have fully ceased to be an ally of Israel. That isn’t good for anybody.”
At a Parliament Hill committee meeting MPs were reviewing the country’s current justice and bail system in light of the latest Statistics Canada report that revealed a jump in violent crimes in the last few years. Liberal and NDP MPs highjacked the meeting by accusing Conservatives of partisanship and then abruptly adjourned the meeting, dismissing the witnesses, including one who had just shared her tragic story of domestic violence. The insulting incident, which resulted in the witnesses fleeing the room in tears, defines just how insensitive Liberals have become with Canadians’ concerns — especially when there are political points to be scored.
Truly, in the Trudeau Liberals’ Canada, Hersh’s question has become a central one: “Is there anything more dangerous than an ideologue who doesn’t know he’s wrong?”
Chris George is an advocate, government relations advisor, and writer/copy editor. As president of a public relations firm established in 1994, Chris provides discreet counsel, tactical advice and management skills to CEOs/Presidents, Boards of Directors and senior executive teams in executing public and government relations campaigns and managing issues. Prior to this PR/GR career, Chris spent seven years on Parliament Hill on staffs of Cabinet Ministers and MPs. He has served in senior campaign positions for electoral and advocacy campaigns at every level of government. Today, Chris resides in Almonte, Ontario where he and his wife manage www.cgacommunications.com. Contact Chris at chrisg.george@gmail.com.
