My wife and I have followed and respected every mandate on the books. We have had three doses of the vaccines, followed all COVID protocols, including double masking, social distancing, avoiding unnecessary travel, restricting the size of gatherings over the holidays, and having only one of us do the weekly shopping.
So, it was with some scepticism that I heard of the truckers’ convoy to protest yet another mandate. Why was the 72-hour negative test mandate suddenly no longer acceptable for those previously deemed “essential workers?” Something just wasn’t adding up!
I wondered if the fledgling convoy was to have any real significance. However, I did see thousands of flag-waving Canadians who stood on bridges, or lined the highways and byways of this great land in their support.
Once in Ottawa, it was obvious that in absentia, Trudeau was going to use this opportunity for his own political advantage by refusing to hear their concerns. Thereafter, things were being reported of behaviours that had absolutely nothing to do with truckers’ concerns. Was the original goal of the protest not being sidetracked or worst yet, sabotaged, by some group expressly to denigrate its true purpose?
Worse than that, we see acts of vandalism and disrespect seemingly associated to this protest proliferated by the CBC. With all the unrelated publicly-aired difficulties within the Conservative party, I thought the timing of this reporting in particularly poor taste.
I listened to the question period, and noticed question after question (aimed at listening to truckers’ concerns, inflation’s effect on families, Liberal spying on Canadians’ cell phones) answered by Trudeau with exactly the same vague rhetoric.
Is this the real workings of our democracy: a serious inquiry followed by prepared repeated vague rhetoric, the reigning party simply insulting the other? Is the role of an elected parliamentarian not at least to listen to the concerns of Canadians?
I began to speculate if this was indeed an alliance between the CBC and Liberals to enthrone Trudeau even further. With the Conservatives in shambles, the Liberals are now emboldened to say and do whatever they want.
I don’t believe that I heard one positive note on this convoy, aided and abetted by the one-sided coverage by this CBC/Liberal alliance. When Trudeau does return to 24 Sussex, I’m absolutely positive the CBC will be there to greet him with open arms! Mission accomplished!
I can only hope Trudeau’s “fringe minority” remembers his taunts and insults at the next ballot box.
Ron Johnson,
Mount Forest