Dear Editor:
Common sense is not so common (Voltaire).
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s lack of common sense and sound judgement are well documented. Previous episodes include his inappropriate Aga Khan vacation visit, the disgusting SNC Lavalin matter, his dumbfounding statement praising Fidel Castro when the Cuban communist cictator died and Trudeau’s disastrous trip to India. He has twice been found to have violated the Conflict of Interest Act by the federal ethics commissioner.
Now we have the Freedom Convoy matter. It is incomprehensible to me why in January 2022 Trudeau would decide to proceed with a plan to require cross border truckers to begin to show proof of vaccination. The pandemic was winding down, reportedly 90% of truckers were vaccinated and they have been bringing goods to Canada from the US for nearly two years since the pandemic began.
They were also considered by experts to be at low risk of spreading COVID-19 and are essential to the country’s economy and well being. This was not a boat to rock or a battle to engage in.
It is not surprising that truckers reacted. The convoy started peacefully simply to protest this new mandate. Soon however it became a movement that was taken over and radicalized.
We saw havoc at border crossings and Ottawa under illegal occupation. In my opinion this resulted from the poor timing and poor judgement of the PM and his government in invoking this mandate.
The cost that Canadian taxpayers will bear for this will be in the tens of millions. The reputation and economic cost to Canada is probably incalculable.
Sure there may have been (and still are) other protests but this one clearly had a catalyst. Prime Minister Trudeau, often driven by his ego, loves to get in front of the media and tell us ad nauseum that “we have your backs.”
Perhaps it is time for Mr. Trudeau to take a “ walk in the snow “ as his father did 38 years ago this month and to come to the same conclusion – that it is time to resign.
Craig Sullivan,
Fergus