NANAIMO | It was supposed to be the big announcement of the first day of the Liberal caucus retreat in Nanaimo, B.C.: The Trudeau government has named Mark Carney as its special adviser on the economy.
Mark who?
That’s what I thought.
Elitist
Mark Carney is something of a celebrity in the Canadian and global political and economic bubble.
But for the common man, he is a complete unknown.
Worse, conservatives will say, he is part of this globalized world elite that only has its own interests in mind.
Mark Carney is certainly a respected economist; he has served as governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England.
The Liberals certainly see him as an asset, who will be called upon to work on their next election platform.
But for the PLC, using the first day of a crucial retreat to announce the arrival of a banker in its team will certainly not help it show that it is capable of connecting with Mr. and Mrs. Average.
The Conservatives, who had sent Andrew Scheer, had their response ready.
Justin Trudeau and Mark Carney are just “out-of-touch elites who think they are smarter than hard-working Canadians.”
It’s simplistic, but the Liberals hit them right in the heart of the plate.
It must also be said that the conservatives have been planning this move for a long time, they who have been hitting out at “Carney’s carbon tax” for months to ridicule him.
This is called trying to define your opponent before he has time to do so.
What the Liberals have completely failed to do with Pierre Poilievre since he became leader two years ago.
But that’s another story…
Rout
Far from fading away, the question of Justin Trudeau’s leadership is at the heart of conversations in Nanaimo.
For some MPs, their leader simply no longer appeals to the population, even in Liberal strongholds in Quebec.
A member of parliament from the Montreal region told me that her constituents are almost unanimous in wanting to see the Prime Minister go.
The liberal brand still has some traction, but the leader is apparently sinking the party.
The alternative, however, remains uncertain. Who will really dare to challenge the authority of a leader who reshaped the PLC in his image and saved it from extinction in 2015?
Still, the mood is so gloomy in the party that dozens of MPs did not make the trip to British Columbia, according to the Toronto StarA wave of departures at the highest levels is also underway.
And we must expect other resignations, starting with that of Quebec lieutenant, Pablo Rodriguez.
One can also question the choice of Nanaimo as a destination, where the PLC is used to finishing fourth behind the NDP, the Conservatives and the Greens.
At least the sea air is pleasant there.
