Justin Trudeau seems to prefer to leave the choice to his ministers whether or not to have a security service at all times, on a case-by-case basis. Because opinions are divergent, within his Cabinet. The Prime Minister is however categorical that they will have to be offered the possibility of being accompanied more often by trained personnel to protect them, even if the bill turns out to be steep.
The verbal and aggressive altercation suffered by Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who was insulted by a man twice her size in Alberta last week, has reignited the debate surrounding the security of federal ministers. The government is evaluating the possibility of providing each of them with a bodyguard or a driver who would be armed and trained to protect them, like those who accompany all ministers of the Quebec government.
Prime Minister Trudeau did not want to decide for the members of his team whether they too should be accompanied on all their trips. “I think it’s an extremely personal decision for a lot of ministers,” he said, adding, however, that the federal Cabinet “should have more opportunities to have [de la sécurité] “.
The differences of opinion within the Council of Ministers are notably regional, the idea of a driver and bodyguard being well established in Quebec but still foreign elsewhere in Canada. Mr. Trudeau also shared differing views between men and women, as well as among some who have experienced more discrimination in their lifetime.
“We have to do more and the Minister of Public Security is looking at that,” assured the Prime Minister. Minister Mendicino could present some options at the Cabinet retreat next week, if not in the following weeks.
A “freedom” that deprives another
Mr. Trudeau admitted that he would prefer to invest in something other than an enhanced security service for his ministers. An operation that would be complex, since they divide their time between Ottawa and ridings across Canada. “But we must protect our parliamentarians. »
The reluctance of some ministers also stems from the fact that they believe that Canadian democracy must remain open and allow politicians to be close to their constituents.
“As Canadians, politicians and citizens, we are all very proud of not needing the level of security that we see in the United States or elsewhere in the world,” said Mr. Trudeau. Canada is a much more peaceful country, where it is good to see the Minister of Foreign Affairs at Provigo on a Saturday morning. […] At the same time, we must recognize that the debate is becoming more bitter, more aggressive. Citizens unfortunately, as we have seen, from time to time take more and more freedom to threaten or attack women in positions of power in particular,” denounced the Prime Minister. This forces parliamentarians to have to “rethink their freedom”, in a democracy, to walk freely. And that should worry Canadians, he insisted.
reluctant ministers
Many, like the former Premier of Quebec Pauline Marois, were surprised to see that the Deputy Prime Minister of Canada was not accompanied by security personnel. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police accompanies ministers as needed, but was not with Ms. Freeland on Friday.
Despite everyone’s outrage, two ministers who were alongside Justin Trudeau on Wednesday on the sidelines of a mini-ministerial reshuffle were themselves hesitant to call for more security.
The minister responsible for the Southern Ontario Economic Development Agency, Filomena Tassi, admitted to having changed her behavior herself. Although she welcomes the security devices made available to elected officials, Ms. Tassi believes that this is not the miracle solution. “I can’t have someone by my side 24/7. That’s not the solution, when I go out to chat with a neighbour, walk my dog or take a walk with my son. »
His colleague Helena Jaczek, who inherited the portfolio of Public Services and Procurement by exchanging roles with Ms. Tassi, seems to agree. “I don’t want to be intimidated and find myself losing the opportunity to meet directly with my constituents,” she commented. “What do you do when you are faced with a “ bully »? You stand up. »
Justin Trudeau and his two ministers have called on federal elected officials, all parties combined, and Canadians across the country to refuse to accept this drift in public debate and acts of intimidation and verbal aggression. “If this kind of behavior becomes the new norm, we will find ourselves in a much more serious situation than the one we see today,” Minister Tassi opined as a warning.