Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? — Bohemian RhapsodyQueen, 1975
Posted yesterday at 1:00 p.m.
Should we be shocked that Justin Trudeau had fun singing Bohemian Rhapsody, of the group Queen, two days before the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London? Depending on party allegiance, the answer to this question will be yes or no.
Those who say “there’s nothing there” argue that the Prime Minister was doing nothing but relaxing in the middle of a busy trip. Those who say Mr Trudeau should have abstained say such behavior was inappropriate amid global mourning.
Personally, I believe that the Liberal leader should have turned his tongue seven times before singing. Before explaining my point of view on this little affair, I must remember that I owe a great deal to Mr. Trudeau. Indeed, he was the one who appointed me to the Senate in 2016. Following a rash decision, I resigned from the Upper House three years later. But that doesn’t change the gratitude I feel for the Prime Minister.
As we know, Mr. Trudeau has an actor side; this has generally served him well, but sometimes one has doubts about the sincerity of the emotions he expresses.
When Elizabeth II died, the moved Prime Minister said that the Queen was “one of [ses] favorite people in the world” and that “she [lui] will be sorely missed.” Clearly, the sovereign had been a valuable mentor. “I find it very difficult to accept that the last time I saw her was the last time,” he added. In short, Mr. Trudeau was in mourning. And it is as a bereaved person, to express the sadness of an entire people, that the Prime Minister went to the English capital.
Where the shoe pinches
How to reconcile the small party held in the lobby of the hotel with the pain expressed by Mr. Trudeau a few days earlier? How could the Prime Minister’s enthusiastic participation in this karaoke session be reconciled with the official role he was to play in London? This is where the problem lies.
Of course, it is not easy to resist the temptation when accompanied by Gregory Charles, whose immense talent is matched only by enthusiasm. However, it would have been much more appropriate to sing God Save the Queen, that M. Charles surely counts in his inexhaustible repertoire. We laugh, but precisely, it’s not funny at all. Let’s not forget: Canadian mourning must have been so deep that a day off had been decreed for all federal employees!
Mr. Trudeau owes much of his success in politics to his humanity. In the present case, however, he lacked judgment in raising doubts about the authenticity of his mourning. At all times, and certainly in any public place like a hotel lobby, the Prime Minister represents Canada (here, a bereaved country…). We are surprised that he still happens to forget it.
Of course, on the scale of the crises that shake the world, this incident is microscopic. But it is precisely because the planet is doing so badly – death of Elizabeth II, war in Ukraine, nuclear threat, climate change, economic crisis – that we expected more seriousness and dignity from our Prime Minister.