Truckers | Justin in the shelter and Erin on the prowl

Over the past two weeks, we have seen elected Conservatives relay falsehoods on the shelves of grocery stores emptied by the vaccination obligation imposed on truckers and support without nuance this so-called caravan of freedom which is rolling towards Ottawa. A legitimate demonstration which has unfortunately been infiltrated by far-right activists and other followers of conspiracy theories, including the theses of the great replacement of Renaud Camus.

Obviously, the Conservative Party, in lethargy since its third defeat, is rubbing its hands and showing a vindictive smile in front of this large caravan which now mobilizes much larger than the 10% of truckers who are not vaccinated. Former leader Andrew Scheer even went so far as to call Justin Trudeau “Canada’s greatest threat to freedom.” In short, even if the cultural venues are officially closed, the show continues in Ottawa.

The truth, said my grandfather, is like hot pepper: it stings the eyes, but does not gouge them out. So, dare we say it, what is happening now is not very surprising. I am among those who think that the decision to impose compulsory vaccination on truckers is dubious.

In the name of the risks of paralysis in the health systems, we accept that nurses can decline the vaccine, but the truckers who work alone in an essential service must take up the sleeve by force? It is difficult to understand the logic behind this decision.

The justification cannot lie in the simple fact that the Americans also require this proof. Since when does Canada have to justify a decision on such a sensitive issue by the simple need to be in tune with an American provision? If that were to be the case, why waste Health Canada money on lengthy evaluations when a drug or vaccine against COVID-19 has already been given the green light by US health authorities?

Justin Trudeau instrumentalized vaccination in a very unfortunate divisive policy during the election. This has contributed to widening a gap already present in the population. Now that the rag is burning, he still has to isolate himself for a history of contact with a carrier of the COVID-19 virus? A simple confinement should not prevent him from facing the music and answering questions. What will the Liberals do in the face of this creature they have nurtured?

If the first claim of the truckers is legitimate, the hidden intentions of those who joined this caravan are less noble. So, for the conservatives, the choice to join this procession without nuance has its share of risks. Unfortunately, watching their leader go lately, one almost wonders where his real plan is to make his party a credible alternative to the liberal monarchy that looms on the horizon.

For example, two weeks ago, Erin O’Toole rose to the pulpit in a video to accuse the Minister of the Environment, Steven Guilbeault, of wanting to end the use of Canadian fossil fuels within two years. Where Guilbeault spoke of stopping subsidies to the hydrocarbon industry, O’Toole relayed a falsehood in a style that has nothing to envy to the pope of the fake news. Like Donald, he also spoke to the fringe of his party who feel victimized by the Canadian electoral system and marginalized by those they see as ideologues of a fabricated environmental crisis.

Times are tough for oil lovers. Today, when you are a majority Conservative province and you still see the Liberals settling in for a third term with the NDP holding the balance of power, it is impossible not to wonder what the future holds for you in the federation . In fact, all scenarios of minority governments are potentially bad news for the oil provinces. A Justin in power controlled by Jagmeet is not very good news for Alberta. An Erin watched by Yves-François was not a more enviable scenario for Jason Kenney. What to do when these two possibilities of cohabitation are now more likely than a majority Conservative government? There remains the radicalization that can lead to joining a demonstration of truckers to assert their resentment. This seems to be the case of one of the leaders of the caravan, the Albertan Patrick King, co-founder of the Wexit Canada movement which advocates the separation of the western provinces from the rest of Canada.

It was this risk of slippage that caused O’Toole to choose to remain silent at the start of the trailer before changing his mind and jumping into the fray. Times are tough for the Conservative leader. His leadership is challenged and he feels the breath of Pierre Poilievre on his neck.

Since the third consecutive Conservative defeat, it is increasingly difficult to understand where Erin O’Toole is going. In his defense, with all the militant groups squatting in the ranks of the Conservatives, each carrying its own program, finding a zone of consensus there has become an impossible mission.

As a result, Erin wants to both fight the climate crisis while promoting oil; he is for health measures, but must spare the wing of his party which thinks that the economy and individual freedoms come before collective health; he believes in vaccination while looking away from the anti-vaccines who lodge in the high authorities of his party; he is personally for free choice, but is indebted to Leslyn Lewis, a leading figure in the pro-life movement who helped him become leader. Add to these already untenable strife the cha-cha-cha around gun control and vertigo is almost inevitable.

Harassed from all sides, Erin O’Toole turns in circles while others plot to put him out. That’s how it is with the Conservatives. After each defeat, the leader’s head is demanded. However, to be able to move forward, they will have to realize that the problem of the party is much more in the vehicle than in the designated drivers. This ideology must be renewed if it hopes to regain power and still dream of a majority. When we look at it, what is happening in the confederation today is very similar to the scenario that was playing out here before the arrival of the Coalition avenir Québec. Here, the Liberals had only to brandish the specter of a referendum to keep power. But one day the CAQ option arrived and we know the rest. Similarly, when the election rolls around, Justin’s team always has three angles of attack that hit the conservatives: the climate crisis, free choice and gun control. The last ballot was no exception, as, in addition to her stonewalling on health measures, Erin O’Toole spent a lot of time skating over her potential ties to the gun lobby.

Now that the right is occupied by Maxime Bernier, between pulling too far to the left and becoming a pale copy of the Liberal Party and remaining frozen in time with medieval ideas on the social and environmental level, the conservatives will have to find a fourth way of passage to hope return to power. This pathway, I see it every time I listen to a guy like Alain Rayes. It is the proof that one can believe in a conservative vision of the economy while remaining in moderation, intelligence and openness. If the Conservatives don’t change their ways, Justin’s prophecy may come true. Remember, 48 hours before his re-election, Justin Trudeau sent us this premonitory and incomprehensible missive: “I haven’t even nearly finished doing all the great things that I intend to continue to accomplish. with Canadians…”