e-KNOW editorial

By Ian Cobb

Wasn’t that a waste of money?

Emblematic of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s lack of awareness of how hard money is to actually earn, Canadian taxpayers these past six weeks shelled out $612 million for an unnecessary election. An election held in the depressing swirl of COVID-19’s fourth wave powered forward by the stubborn, occasionally vile, ignorant, confused and frightened, forcing such draconian measures as vaccine passports and clogging ICUs the land over – once again.

Trudeau and his Liberal Party bet big time with our tax dollars that a snap election, halfway through his second stint as PM, would propel him to a majority government.

How did that toss of the dice go then, Mr. Prime Minister?

Snake eyes eh? Another minority eh… but what-evs, you rolled with house money… no bigs, right?

My next point is nothing new over the past few days since that brain-dead election ended; imagine what could have been accomplished with $612 million?

It is this exact kind of waste of taxpayers’ money and transparent, callow disregard for Canada as-a-whole that has always made the federal Liberal Party a pariah in Western Canada.

I felt sorry for candidates running in this election, because I believe many of them thought the same thing – why now and why such a cost to taxpayers at THIS time?

Trudeau’s mad grasp at a majority smelled exactly like the John Horgan/NDP pandemic power snatch and was surely inspired by it.

However, Horgan and company had a much firmer read on the playing field B.C., than Trudeau and company had on playing field Canada.

Discontent and grumbling these past two days, with political poisons still inflicting spasms, showcases a nation more divided – in many areas.

Canada isn’t America-divided but we’re heading in that direction unless we start receiving real bloody leadership and fewer middle fingers to the face of the collective taxpayer from the incorrigible trough-slurpers in Ottawa (as in the always-in-power Liberals and the Conservatives).

It’s my opinion that none of the party leaders vying in this election had the ‘right stuff,’ though I will give Jagmeet Singh props for seeming to be ‘the most earnest.’

The fact is, the best and brightest, who we desperately need in office nowadays, are too smart to step into the viper’s pit of politics. Or they are people with grounded ethics, principles, morals and convictions who won’t stoop or cave ‘for the good of the party.’

Such people would not waste $612 million on an early election call when leadership focus should have been on bringing this damned pandemic to an end.

Some might suggest that Trudeau winning this election was Canada’s best shot at defeating COVID-19, as he’s taken some vocal swings at protesters showing up at hospitals and schools and has spent a generational volume of cash on pandemic giveaways and supports.

I beg to differ. Our best shot at defeating this is providing resources, of all variety, for front-line health care workers who could have benefitted from a $612 million injection of taxpayer money into staffing relief, bonuses, enhanced infrastructure etc. Peeing cash away on self-congratulating political gamesmanship is simply disgusting.

That’s our money, Mr. Prime Minister. While your take on taxpayer money echoes your late father’s, most of the rest of us who have our pockets picked on a regular basis would like to see some respect in how you decide to spend our money.

– Ian Cobb is owner/editor of e-KNOW

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