Commentary
Many Canadians have been unable to travel outside the country for years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and while some are caught up in bureaucratic issues renewing their passports, Canada ‘s jet-setting Prime Minister Justin said: Trudeau flew to Costa Rica on a family vacation.
I spare the Prime Minister a holiday. He works in a highly stressful role and deserves to spend personal time with his family just like anyone else, and it’s Trudeau’s jarring hypocrisy that’s frustrating. The rest of the country is being told to tighten their belts and rethink their lifestyle choices to fight climate change, but the prime minister wants to spend more time in the air than on the ground for more trivial reasons. Because I can see it, I continue a lifestyle of conspicuous consumption.
Trudeau’s last family trip to Costa Rica cost the taxpayer Flight cost of $57.000 Even before the cost of crew accommodation for the visit was accounted for. Trudeau’s single trip in his private jet produces more emissions than the average family is likely to produce in a vacation of a lifetime. Is the fight against climate change really something we are all in?
No one expects the Prime Minister to pack his family into a compact car and travel around Ottawa staying in roadside motels. Still, he will serve well enough to soften the luxuries while we plunge into an era of austerity, with record inflation and rising costs of living due to climate change policies.
The prime minister will have exclusive access to a taxpayer-funded mansion with several acres of private and secure land on Lake Harrington just north of Ottawa.taxpayers are A staggering $11.7 million We’ve been renovating the property since 2019. Still not enough space and luxurious enough for the Trudeau family? If he doesn’t use it, he should probably list it on his Airbnb so that paying taxpayers have a chance to enjoy the space and recoup their costs.
A demonstration of moral hypocrisy can bring down even the most popular leaders, especially when citizens suffer. Ask Boris JohnsonIt took a while, but the actions of Johnson and his staff at 10 Downing Street during the pandemic caught up with him and led to his resignation. Citizens remained in lockdown in the spring of 2020 at significant social and economic costs, but it was revealed that Johnson was hosting a party with staff and select guests. I didn’t forgive him, and I shouldn’t have.
Inflation continues to put pressure on Canadians, and the possibility of a recession looms large as interest rate hikes continue to put pressure on the economy. Carbon taxes and proposed fertilizer cuts will add costs to needs such as energy and food. These policies are ostensibly put in place to combat climate change, but if the prime minister won’t make personal sacrifices to reduce emissions, why should anyone else? When they find themselves bearing the brunt of emissions reduction policies, their political leaders will object.
Effective leadership is about setting an example. Seeing our leaders doing the same makes us more receptive to laws and pressure to change our behavior.
My father caught me smoking a few times when I was young and punished me. His objection to my smoking would have been far more effective in getting me to quit if he himself hadn’t smoked more than one pack a day. I don’t blame him for being a smoker for years, but he had no hope of persuading the rebellious young man to change his habit.
Justin Trudeau’s plans to fight emissions are doomed to failure if he can’t cut his own excesses. How can we be taken seriously? Cherry picking in BC?
Citizens forgive and forget many things. The Electors let Trudeau off the hook because of his previous streak of blackface at events, and the people sow a wave of corruption into his WE Charity case.Voters overlooked conflicts of interest On a trip to Trudeau’s Aga Khan A private island even though it turned out to be illegal. Canadians are the most tolerant people on earth.
But it is hypocrisy that many draw the line. People will turn against Trudeau if we don’t all feel together. His “let them eat cake” attitude could end his tenure as prime minister when nothing else seemed to get to him.
Views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Epoch Times.
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Cory Morgan is a Calgary-based columnist.