Contradictions abound in Canadian politics

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Chrystia Freeland held six ministerial roles in Canada’s government during the past disastrous decade, but recently quit her seat in parliament to become an economic development adviser to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Her tenure as finance minister from 2020 to 2025 was nothing short of abysmal. The federal net debt increased by about 80 per cent, while debt-servicing costs almost tripled to about $55 billion, and unemployment numbers were over seven per cent last year. Inflation was at its highest level in over 40 years, climbing to almost eight per cent in 2022; although eased somewhat today, there is still an alarming five per cent rise in grocery prices year-over-year. When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned a year ago, Ms Freeland ran for Liberal Party leadership; she only garnered a measly eight per cent of the party members’ votes. Surely the writing was on the Ottawa pig-pen wall for her to clearly see – it was high time to remove her snout from the trough.

However, with Mark Carney winning the leadership while also being her son’s godfather, Ms Freeland was again appointed to Cabinet, along with so many more of Trudeau’s lacklustre sycophantic apparatchiks. Now she goes to work for Mr Zelenskyy in Kiev. We will hear more of her maternal grandfather, Mykhailo Khomiak, a Nazi propagandist and editor of a German-funded Ukrainian-language newspaper during World War II.

In April 2025, Mr Carney was elected to become Canada’s 24th prime minister. He claimed that he was best equipped to handle any and all problems arising from south of the border. A complete political neophyte, he touted successes as governor of the Bank of Canada, and then governor of the Bank of England. However, critics indicate that his accomplishments during the 2008-09 economic downturn were overshadowed by an efficient Canadian finance minister at the time, namely Jim Flaherty; while he left England under a cloud, having vigorously backed the wrong horse in the Brexit stakes.

Mr Carney lacks credibility concerning a vital bitumen pipeline from Alberta’s oilfields to BC’s north coast. He promised during the election campaign to find a way past environmental and Indigenous naysayers, but he is a documented naysayer himself. He wrote a book during his time as UN special envoy for climate action and finance, stating categorically that most fossil fuels must remain unburned. Contradictions abound in Canadian politics.

BERNIE SMITH

Parksville, BC

Canada