It’s a bit like a flea attacking a pit bull, however the Trudeau authorities deserves a thumbs-up for attempting to inflict a painful Canadian chunk on Russia for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
This was a authorities which, till this disaster got here alongside, was misplaced in botched affairs on each overseas file.
It was led by a main minister who appeared incapacitated by hostage-taking China and nonetheless vacillates on permitting Huawei know-how into 5G networks.
It’s a main minister who infuriated India with extreme dress-ups and his meddling in a farmers’ protest.
And after being repeatedly ignored or ruled-against by the Biden administration, Justin Trudeau has grow to be former U.S. president Donald Trump’s favourite punching bag for his bungled dealing with of the Freedom Convoy though, for my part, being known as a “far-left lunatic” by an all-round lunatic is a badge of honour.
Now alongside comes Putin’s Folly -- and immediately all isn’t utterly hopeless for a third-term Liberal authorities which just lately appeared in want of management change.
A authorities which took weeks to clear the road in entrance of its Parliament buildings is doing every little thing proper in attempting to cease a bully sending in tank convoys to drive a Soviet Union reincarnation.
It’s virtually as if grownup supervision or somebody with a backbone has taken maintain of a authorities which regularly appeared stymied by troublesome (and typically simple) decision-making.
The federal government stars are lastly beginning to shine. And sadly for Trudeau, he’s not amongst them. Somewhat, they’re standing proper beside him.
There comes a second the place you examine an Opposition chief or a cupboard minister and also you simply know they’re able to grow to be prime minister in the future.
In Trudeau’s case, whereas he was delivering his common breathless dramatizations of the state of affairs at Monday’s information convention, the inheritor apparents framed him on the tv display.
To his proper, deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland, twiddling with a thick stack of paperwork. To his left, wanting calm and funky, Defence Minister Anita Anand.
Both one seems to be able to step into Trudeau’s footwear and ship far superior management.
The bonus is that each are girls in a rustic that also must make the progressive step ahead by electing a girl as prime minister.
Each are whip-smart, delivering scandal-free service up to now within the portfolios they’ve been assigned.
And, as their Ukrainian-invasion-handling has proven, each have risen to this character-testing disaster by orchestrating a livid political retaliation for Russia’s inexcusable invasion.
Freeland, particularly, has been readying for this showdown most of her grownup life.
Fluent in Ukrainian and a broadcast writer on Russia’s post-communism transition and the rise of its oligarchs, she was such a journalistic pest whereas dwelling in Moscow that the KGB tapped her telephones and in the end denied her re-entry to the previous Soviet Union.
She delivered extraordinarily poignant remarks Monday, invoking Martin Luther King, Gettysburg and the Battle of Britain as analogous to this as an historic democratic showdown towards the bloodthirsty tyrant who has turned Russia right into a pariah.
If that appears like hyperbole, properly maybe, however there’s no doubting Canada is popping its phrases into each avenue of doable motion towards Putin.
It’s frankly troublesome to see what extra Canada might do in need of placing precise soldier boots on Ukrainian soil, however that doubtless means we’re marching into World Conflict 3 and Russian nukes are warming up of their silos.
Think about the retaliation listing, which noticed Canada main the worldwide cost to close down worldwide transactions know-how to freeze Russian banks out of world markets.
Deadly weapons, together with anti-tank programs, are on their method; Canadian sanctions towards Putin and his billionaire buddies have been imposed; a blockade towards most exports to Russia introduced; matching donations for humanitarian charities supplied; a crude oil import ban imposed (though we don’t at present import any); a requirement to take all Russian tv off Canada’s airwaves delivered (which Bell and Rogers have already performed); and fast-tracked immigration for Ukrainian refugees supplied.
It’s a unified reflection of Russian revulsion; a diplomatic shunning not like something skilled in current reminiscence. How we nonetheless have an envoy in Moscow is past me.
However this disaster has additionally uncovered Liberal leaders-in-waiting for the prime minister's job, at the least till the Conservatives determine how their subsequent chief can reclaim the government-in-waiting place.
Because of the very best and brightest in Trudeau’s cupboard, the tiny Canadian flea is getting ready to ship a chunk better than its dimension.
Whereas sadly unlikely to occur, the world can solely hope sufficient bites will drive a fleabag like Putin from irritation to capitulation.
That’s the underside line...