Credit: CPAC

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Freeland’s appointment is a bright spot in troubled times

Aug 19, 2020 | 5:07 AM

KAMLOOPS — THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH politics to please even the biggest news junky this week.

There’s the Democratic online convention in the U.S., the Conservative leadership voting here at home, the resignation of finance minister Bill Morneau and the appointment of Canada’s first female finance minister to replace him, and the proroguing of Parliament.

The times they are a changing.

Predictably, after demanding Morneau’s resignation for weeks, opposition parties — especially the Conservatives — are now trashing the move, using the opportunity to pile on the government for what they’re calling musical chairs. It’s fine political hypocrisy.

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Where they have a legitimate gripe is Trudeau’s decision to prorogue the House till late September. It’s a gutsy move and takes him off the hook for the time being but he has a legitimate case to make that the country needs a new budget and new direction as we struggle with COVID-19.

By suspending the action in Ottawa, Trudeau knowingly puts his government at risk of defeat with a new Throne Speech and a new budget. He’s pulling a double dog dare on the threats of the Bloc and the blustering of the Conservatives and NDP.

He’s in a corner, and daring them to bring it on. They know full well the only sure way to get rid of him is by forcing an election with a vote of no confidence but they don’t want an election and will have to support a new budget.

In the midst of the turmoil, though, is the bright spot of Chrystia Freeland’s appointment. We need not make too much of the fact she’s a woman. While finance is a senior portfolio, there’ve been a lot of women appointed to cabinet, and we even had Kim Campbell as prime minister, albeit briefly and unremarkably.

Freeland is the new finance minister because she’s highly capable, not because of gender. Still, her appointment is a bright note in unhappy times.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.