FELDSTED -- Is there no leader who understands that government policy must originate in the commons caucuses and cabinet and not from hired gurus in the prime minister’s office?

In October, we will be confronted with choosing the least destructive prime minister and political party from a lackluster group – sadly Canada suffers a dismal lack of leadership.

Justin Trudeau and the Liberals are a decidedly poor choice. Everything Trudeau touches is worse for his attention and he has lost trust of the electorate.

Andrew Scheer is possibly the least offensive, but leadership requires risk and the ability to stand on principle despite criticism. He avoids all controversy and no leader can manage that.

Jagmeet Singh leads Canada’s traditional 3^rd ranking party. He is hampered by labour unions ties and the majority of his support is government employees reviled by the non-union electoral majority.

Elizabeth May is a gad-fly, unable to imagine balancing environment responsibility with the engines that drive our economy and develop the capital that funds our infrastructure, programs and services.

Yves-François Blanchet heads a Quebec regional party that has no place in our parliament.

Maxime Bernier is a bright light in the mix but is still building support. He could play a significant role in a minority government but is not ready for prime time.

The rest are strikingly bereft of original thought and leadership capacity. Trudeau, Scheer and Singh are now stage actors with scripts written by hired advertising gurus, campaign organizers, pollsters, and strategists who have no interest in the aspirations and needs of the electorate or the nation.

We are weary of being offered political trash talk and fear mongering. We deserve to be treated respectfully as intelligent adults. A leader must be able to ignore his party’s demands that our MPs avoid irritating donors or doing anything controversial.

We need leaders who will do the right thing because it is the right thing. 

We need leaders who understand our constitution and the divisions of authority and responsibility therein. I will give you two examples.

First, abortion is a medical and moral issue. The federal government has no authority to legislate on either; religion and morality is off the table and medical care is a provincial jurisdiction. The federal government does not have constitutional power to make abortion law. Peace, order and good government cannot save the federal government on this one.

Second, the sale and ownership of a firearm (property) is a local matter under provincial control. Laws prohibiting trafficking in firearms or amassing them for seditious purpose or to arm forces in a foreign nation and criminal use of a firearm are in federal jurisdiction but not the sale, ownership and storage of a firearm. (See: Prohibitory Liquor Laws (1895) 24 SCR 170).

Is there no leader who will commit to rescinding the Indian Act and replacing it with a local band self-governance act that will give indigenous people control over their lives, hope and the incentive to prosper from their efforts?

Is there no leader who understands that government policy must originate in the commons caucuses and cabinet and not from hired gurus in the prime minister’s office?

Is there no leader who understand the Queen’s Privy Council is not an arm of the PMO?

Is there no leader who will admit that no government knows or understands the forces driving climate change? Those who claim they can influence global warming are frauds.

Is there no leader who understands that all votes in the Commons must be free votes? We elect MPs to represent us, not a political party. We must not accept that winning a majority of the seats in an election guarantees a leader four years in power. Prime ministers must earn the right to continue to govern each day of a four-year election cycle.          

               

Is there no leader who will confront the United Nations, refuse to support and fund the UN without a major reorganization and corruption cleanup and withdraw membership if reforms are not made? Canada was instrumental in forming the UN and its founders would be ashamed of the undemocratic socialist circus it has become.

The October challenge signals that we lack leaders capable of sound governance. There is no debate on fundamental principles and policies. No one is paying heed to the basic responsibilities of the federal government.

In place of an election campaign appealing to our logic and reason, we get an irresponsible circus. We are choosing the people who will govern us, not the best act in a fringe festival. 

John Feldsted

Political Consultant & Strategist

Winnipeg, Manitoba