Heather Scoffield: Justin Trudeau brings out the activists for heavy lifting on two tough files Following the leadership race, Trudeau has shifted focus to the economy and federal-provincial relations
In the spring, things could get bumpy for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the fate of the Trans Mountain pipeline extension to Burnaby, B.C., hangs in the balance and Ottawa delivers its budget.
Tensions are already running high over the future of the Northern Gateway pipeline project to Kitimat. The Liberal government announced in 2015 that it was rejecting that proposal outright. They were facing uphill battles to overturn those decisions in court and obtain approvals from federal, provincial and Indigenous communities to build new pipelines. Then they found room for reconciliation with the opposition parties – both of which voted down amendments to the budget bill – because most anticipated it would save the day.
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This spring, Mr. Trudeau now faces opposition from within his own caucus, the so-called pocket veto, as potential no-shows – including Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan – threaten to join the New Democrats in the Commons in opposition to a second session of Parliament.
His party survived a bruising leadership race in late 2017 and early 2018. The return of the Commons is a crucial, golden moment for the federal Liberals and their ambitions of re-election in October of 2019. Mr. Trudeau has used it to shift focus from his right flank of the caucus to the left to push for a decent-jobs program.
As journalist Stephen Maher noted, the Liberals are on a roll after not winning a single province in the 2015 general election and after a middling showing in the Atlantic and Quebec in the last election. Their opposition to Kinder Morgan appeared to be under control in Parliament, but Mr. Trudeau has now swung into heavy-lifting mode.
Harjit Sajjan: Key role in Trudeau’s tough year
Just as Jim Flaherty could point to Bob Rae as a model when he was a minister, Mr. Trudeau can point to what he hopes is a future prime minister in another province in Joe Oliver, the former Ontario finance minister who now serves on the Council of the Federation. Mr. Oliver has drawn on his experience to offer advice to Mr. Trudeau.
The hard fight with the provinces has not derailed Mr. Trudeau, but may end up handcuffing him. The Conservatives would be grateful for an excuse to hammer the Liberals, at the same time that their current Economic Action Plan looks stale and lacking a hook to close a growing gap between rich and poor.
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Ms. Sajjan takes on the toughest assignment of all, the Manoah terror inquiry. The King’s Cross tragedy is 20 years old, but Toronto homicide detectives know nothing about the man who killed Jean LaFontaine and injured Krystal Goldie and Joshua Yasay.
No suspect was named in the inquest. They even called in a murder detective who couldn’t provide any information on the killer. Given Ottawa’s secrecy when dealing with critical police matters – and its insistence on keeping Canadians in the dark by refusing to release all court documents in cases of public interest – Ms. Sajjan is taking on a thankless mission.
Read more: Sajjan reviews terror probe at Calgary inquiry
Mr. Sajjan would be in good company with Jim Flaherty in the Liberal cabinet. Both men handed themselves over to their party’s hunger for change and tried to make the tough political move by acknowledging inevitable problems that needed fixing.
It hasn’t happened yet with the federal carbon tax, and it hasn’t happened with the Mounties. But next year, the Liberals have a chance to put it all to rest.
