Crown Inheritance

As unbelievable as it seems that there are so many ostensibly intelligent voters out there in Canada's towns and cities whose abilities to discriminate between empty facade and established experience resulting in realistic expectations of the discerning capabilities of a head of government are morbidly impaired, that seems to be the startling truth of the matter. What endears Justin Trudeau to the Liberal-pledged electorate defies understanding other than mass stupidity.

The man is a thespian born, an egotist, an elitist. "You cannot be half pregnant on the question of Canadian unity", he now propounds bridling at the very idea put forth by the NDP that the Clarity Act should be reborn to view a majority for separation at 50+1%. When a year ago he stated that he could readily be persuaded in support of Quebec separation, as a Quebecer, and a lawmaker, a Parliamentarian elected in Quebec, if the dastardly plans of the current governing Conservatives ever came to fruition.

The issues of gay rights and abortion accessibility set that little bombshell off, even though Prime Stephen Minister Harper has given ample indication he has no intention whatever of re-visiting or undermining those equality and social guarantees. His inept, vapid remarks and his preening self-regard are gagging to those who feel they should expect far, far more acuity of intelligence and perspective from someone grooming himself to become a future prime minister.

While a potential candidate for that office of the stature and accomplishment and obvious intelligence of Marc Garneau can barely entice the notice that flows so effortlessly and ebulliently toward Justin Trudeau. Any criticism of Trudeau's clearly unfit status to the office he aspires to, on the part of those contesting him as a candidate seems to increase his support, while having a deleterious effect on those courageous enough to point out his failings.

Even though Justin Trudeau himself by releasing details about his personal wealth and earnings has single-handedly and without intention drawn attention to his cupidity and capricious nature and his inability to understand that he lacks integrity, vision and a true spirit of service to the very communities he insists whose best interests he represents. Seeking to capitalize on his estimable family name worked very well on the speaking circuit with gracious earnings to supplement his inherited wealth.

Once he became a parliamentarian, bringing home his annual salary of just under $158,000, his family has been living in reduced financial circumstances, coffers having suffered grievously. Previously, before his election to Parliament in 2008, he had been earning far more on the lucrative speaking circuit to pad out his income. He took a cut in pay, sacrificing on behalf of the Canadian public, to best represent the interests of Canadian taxpayers and a trusting public.

In the year before his election he popped $462,000 earned through speaking engagements alone, into his bank account. Last year he was reduced to earning $72,000 on the speaking circuit, because his parliamentary and riding duties have robbed him of sufficient time to pursue public speaking full-time. As a motivational speaker, the popularly-viewed charisma of Justin Trudeau is worth a whack of money.

Justin Trudeau was named his party's youth and post-secondary school education critic, no doubt spurred on by his stint teaching drama at a private school in the Vancouver area before moving East. With those credentials behind him he charged $15,000 in 2010 from an Ontario school board to address a conference attended by federal employees. Bearing in mind that public taxes support school boards, just as taxes support the salaries of MPs and federal employees alike.

And those MP salaries are meant to reward their parliamentarian positions as well as their outreach to the community as members of Parliament.  Last year he charged Queen's University $12,000 for a speaking engagement, and Literacy for Life, the Canadian Mental Health Association, and the Grace Foundation $20,000 each to address these educational and charitable institutions. If that does not represent ample evidence that the man has no idea of service to the community and to his country what does?

At the very least they represent a conflict of interest, an interest instead in greedily assembling greater benefits for himself personally through his political, inherited and executive connections.  By charging a not-for-profit like the Learning Partnership $10,000 for graciously agreeing to deliver a speech, does this demonstrate how he is fulfilling his party role as parliamentary youth critic?

That he is not the only parliamentarian with professional backgrounds who continue to serve their profession as doctors, lawyers, accountants is little excuse, simply testament to human greed.  The work of a member of Parliament is a full-time occupation. Moon-lighting for whatever reason, whether to keep their hand in on their professional expertise, or to gain additional earnings, speaks to a misunderstanding of commitment and responsibility to their elected positions.

Not quite as critical when it happens with backbenchers perhaps, although still questionable, but utterly to the point when it represents the mind-set and interests and oblivion to realities of someone in the front-running chorus of potential party leader - and all the more so when it has become abundantly evident that the April Liberal Party Convention to elect a new leader is guaranteed to be a Crowning event.