LAKELAND – Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul MLA Scott Cyr says he believes Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to be the "worst" prime minister in history, after Trudeau expressed his intent to resign once the Liberal Party selects a new leader in March.
"Normally, when a political figure steps down, even if they were from a rival party, it’s possible to acknowledge positives about their time in office," he said, in a statement sent to Lakeland This Week. Using former Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley's resignation last year as an example, Cyr said despite constant disagreements with Notley, "It was clear she genuinely loved Alberta and sought to do what she believed was right for the province."
But in the case of Trudeau, Cyr believes otherwise. "In my view, he has been the worst Prime Minister in Canadian history - even surpassing his father, whose policies nearly destroyed Alberta’s economy," he said.
Trudeau’s Jan. 6 announcement that he would be stepping down as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada (LPC), and the country as a whole, wasn’t a surprise for many.
Alongside his announcement, Trudeau asked the Governor General of Canada to prorogue parliament, which effectively hits the reset button on the current parliamentary term. Any bills on the floor get erased, and when parliament returns on March 24 and a new Speech from the Throne is made by the Governor General.
On Jan. 6, Trudeau was quoted as saying, "Canadians deserve a real choice in the next election and it has become obvious to me, with the internal battles, that I cannot be the one to carry the Liberal standard into the next election."
Lakeland MP Shannon Stubbs, who represents a large portion of the Lakeland, was unavailable for an interview but did provide a statement on Trudeau’s decision.
“The Prime Minister’s announcement to step down does not give Canadians the election they asked for. It actually changes nothing and their decision to prorogue parliament was just to avoid accountability. While Liberals take a break for the next two and a half months, we will continue to hold the government to account and ensure the NDP and Bloc keep their word and vote to have a carbon tax election immediately," said Stubbs.
Damaging bills
Cyr believes several bills under the Liberals have been damaging to Alberta. Bill C-75, for example, resulted to "the release of potentially hardened criminals back into society, contributing to an unprecedented wave in crime, [and] impacted every single community in Lakeland terribly," says Cyr.
"Moreover, Trudeau deliberately undermined Canadian industry and farming through a series of harmful bills like Bill C-69, the unconstitutional anti-pipeline bill," he said.
Cyr also said Trudeau's policies appeared to maliciously target Alberta's energy sector, "as if designed to cripple our most vital industry."
"Compounding this was his hated and useless Bill C-30 Carbon Tax, which may turn out to be the reason that destroys his party. This approach has been disastrous for both old and new Canadians," added the MLA.
Speaking about the Prime Minister proroguing Parliament, Cyr said he believes the decision is an attempt to allow the Liberals to regroup and minimize damage.
"This move is likely a strategic effort to avoid a non-confidence vote that could lead to an early election, which they fear would wipe them out," he said.
When Trudeau announced his intent to resign, Premier Danielle Smith, during a media conference, also suggested the Prime Minister's announcement to resign was not enough. "I would have preferred today to see an election call," she said.
*With files from Cole Brennan, Athabasca Advocate
