" … the Prime Minister was caught in a storm of controversy Wednesday afternoon when frustrations in the House of Commons saw Trudeau grabbing one lawmaker and then, accidentally elbowing another. The altercation occurred when members had gathered for a vote on a controversial assisted-dying bill. Trudeau, impatient to get the vote started, is seen on video striding over to Opposition whip Gordon Brown. He grabs Brown's arm to direct him to his seat. New Democrat Party (NDP) Parliament member Ruth Ellen Brosseau gets elbowed by Trudeau in the process." CNN
————–
"What sort of man would elbow a woman!" Evidently Trudeau is that sort of man, and on the floor of the House of Commons as well. Trudeau became impatient with members not quick enough to do his will and waded into a group of them pushing and shoving a bit. This doesn't sound like the Canada depicted in John Candy's comic masterpiece, "Canadian Bacon."
Seriously, sort of, this is the kind of behavior to be expected in the 3rd World. The last time we had something vaguely like this happen in the US Congress was an incident involving Dick Cheney Senator Leahy. The "F" word was spoken in direct address.
Of course in the 19th Century there were various parliamentary skirmishes like the occasion in which Senator Charles Sumner was beaten nearly to death at his desk in the senate chamber. But then, perhaps he needed a good beating.
Poor Trudeau, he may have overestimated the potential power inherent in his position. His nice wife is meeting resistance in her desire to have a couple more flunkies around the Prime Ministerial Lodge or whatever it is called. How ungenerous! What is it called? pl
media ramps up gnat coverage. what about the assisted dying camel?
would it be out order to ask what’s going on in Canada? I don’t mean the brawl.
Seems pretty overblown. Isn’t this the same country that gave us the manly sport of Hockey? If not, we southern neighbors can still think so. Sad to see that whiny androgeny is not limited to what’s become of the states.
tim S
“Overblown?” You don’t know enough Canadians. pl
Parliamentary pugilism is hardly new.
Distance between government and opposition benches in the British House of Commons is the length of two rapier blades plus six inches.
Well, the NDP ‘blockers’ who, swaying from side to side, were preventing opposition whip (Conservative MP) Gord Brown from moving up the aisle. From what I saw on TV last night, the swaying trio were Tom Mulcair (the leader of the NDP), David Christopherson and the ‘injured’ Ruth Ellen Brosseau.
Though I don’t agree with what Trudeau did as far as interfering in the procedure (the Speaker should have done his job at that point) and elbowing Brosseau by accident, the NDP believes that they are still the opposition party and not number 3.
@What is it called?
sounds like a Quondam Darling throwing a tantrum.
Col.,
“Poor Trudeau, he may have overestimated the potential power inherent in his position.”
Do you mean he is not the “Commander in Chief” of Canadians? It almost looks like he’s been taking lessons in legislative leadership from Governor McAuliffe. There have to be better examples of Canadian leadership available as role models.
It now seems that there are too many terror and terrorism incidents associated around France or French, one wonders why French speaking countries are more in center of it and not the english or german speaking countries. I think at this time french security is easier to compromise.
Colonel, IMO, our Borgistas in south of border, they don’t like this new Canadian PM.
Col: Here’s a story on the Cheney-Leahy spat: http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/06/24/cheney.leahy/
What about the legislation? Seems a little too complicated and too um, vital to be ramjacked. Am being lazy but can anybody provide a quick summary?
Kooshy,
Only because he’s not pro-Israel enough. Otherwise he’s a perfect avatar for the globalism types. Sold off the gold reserves, demanded more immigration, and now he’s investing Canada’s fund into “low income housing” in Mumbai.
Tyler
Interesting thing that the Macau casino man is backing Trump. A suspicious man might guess that this is to balance their preference for HC. A fall back position. pl
Tyler,
Surely you don’t expect the Canadian Prime Minister to invest Canadian pension funds in Canada to create jobs for Canadians and returns on investment for other Canadians?
it could be about Gingrich. Adelson gave him $50 million last election. The quid pro quo would be that Gingrich as VP is an ironclad guarantee that Israel will not be hurt by a Trump administration.
Far be it from me to be suspicious.
However, I have noticed that our own ‘Israeli lobby’ has been very happy to identify its fortunes – and by extension, those of Jews in Britain – with the Blairites in the Labour Party, and the ‘modernisers’ in the Tory Party.
(It has been reliably reported that Cameron and Osborne refer to Blair as ‘the master’.)
That for varying reasons, both grassroots activists in the Labour Party, and also very much of its traditional working class constituency, hate Blair seems to have escaped them.
(I think it was ‘Harry’ who suggested that most Labour activists would like to see him hanged – he can correct me if, if as is not unlikely, I have misremembered. My own view is that this is somewhat over the top – in general, a long custodial sentence would be regarded as adequate.)
Likewise, the fact that a very large section of the Tory ‘grassroots’ deeply distrust Cameron and Osborne appears to have escaped most of those in our ‘Israeli lobby’. If you look at comments on the ‘Express’ site, you will find ample references to ‘CaMoron.’
A major difference between the United States and Britain is that in your country the alliance between Zionists and Evangelical Christians is very much more significant.
(Here, not only are the Evangelicals much less important – the ‘cult of the Shoah’ is fading with them, as with the rest of us. On this, I speak of what I know, having all kinds of Christian denominations among my family and friends.)
My own view has long been that, if the ‘Anti-Defamation-League’ had any brains, they would long ago have done something about Adelson, given that he manages to incarnate in a single figure a good few of the most traditional anti-Semitic stereotypes.
However, he is not entirely stupid, and his support for Trump may indeed reflect a kind of belated attack of ‘horse sense’.
Sir,
Absolutely. I think they know that to an extent the “gig” is up and they are going to kiss the ring.
Fred,
I’m one of those crazy types who believes countries are formed for the prosperity of their citizens and progeny vs. being a bazaar & spending their blood and treasure on the 3rd World.
Sir
Trump needs to raise over a billion dollars to compete with the big bucks Hillary and her Super PACs are going to use to attack him. So, he’s happy to raise it from anyone willing to write a big check. He’s hired a Vampire Squid man to raise the big bucks. Does that mean he’s gonna be in the pocket of the Squid? I don’t think even he knows yet.
The Ziocons need a little hedge in case Trump comes through. But, their first choice is the Borg Queen as this Times story notes.
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/07/06/opinion/sunday/are-neocons-getting-ready-to-ally-with-hillary-clinton.html?referer=%3Ca%20href=
The question is will Trump continue his pander or mock the Ziocon crew. His AIPAC shtick was epic pander but as he readily agrees his whole campaign is an act. I think at this point it is hard to know what he’ll do if and when he gets to the Oval Office. But…that is the risk those sick and tired of the Borgistas are willing to take.
David H. sometime when there is an open thread would you explain the BBC Board redo?
Saw Armando Iannuci’s MacTaggart Lecture. Sounded as if BBC was being run more and more like the old Hollywood studio system: from on high with the “talent” as providers of specified content.
Between the Borg lamprey and the changing of the generations it isn’t what it was – will this board change accelerate its decline?
He’s only not pro-Israel in comparison to Harper. But you can’t be pro-Israel enough.
Walker
If you mean Webb IMO his American nationalist and marine qualities would erase an Israeli bias. pl
Trudeau is just a frustrated hockey player– and angry that no Canadian teams made the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Colonel Lang,
A running-mate Webb would make a Trump ticket rather more attractive to me. A running-mate Gingrich would make a Trump ticket rather less attractive to me.
I really truly hope that Trump does Not not NOT pick a brand-name Republican for his running mate. EsPECially not something like Gingrich or Christie or some such thing. (I can already predict he won’t pick Cruz because he said his VP would have to be somebody liked by the Senators and Representatives to help get things done legislatively. And Cruz is not liked by any Senator or any Representative. So if Trump remembers what he said about picking a VP running-mate who is “liked”, he won’t pick Cruz).
My own view has long been that, if the ‘Anti-Defamation-League’ had any brains, they would long ago have done something about Adelson, given that he manages to incarnate in a single figure a good few of the most traditional anti-Semitic stereotypes.
that is a feature – keeps them in business. Sanders winning big in rural areas of almost every state does not advance their cause.
Gingrich? Trump might want someone more like a Dan Quayle.
Jack,
“…needs to raise over a billion dollars to compete with the big bucks…”
JEB! raised and spent 10% of a billion and it got him last place.
Ted Cruz did the same to his wife. Maybe its a Canadian thing after all?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x0NP-hTxog
Colonel, on this issue you can call me that suspicious man. I put my money on that , IMO The venetian king’ money for Trump, just didn’t come for his love of republicans.
What a bunch of nonsense. This twit Brown couldn’t back up and go around? And how does one get to be PM and get baited by this simpleminded ninny hammer ambush? It all boggles the mind.
A gambling man will risk/invest a !00 Million on the campaign of the only two possible individuals to become president, for a guaranteed return of 3 billion a year in form of taxpayer’ payback to Israel, without the right to question what is the money spend on.
Mr. Habbakuk,
The ADL fulfills so many negative Jewish stereotypes you think it would investigate itself.
I have met Trudeau (the younger) a couple of times, over ten years ago. I said it then, and I stand behind it today, that is not a man I would like to share a foxhole with. He is much more a politician than an infantryman.
There are several on this site I would consider myself honored to share on with (if I was unlucky enough to be in that situation)…
To all,
I wrote here some time ago that the Canadian political parties misunderstood the nature of Justin Trudeau’s candidacy. The conservatives & socialists treated him as a child, not realizing that he was regarded by the population as the NATIONAL CHILD. They attacked his laziness, ignorance, & femininity…to no avail. In effect, this just reinforced national support for him.
When I was a kid browsing through the public library, I came across a comic book character called Li’l Abner. My mind has always drawn a connection between the media portrayal of Trudeau, and this character.
Today I look up the Wikipedia entry on Abner, and it describes him thus: “Abner was 6’3 and perpetually 19 years old. A naïve, simpleminded, gullible and sweet-natured hillbilly. A paragon of innocence in a sardonically dark and cynical world. Abner typically had no visible means of support…”
This description, in the key aspects, tracks well with Trudeau’s portrayal. He is tall & handsome – but balances it out with a certain simpleton charm that disarms men. Women (in their quiet thoughts, or physically as one HuffPo reporter did lol!) pursue him the way Daisy Mae does. Despite his wealth & storied last name, he barely has a working life to speak of. From his mouth, drips nothing but sweet & comforting honey.
But what happens when such a character shows his ugly side? We allow this in modern characters. But Justin Trudeau, like Abner, is a throwback. The story is supposed to be: the world is ugly, he isn’t. Yet…what that video shows, on the most basic & superficial level…is an impatient, rough, and inconsiderate person. It’s as if Abner suddenly looked at the audience with The Joker’s purposeful smile.
Is Trudeau losing his job today? No. But the seed that could grow to be his demise has been planted.
The problem for Trudeau, IMO, is the woman he elbowed in the chest. It’s not just any random woman. She is a sort of national character herself.
Ruth-Ellen is her name. A single mother & barmaid, who put herself up for election because no one else would represent the socialist party in her riding. Her party was a perpetual loser in the province. So it was nothing for her to be on one of the rare vacations she could afford to take…at the time of the election. Turns out that was the exact moment history decided to elevate the socialist party to never-before seen heights. She won her riding…and earned national media ridicule. They portrayed her as an undeserving ditz, symbolic of some temporary psychosis that had come over the nation.
Time & familiarity redeemed her. She did her work quietly & locally. Made no gaffes nationally. The media came around. She made such an impression, that while the Trudeau’s “red tide” swept across the country & knocked off most of her socialist colleagues…she remained standing.
Here is where the story could become interesting. The socialist party (known as the “NDP” in Canada) is to hold a leadership election in 2017. For their entire existence, they have purported to be a party of the working class. Yet their leadership has always been affluent.
Ruth-Ellen Brosseau, to my knowledge, is the first working class female (if not person) ever elected to parliament. She has endured the unjust ridicule & condescension of the political class…and now an elbow the chest by the Prime Minister.
What I see in her is a potential phenomena, something quite similar to Justin Trudeau. Though less manufactured, and more genuine.
Today alone, you can see the problem she poses for Trudeau. While Trudeau parades himself as THE international icon of “feminism”…his supporters have set upon this woman for “exaggerating” & “lying”. The cognitive dissonance is jarring.
This woman is no Sarah Palin. She is quiet & sincere. Is she an expert on all the issues? Does she have a photographic memory? No. But that does not matter. What Trudeau’s candidacy established was that innocence & sweetness could defeat those other virtues. And with her on the stage, the nation will have a jarring reminder that Trudeau is not really that innocent or sweet.
Best,
Paul Escobar
@ Paul Escobar:
“Ruth-Ellen Brosseau, to my knowledge, is the first working class female (if not person) ever elected to parliament. She has endured the unjust ridicule & condescension of the political class…and now an elbow the chest by the Prime Minister.”
Ms. Brosseau grew up in Hudson, Quebec.
Here’s a little about Hudson from Wikipedia:
Hudson is a municipality within the Greater Montreal. … A relatively wealthy town, Hudson is known for its large, turn-of-the century houses, many of which border the Lake of Two Mountains. …
Hudson has been dubbed “the leafy Anglo-enclave”, as, unlike the surrounding mainly French-speaking municipalities, Hudson has a majority English-speaking population (65% according to 2001 Census), although many residents speak both languages.
Hudson is near the edge of suburban Montreal to the east, but also surrounded by substantial farming and forest areas to the west. Large lot sizes, enforced by town by-laws, contribute to the relatively large number of trees in the residential areas.
…
The town is largely upper-middle class and includes professionals, artists and artisans, corporate executives, and a wide variety of entrepreneurs as residents. There are some 140 businesses in town, 50% of which are of an arts and crafts nature.
…
Another working-class bloke who grew up in Hudson was Jack Layton, the late head of the NDP. Here’s what his Wikipedia entry has to say about him and by inference Hudson:
John Gilbert “Jack” Layton was born in Montreal and raised in nearby Hudson, Quebec, a comfortable and largely Anglophone community. His parents were Doris Elizabeth (Steeves), a grand-niece of William Steeves, a Father of Confederation, and Progressive Conservative MP Robert Layton.
The kind of people that live in Hudson are United Empire Loyalists (the Americans who in the American Revolution remained loyal to the British Crown and fled to Canada). Others are doctors. Others are graduate students who take their tennis racket along to the local tavern for a cold one.
Hudson is much closer to Marin County than it is to Wigan Pier.
Although Ms. Brosseau has a French name, she went to French immersion school. She studied advertising and marketing. More give-aways that she’s working-class (irony alert).
The fact that Ms. Brosseau worked as a bartender in a university bar doesn’t make her working class; given her background it suggests she comes out of the “hippy” wing of the NDP.
The NDP is not per se a worker’s party. To a large extent it’s a coalition of unions and middle-class left-wing intellectuals. There’s what we might call a “hippy” wing—more socially liberal than socialist in the economic sense.
In this regard we might look at what happened in the episode in Parliament. Ms. Brosseau along with the out-going leader of the NDP and someone else had surrounded the Conservative “whip” to prevent him from taking his seat, thus preventing a vote from proceeding to limit debate on an assisted suicide bill. Trudeau got angry and broke the blockade, dragging the “whip” to his seat. While executing his “liberation” manoeuvre, Trudeau accidentally elbowed Ms. Brosseau. The whole episode makes sense as an episode in a high-school mock Parliament. It suggests a certain immaturity all round.
No one is paying it any attention on the street. Maybe the media—the ownership of which is at least as highly concentrated in Canada as in the United States—is milking it for what it’s worth to discredit Trudeau because they want him out.
As for Trudeau as L’il Abner. The guy has a degree in drama. He knows how to handle himself. His father was the Prime Minister of Canada for years, loved by some, hated by others. The young Trudeau is politically correct. Except, it appears, when he loses his temper. Of course, none of this has any effect on arms sales to Saudi. They go ahead.
And so what was the brouhaha all about? Basically the Supreme Court of Canada ordered suicide on demand (think Roe vs Wade) and gave the government some months to draft a bill to regulate it. This was the bill. The bill was contentious, in part because it has restrictions on the availability of suicide. No one is talking about the wisdom of instituting suicide on demand and it would appear that Canada is headed the way of Switzerland in this regard.
Shadow,
A quibbling response. Indicative of the problem Trudeau will face, should he face her.
What were HER circumstances? What the national mind remembers is widespread (mostly Liberal) condemnation that an undeserving pub worker would receive the salary & perks of an elected official.
The Liberals would have to spend considerably to correct that bit of zeitgeist. And if they pursued the line of argument you have forwarded…oh boy.
But I did err, factually, in one regard. I failed to point out Brosseau was a teen mother…and a vegetarian. This, in the nation that produced the “Degrassi” TV series.
There is no doubt, she is Canadian enough.
Mark my words,
Paul Escobar