By Aly Kamadia, Editor-In-Chief, iDose

Accusing Prime Minister Trudeau of being a highly flawed man is misguided. Such an accusation is far too generous.

In 2017, an ethics commissioner’s investigation concluded that Mr. Trudeau had violated four provisions of the Conflict of Interest Act. In 2019, a second ethics commissioner’s report found that Mr. Trudeau once again violated a provision of the Conflict of Interest Act. (Mr. Trudeau was also investigated a third time, which will be put aside for this brief commentary.)

These findings distinguished Mr. Trudeau as being the first Prime Minister in Canadian history to violate the Conflict of Interest Act on two separate occasions. Moreover, the second instance involved Mr. Trudeau seeking to stop then Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould from enforcing the law (i.e., doing her job). When viewed in its entirety, the second episode left no doubt of Mr. Trudeau’s capability to spit at the rule of law and toss ethical considerations in the trash whenever it was politically convenient.

The latter is exactly what he did when calling for an election (that costed over $600 million) in the middle of a pandemic, with an intensifying delta-driven fourth wave that is bringing some of Canada’s provincial health systems to their knees.   

Given his hideous character and lack of judgement, which has been demonstrated repeatedly throughout his tenure, Mr. Trudeau is simply unfit to be Prime Minister.

What about Conservative leader Erin O’Toole?

It’s one thing if a political leader claims that, in theory, the state should not be permitted to force mandatory vaccinations upon its citizens. Though Mr. O’Toole has gone further.

Candidates running for office from any party have a higher degree of responsibility for the public good than the average citizen. They’re supposed to at least act like leaders, and encourage vaccinations by example.

In consideration thereof, the fact that Mr. O’Toole is not requiring his candidates to get vaccinated during a ‘once in a century pandemic’ is ludicrous, and constitutes an utter lack of judgement.

Also highly questionable are a number of Mr. O’Toole’s policy proposals.

For example, while he hasn’t spread right-wing propaganda of climate change not being real, Mr. O’Toole’s solutions fall short and aren’t the least bit transformational.

As a number of sources mention, the child care refundable tax credit that the Conservatives are offering is hardly a fix.

On international affairs, it’s disingenuous for Mr. O’Toole to talk about Canada ‘getting tough with China’. In terms of military and economic power, Canada is weaker than a fragile infant. To believe that we could threaten our way into influencing China’s behavior is comical.

Given the aforementioned considerations, it’s clear that Mr. O’Toole suffers from a lack of a common sense, and is thus also unqualified to be Prime Minister.

That said, if only Trudeau or O’Toole are destined to be Canada’s next Prime Minister, both of whom are unequivocally unqualified for the job, who will I vote for?

Or, to alter the question ever so slightly, what will I vote against?

I am completely against the idea of either Trudeau or O’Toole winning a majority government, which CBC’s poll tracker projects the likelihood of being 15% and 1% respectively. (More broadly, CBC currently projects a roughly 75% likelihood of a Liberal victory, and a roughly 25% chance of a Conservative victory).

Fortunately, I live in a riding where it is extremely likely that the Conservative MP will be re-elected. I say ‘fortunate’ in the sense that I am not burdened with any tricky voting decisions. My vote will, in practical terms, make absolutely no difference no matter which party I select. 

Within the context of assessing that both party leaders are unfit to be Prime Minister, my conscience is clear with the decision that I have made: Abstain from voting in Canada’s 2021 election.

My hope is that Trudeau does not win a majority, and that the NDP, despite my numerous reservations with them, remain in a crucial position to influence the nation’s future.

Fingers crossed.  

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Aly Kamadia is Editor-In-Chief of iDose. To read selected articles by Kamadia, click here.