PM Trudeau on the defensive about immigration
As I told a Canadian friend months ago, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is sort of the Canadian Obama – i.e., a pretty face and fancy phrases, but a wrecking ball politically.
In simple numbers, President Obama left his party in its worst electoral shape since the 1920s. Don't be surprised if P.M. Trudeau's policies put the Conservatives back in power up north.
Up in Canada, the political landscape is suddenly changing on immigration, as we see in this report:
The issue has the Canadian prime minister caught between demands for tighter security and his own pledge of open arms.
The controversy has ramped up in recent weeks, in part because of Ontario’s election of a conservative government led by populist Doug Ford.
He and two other premiers have called on Trudeau to act, and a political sparring match is underway over what values are more Canadian: welcoming refugees, even those arriving illegally, or securing the border?
Reality always has a way of checkmating liberalism, doesn't it? A recent poll found that 53% of Canadians think the country is too generous to those who cross the border illegally.
As expected, P.M. Trudeau responded with the Obama straw-man tactics. He claims that some Canadians are pitting Canadians against each other. In the tradition of President Obama, he does not identify who is actually dividing Canadians.
What we are seeing in Europe, the U.S., and now Canada is common sense, not anti-immigrant attitudes. Everyone understands the economic benefits of orderly immigration and people who bring special skills to the country. "Anyone walking into your country" is not sensible immigration.
What we are seeing is people in Austria, Australia, Italy, and now Canada standing up against open borders that invite people who may or may not contribute to your country.
In the case of Canada, the situation is more profound because of their pathetic birth rates, or 1.6 per woman.
So P.M. Trudeau is in trouble, and he does not appear to have Canadian news media willing to carry his water as they did down here for President Obama.
PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.