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Trudeaumania — deja vu?

Was this change for change sake or change that was consciously thought out?

The last election featured more character assassination and mudslinging than most of us can remember. Irrespective of how you voted, we have a new leader and a new direction.

From the people’s perspective, it was time for change. I guess that the real question here is: Was this change for change sake or change that was consciously thought out? We’ll never really know, or will we?

Justin Trudeau came on like gangbusters in the pre-election foray. It seems that the apple truly does not fall far from the tree. Like his father, he made several pre-election promises that attracted people to his cause like bees to honey. Trudeau the elder was far more charismatic, flamboyant, colourful and yes, brash than Trudeau the younger is.

Through the campaign, Trudeau made several pre-election promises.

Some of these were: addressing climate change, running deficit financing to stimulate the economy and create new jobs, put a moratorium on tanker traffic on the northern coast of B.C., fast-track the immigration of 25,000 Syrian refugees by December year end and provincial funding for transportation infrastructure enhancement to name but a few. There were some 23 promissory pre-election issues that he alluded to. This will be a very busy platform to say the least. Is it totally doable in the time frame that he has set? Probably not! Trudeaumania will not get it done!

Evidence of this is in the promise of landing 25,000 Syrian refugees in Canada by year end. That plan was pie in the sky thinking. It makes as much sense as saying two divided by three will go evenly with no remainder.

Since making this promise, he has had to backpedal somewhat in his immigrant time status. Now it is the end of February for completion. Who knows if there will have to be another time adjustment for completion?

It proves the old adage that “Haste makes waste.” One can conceivably say, chalk it up to experience or a lack thereof.

OK, so he’s new to the big political arena and that mistakes are probable and possible.

One has to wonder if the pre-election promises were made along the lines of another old adage, “Come into my parlor said the spider to the fly!”

I suppose that time will tell.  However, do we have that much time to see the fruits of his labour? It seems that “charity begins at home has not begun and will not begin.” Overall, what will be different?

Ron Barillaro

Penticton