GOLDSTEIN: Trudeau looks like the captain of the Titanic

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It's unfortunate that the federal Liberal group is in Ottawa these days.

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One must feel like the crew of the ill-fated Titanic, trapped aboard and speeding toward the iceberg under the command of Captain Edward Smith, who would eventually sink along with 1,500 others in that infamous maritime disaster.

Instead, they should feel like the crew of the Pequod, taking orders from Captain Ahab.

Ahab was obsessed with killing Moby Dick, also known as the Great White Whale, which ended in disaster for all of the Pequod's crew except one, Ishmael, who lived to tell the tale.

This is similar to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's obsession with defeating Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre in the next federal election, which could take place at any time.

Poilievre is currently living rent-free in Trudeau's Cape, which is actually more like a mansion, as the prime minister has consistently cited Poilievre's defeat as his main reason for remaining prime minister.

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I remember these two famous/infamous leaders: the first a real person, the second a character from Herman Melville's wonderful work of fiction. Moby Dick.

This was while listening to Trudeau give his account last week of his National Caucus meeting with Liberal MPs in Ottawa, where many were unhappy with his leadership and some were urging him to resign, believing his unpopularity with the public was leading to a decline. in liberal support throughout the country. .

This drama has been playing out in public for months, especially since June 24, when the Liberals suffered a shocking election defeat to the Conservatives in the former Liberal stronghold of Toronto St. Paul.

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Their anxiety only increased when the Liberals suffered a second devastating electoral defeat on September 16, this time in what had previously been another Liberal stronghold in Montreal's Lasalle-Eimard-Verdun, against the Bloc Québécois.

But according to Trudeau, after the National Caucus meeting, the Liberals magically emerged “strong and united,” and that under his leadership and those of previous leaders “the Liberal Party has always had robust debates about how best to address the issues facing us.” Canadians face.” “We will continue to have great debates about the best way to move the Liberal Party forward…”

Enthusiastic about his topic, Trudeau said Liberals are “open” to new ideas and “we talk to each other.” “We share our opinions.”

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Seriously, you have to wonder if Trudeau has lost touch with reality in light of statements like these.

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Indeed, the main complaint from Liberal dissidents is that Trudeau and his inner circle of advisers have not been interested in having “robust discussions” about the future direction of the Liberal Party.

This despite the fact that Trudeau and his party currently lack public support and, if nothing changes, are headed for a crushing defeat in an election that could come at any time.

Immediately after his shocking election loss in Toronto-St. Under St. Paul, many Liberals have been urging an emergency national meeting to consider new policies, a cabinet reshuffle and/or the replacement of key Trudeau advisers, without ousting Trudeau as party leader, given that many MPs They believe they will lose their seats in the elections. next elections if he is still in charge of the party.

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While Trudeau said at the time he was having important conversations with individuals and groups of Liberals about the way forward, Liberal National Caucus chair Brenda Shanahan shut down any possibility of a full caucus meeting over the summer in early July. .

He said that would be “impossible” because of “scheduling logistics,” pointing to another problem the Liberals face: They seem incapable of organizing a two-car funeral, which helps explain why they continue to be marginalized on issues they care about. responsible.

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Liberal MP Wayne Long, who will not run again and has called for Trudeau to resign, said in a CTV question period interview after last week's national caucus meeting that he was “surprised” Trudeau took so long. only 18 hours to announce that he would not resign after telling parliamentarians that he will consider the matter seriously during the National Assembly meeting.

He urged Trudeau to stop listening to his inner circle of advisers and give more weight to Conservative MPs.

To be fair, Trudeau has consistently said – at least publicly – that he will remain in office as prime minister and lead the Liberals when the next federal election is called.

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