Clientelism, in politics, is the art of convincing people to buy your schemes, then having them pay for the purchase with their votes. Pierre Poilievre is revealing himself to be a skilled practitioner.
Forget about principles. They’re for gatekeepers and the “Laurentian Elite”.
Over the weekend, Poilièvre promised that if elected, Quebec would never again have to worry about a federal environmental assessment troubling one of its major projects -- even those under national jurisdiction. That includes large dams on navigable and floatable waterways and First Nations lands, as set out by the Supreme Court of Canada.
Legault and the administration in Quebec City had been pushing for a major expansion of the federally-regulated port there. It was refused by Ottawa, quite appropriately, on solid environmental grounds. Under Poilievre, it would’ve simply been allowed to be built.
The Saint-Lawrence isn’t a local creek. It’s the most important waterway of Eastern Canada. Past decisions allowing development on its shores have seen the destruction of precious ecosystems. Under recent legislation, the federal government has finally begun asserting its jurisdiction -- and obligations -- concerning major waterways in our country.
The Conservatives have tried different techniques to scrap environmental protections in the past. Harper eviscerated the century-old federal Navigable Waters Protection Act. Now Poilievre is promising to go all-in and simply abandon the federal environmental assessment role altogether.
During Québec’s recent election campaign, Francois Legault proposed the harnessing of another major river to create more clean, renewable hydroelectricity. More hydro is a laudable goal as we transition to green energy but it, too, comes at a price.
The exceptionally competent president and CEO of Hydro Quebec, Sophie Brochu, seemed nonplussed by Legault’s announcement, but simply put out a coded message that read like a refusal to informed eyes.
Brochu was too experienced and wise to get directly involved in the campaign. Legault was clearly making it up as he went along and simply wanted to plant the idea of a new hydro mega-project in the voting public’s mind. He didn’t have a clue what river or rivers he was talking about, but it didn’t matter. The idea had great resonance in Quebec and, judging by his results, that vague yet popular announcement played its part.
Brochu has been getting dangerously close to resigning as the tug-of-war between her and Legault has become public after the campaign. She could well become a sacrifice on the altar of Legault’s development-at-all-costs approach, once his cabinet is announced on Thursday.
Other energy projects, like the massive LNG terminal in Saguenay, could be back on the table despite their rejection by both federal and provincial environmental assessments. Legault plans to anoint a new uber-minister of energy and the economy, Pierre Fitzgibbon, who is openly favourable to the project despite the dangers it poses to biodiversity and ecosystems.
Enter Pierre Poilièvre. He stated categorically that all that was needed going forward was the Quebec environmental hearing board’s approval. Under his tutelage, the feds would no longer be doing their part of the job of protecting the environment on behalf of all Canadians. Quebec could go it alone and Ottawa would stand down on its constitutional obligations.
This is the bold new world of Canadian politics and, indeed, of Western politics since Trump, the grand wizard, entered the scene. A pinch of malarkey, a dash of Ill-informed commentary, a soupçon of hatred and, ta-dam, a pie to throw in your adversaries’ faces much to the delight of your political base.
It isn’t only about telling people what they want to hear. That’s been a part of politics forever. It’s now reached another level. Jean Charest learned about it firsthand when he got turned into roadkill by the Poilièvre steamroller. He was too old-hat. He talked about (ugh!) his vision for a united Canada. Who wants unity when you can just promise to smash things apart…and win?
It’s a lesson that appears lost on Prime Minister Trudeau. He also believes he’s going to be able to use his own considerable skills to engage with voters, talk with them and persuade them. He should have lunch with, and get debriefed by, Charest.
It’s going to be a different political landscape by the time Trudeau pulls the plug on his deal with Singh. Singh should also be wary because the classic Liberal appeal to NDP voters, that they should not split the vote, will be fuelled by a real bogeyman this time.
Thought Harper was scary? Look at Poilievre’s track record. The guy who wants people to identify him with ‘freedom’ did everything he could to suppress that most fundamental freedom of all, the right to vote, with the reform he proposed for his master Harper. It was so wretched and transparently aimed at people on the lower rungs of the socio-economic ladder that even Harper had to back down. Poilievre learned a lot during that exercise. So did I, because I had a front row seat as Leader of the opposition.
The politics of resentment can turn dangerous, as when armed half-wits invade the U.S. Capitol or the front steps of the Michigan State legislature. They’ve been pumped-up and emboldened by shock-jock rhetoric that they have rights which, they sincerely believe, are being trampled.
When the convoy trundled into Ottawa, promising not to leave until the government resigned, Poilièvre brought them coffee and donuts.
Recrimination has become a political movement. Its principal proponents use highly advanced techniques to identify and tap into the public’s fears. Their messages are perfectly attuned to achieve the optimal political result.
Sometimes it can be a bit clunky and embarrassing. Danielle Smith, the new premier of Alberta, says that the unvaccinated are the most discriminated against group of people “in her lifetime.” Not First Nations children killed in residential schools, not the victims who inspired “Black Lives Matter,” not LGBTQ people who continue to suffer discrimination. Nope, the unvaccinated!
She also put out a series of tragically ill-informed statements regarding Ukraine and Russia. After her previous political life, she went into talk radio. Who needs facts when you have a microphone and an audience? The problem for Albertans is that she now has a real job and real responsibility but still behaves like a rambling “shock-jock.”
Not one for turning, Smith now says she wants to include vaccination status in the province’s Human Rights Act and won’t apologize for appearing to side with Russia against Ukraine. Smith would’ve been laughed out of office just a few years ago. Today she’s treated as mainstream.
One of the hallmarks of the post-truth politician is the ability to move on after dropping one stinking pile and pretending it was the dog. You don’t look back, you just keep ploughing ahead. Didn’t like my last outrageous statement? No problem, here are five more! I know how to dominate a news cycle: endless shock and awe.
Poilievre is unencumbered by any known principle and will say or bargain away anything to please and entice potential voters. This week, it’s a promise to scupper federal environmental assessments in Quebec. Why not, who’s paying attention? He only said that one in French!
Tom Mulcair was the leader of the federal New Democratic Party of Canada between 2012 and 2017
