It’s far too little and far too late for Chahal to now try to save his political skin by positioning himself as some sort of rebel or outspoken voice within the Liberal caucus
To whatever extent George Chahal has contributed to Trudeau’s current political misery, though, let’s not give him too much credit. His track record of fealty to the leader isn’t erased by a sudden glimpse of independence.
Now, the letter isn’t exactly an admonishment of the party leader nor a call for him to resign, but the signs of discontent among Liberal MPs have kept the questions about Trudeau’s future swirling — questions that he’d prefer not to have to field.
So it’s not a surprise that Trudeau wouldn’t see much point in dropping into Calgary right now. It’s also not a surprise that a Liberal MP in Calgary would be panicked after seeing the party lose to the Conservatives in an ostensibly safe Toronto riding. But let’s also not confuse panic with principle.
Had the Liberals performed better in that byelection, it’s unlikely that Chahal would have much to say about the party’s focus or any sort of a disconnect between the party and voters. We don’t tend to hear much at all from Calgary’s lone representative in the Liberal caucus, and typically what we do hear is very much in step with the party line.
It’s far too little and far too late for Chahal to now try to save his political skin by positioning himself as some sort of rebel or outspoken voice within the Liberal caucus. Chahal’s own missteps in the last election (i.e., being fined for stealing an opponent’s campaign flyer off a constituent’s doorstep) surely kept him out of cabinet and it seems his primary focus since then has been to get back in the leader’s good graces. It’s rather convenient to suddenly realize that maybe that same leader is dragging you down with him.
When the question of exempting all forms of home heating came to a vote in the House of Commons, Chahal toed the party line. But that “no” vote was all we saw or heard from him in that entire debate. There was no public statement from him defending the government’s decision or explaining his own position. Moreover, though, we’ve not seen even a hint from Chahal that he disagrees with or objects to any of the other government policies that have led to so much concern and consternation here in Alberta.
Chahal might genuinely now believe that running under the banner of a new leader is his only hope in the next election. However, voters aren’t likely to forget his faithfulness to the current leader.
“Afternoons with Rob Breakenridge” airs weekdays from 12:30 to 3 p.m. on QR Calgary Radio