At a late-night rally on September 14 in Brampton, Ontario, former PM Jean Chrétien came out to take a few verbal jabs at PM hopeful Erin O’Toole on behalf of his Liberal colleague.
Appearing in a packed room that was just shy of Ontario’s legal indoor capacity, social distancing rules — which Trudeau is only too quick to remind the Canadian plebs of — were entirely absent from the event.
People are supposed to be spread out & standing with their families inside squares taped on the ground. Many are crowded in the front half of the room. pic.twitter.com/yZQluhs3I9
— Ashley Burke (@AshleyBurkeCBC) September 15, 2021
“I learned something very unusual in politics — you know, it’s unbelievable,” Chrétien began. “Leaders of the Opposition have done something that I’ve never seen. They didn’t want [this] election. Why did they want to keep Trudeau [in office] for two more years?”
He then says that calling a snap election is very traditional before rambling off his history with the Liberal Party, beginning in 1957.
Having seen it all, so to speak, Chrétien tried convincing the audience that there is nothing bizarre about trying to seize power and form a majority and that many of his political opponents did so throughout his career.
However, Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion, who is even older and more battle-tried than Chrétien, contradicted these comments almost immediately after Chrétien gave them. She disagreed strongly with Trudeau’s decision to call an election during a pandemic.
Indeed, McCallion called it “unfortunate” that Trudeau took this path, saying, “I don’t agree with [calling an election during a pandemic]. The government should be concentrating on the recovery, getting people back to work.”
Former Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion said after Trudeau’s rally that she thinks “it’s unfortunate” that he “called an election during a pandemic. I don’t agree with that. The government should be concentrating on the recovery, getting people back to work,” she said. #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/J4NfVPe7ic
— Ashley Burke (@AshleyBurkeCBC) September 15, 2021
In his speech, Chrétien also took the time to levy insults at Erin O’Toole over the latter’s climate change policies.
“When you look at the Leader of the Opposition, you know he is doing things I cannot [get behind]. On childcare, on gun control, on abortion, on climate change,” Chrétien continued, lumping in policies that O’Toole entirely agrees with Trudeau on.
“[O’Toole] is speaking out both sides of his mouth [on climate change],” Chrétien said, “Something I cannot do.”
Fomer PM Jean Chrétien is at Justin Trudeau’ rally in Brampton. Chrétien said Conservative leader Erin O’Toole “is talking out of both sides of his mouth” about climate change. pic.twitter.com/WtlveBFDRW
— Ashley Burke (@AshleyBurkeCBC) September 15, 2021
He then concedes that Conservatives are right when they criticize Trudeau’s government for spending far too much but that the Liberals are ultimately justified.
Chrétien received a warm enough reception, as any veteran politician would. However, the room’s enthusiasm felt somewhat dampened, with Chrétien only being strutted out on stage to play defence for his wounded colleague.
