Shield issues

Sometimes the best offence is a long-overdue defence policy update

Justin Trudeau in Ukraine, February 2024

On Monday Justin Trudeau published detailed thoughts about a key function of government that, in Canada, is a matter of exclusive federal jurisdiction. Also on Monday, the moon cast a daytime shadow over much of North America. One of these events was a rare and perplexing phenomenon you would be unwise to look at with unprotected eyes. The other was a solar eclipse.

Let’s concentrate on the prime minister today, setting aside the other mass of rock whose moves have been predictable for millennia. Actually, to be fair, Justin Trudeau and Chrystia Freeland have lately departed in interesting ways from their ancient orbits. The last time I checked in on Endless Pre-Budget Tour ’24, only a week ago, I was pretty sure the slow rollout of policy announcements would cover only part of the budget’s contents. Housing and affordability, probably, and that would be that. Save the less sexy stuff for the big day. But as their tour continues, Freeland and Trudeau are dumping entire chapters of the budget on us. AI on Sunday. The defence of the realm on Monday.

I suspect this tour will help Trudeau get off the polling mat, at least briefly. Last week’s Nanos poll suggested the Poilievre Conservatives’ lead may already be narrowing. That might continue. I do think Trudeau benefits when he is spotted in public thinking about the sort of issues that might interest a hypothetical Canadian prime minister. The Liberals also have a better day when Pierre Poilievre’s broad portfolio of interests shrinks to a single issue, and it’s a carbon Tax Poilievre can’t actually Axe. I don’t expect Liberals and Conservatives to switch places in the polls, not without much bigger changes in the general dynamic. But at least when he’s discussing consequential things on several days in a row, Trudeau seems interested in his job. Since 2019, such moments have had the virtue of novelty.

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