EDITORIAL: A petty-minded response to a gracious adversary

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Revealing testimony from the inquiry into foreign interference in this country’s elections has shown how our democratic process may have been compromised.

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Questions were raised about how Liberal Party nominations are run, especially in safe Liberal ridings. There was testimony that, in 2019, international students from China, some as young as 14, were ordered onto buses and bullied to nominate a preferred candidate, leaving open the possibility that people who weren’t qualified to vote in an election nevertheless chose the successful candidate.

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Former Conservative Party of Canada leader Erin O’Toole told the inquiry he believes the outcome in several ridings may have been influenced by meddling from China, but was careful to say he doesn’t believe it changed the outcome of the 2021 election.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau showed a child-like naïveté in responding to O’Toole’s testimony.

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Speaking to reporters this week, he shrugged off O’Toole’s comments as sour grapes from a loser.

“I can understand why someone who lost an election is trying to look for reasons other than themselves why they might have lost an election,” he said.

“The outcomes of those elections were decided by Canadians, not by anyone else.” He suggested the Conservatives were playing “partisan games” with the inquiry.

For the record, O’Toole not only got more votes than Trudeau in that election, the Conservatives won more of the popular vote. It was hardly a resounding defeat.

It also shows a shocking disregard for the inquiry. Trudeau is, in effect, pre-judging the outcome of whatever the commissioner, Madam Justice Marie-Josee Hogue, may conclude. Move on, nothing to see here.

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He should let the inquiry run its course and listen to the commissioner’s conclusions before spouting off about people playing games.

O’Toole has been careful not to cast aspersions about the credibility of the election. He’s not a whiner. When he was ousted as leader by his caucus, he quit politics graciously and with dignity. He’s now cheerfully ensconced in the private sector.

No finger-pointing. No playing political games.

It’s Trudeau who’s sounding petty-minded and partisan, using an inquiry his government dragged its feet over to score political points about a former adversary.

Too bad he can’t show the same class O’Toole did — recognize his time is up and move on.

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