Every once in a while Prime Minister Trudeau forgets that he has no moral authority to lecture anybody about anything and we get what we saw Saturday in Korea at the G-7. He lectured Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in front of the world media on Italy’s record on Gay rights. In a photo opportunity where the two leaders were posing together for pictures, Trudeau said “Canada is concerned about some of the positions Italy is taking in terms of LGBT rights, “adding that he was looking forward to speaking to her more about the issue and “other democratic principles that the world needs.” At that point Meloni turned away with a disguised look on her face. Later she told reporters, Trudeau had fallen victim to “fake news.”
The matter at issue was an Italian court ruling that led to the government telling Italian city councils to stop officially recording both parents in same-sex couples and instead limit it to the biological parent. The move has sparked protests by gay rights groups.
Right as Trudeau may well be that the Italian policy change discriminates against the gay community, if he felt strongly about the issue he could have raised it with the Italian Premier privately instead of “mansplaining” her in front of international media. That’s why they call it diplomacy.
Predictably, the Milan newspaper Libero (Liberal) wasted no time dragging out a picture of Trudeau in blackface with the caption, “this buffoon wants to teach us lessons.”
In case anyone wants to excuse Trudeau’s appearance in blackface as a youthful indiscretion from a time when sensitivities were not as they are now; it should be noted that the use of blackface started to become generally unacceptable in American entertainment by the 1930s and 1940’s. While elements of the practice continued for decades, popping up from time to time, it certainly was generally seen as completely socially taboo by the time Trudeau was using it in the 1990’s and certainly, by the time of his last appearance that we know of in 2001 when he was approaching his 30th birthday.
Sky News I Australia of all places picked up on the story as well and were scathing in their assessment, host Rita Panahi saying Meloni’s grimace while being lectured “really sums up what all of us think of the repugnant, incompetent Trudeau.”
For Trudeau to choose to scold another world leader in public; is another in a series on unforced errors that plays into the hands of Pierre Poilievre.
Leave a comment