There are two stereotypes about young people and politics—one they don’t care about politics, and two, the few that are involved are all leftist radicals. This interview with two high school grads heading to college shoots both theories full of holes.
Following is a political article written by one of Youth in Politics’ writers.
Third Ethics Scandal’s the Charm
BY: Nathaniel Saad
No one can deny that 2020 will be a year to remember. While the internet jests of the apocalyptic series of events that have been unfolding, the entire globe being on lockdown, and the way things will never be the same, there is a hint of truth to every joke. Never before has a virus been this widespread and this impactful as millions of cities across the world are forced to resort to extreme measures of safety. Shaking hands, what was once considered a sign of respect, is now only respectful and safe if we refrain from it. Along with wearing masks and carrying hand-sanitizer, this topsy-turvy form of social distancing comes as a first to many. In fact, this year has certainly been filled with more “firsts” than most people can remember. However, for Justin Trudeau, it actually contains more of a “third”.
If the Prime Minister’s goal was to make history, he’s certainly done it, albeit not in the way we might expect. Justin Trudeau is the first Prime Minister in Canadian history to be the subject of three individual ethics investigations… first his Aga Khan free vacations affair, then the SNC Lavalin debacle; now the WE Charity scandal. Without taking into account his own personal embarrassments such as the India Trip and Brown-face, he’s racked up yet another opportunity to see whether or not the Canadian public will forgive his actions.
Now, it must be acknowledged that the WE Charity itself is for the most part a great organization. In fact, they do plenty of international charity, focusing on empowering communities to lift themselves out of poverty through innovative and sustainable means. The only thing is that Trudeau and many others, such as the Finance Minister, completely neglected certain essential details, like the payment of thousands of dollars to family members, bills gone untouched for years, and an already-existing Canadian program that could have used more funding.
While many may condemn Trudeau as being crooked, dishonest, and sneaky, that isn’t necessarily true. There is no definitive proof of vile intent on the part of the Prime Minister. The issue itself is a lack of judgment regarding potential mistakes, an egocentric way of thinking, and the repetitive slip-ups that the current Liberal Government is so used to dealing with. While Trudeau may not be an evil person, his time on camera seems to take up all of the tact and judgment he possesses, leaving none for the moments when nobody’s looking.
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There have only been two PMs since the office of the ethics commissioner was setup in 2007. It’s nonsense to pretend other PMs in our history were subjected to the same scrutiny. This is no scandal.