The (majority) governing Liberal caucus includes Marilyn Gladu; soon it will not include Steven Guilbeault. Who saw that coming last summer?<\/p>\n
Not me, but the underlying dynamics were identified nearly two years ago. I readily acknowledge that it is off-putting to say I told you so, but if I don\u2019t say it, who will?<\/p>\n
First though, to a remarkable Wednesday in Ottawa. At the morning Liberal caucus, Guilbeault took his leave \u2014 the same caucus that includes Gladu, who lambasted Guilbeault for years in the most excoriating fashion. Indeed, in a recent interview Gladu allowed that when she met with Prime Minister Mark Carney ahead of crossing the floor, she explicitly mentioned Guilbeault <\/a>as one who might object to her joining the red team. No need to worry, Marilyn, the prime minister might have said. Some problems solve themselves in due course.<\/p>\n On Wednesday evening, Guilbeault turned up at the Rideau Club for the farewell f\u00eate for Jonathan Wilkinson, the current Liberal MP recently named Canada\u2019s ambassador to the EU. Justin Trudeau, introduced as Katy Perry\u2019s boyfriend, was on hand to witness two of his former environment ministers \u2014 Wilkinson preceded Guilbeault \u2014 leaving Parliament.<\/p>\n What files might Wilkinson take up in Brussels?<\/p>\n Between the morning caucus and the Rideau Club soir\u00e9e, Canada signed an LNG deal with Germany. It\u2019s not huge on the numbers, but it is massively significant. Trudeau infamously told the Germans that he would not sell them Canadian natural gas when they asked for it after Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n Wilkinson\u2019s ambassadorial role should not be confused with the \u201cspecial envoy\u201d Trudeau appointed to the EU \u2014 St\u00e9phane Dion. Dion, who named his dog Kyoto after the UN climate concord, also served as ambassador to Germany. Wilkinson will be expected to do in Europe what Dion was expected to block, namely, increase Canadian fossil fuels sales.<\/p>\n \u201cI went from zero to my own hero,\u201d Perry sings in Hear Me Roar. Not the vibe at the Rideau Club this week, I would suppose, as it\u2019s whimpering time now for the climate agenda of Trudeau-Wilkinson-Guilbeault. The self-anointed heroes of Liberal climate policy wave goodbye to each other, and the net-zero emissions agenda.<\/p>\n Who could have seen it coming?<\/p>\n Mark Carney for one \u2014 and those careful enough to pay attention to his actual words. Time for the off-putting I-told-you-so.<\/p>\n