Screeched-in McKenna commits a classic political gaffe

Lorrie Goldstein ~~ Toronto Sun ~~ May 27, 2019





In politics, a gaffe occurs when a politician accidentally tells the truth and Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna just committed a classic one. Last Thursday she uploaded to her Twitter account (@cathmckenna) a video of her being “screeched in” at Christian’s Pub in St. John’s, N.L., complete with her kissing the cod.





Catherine McKenna being “screeched in”

at Christian’s Pub in St. John’s, N.L

Then she offered advice to two bar patrons (one of them CBC comedian Mark Critch ) who were engaging in a friendly debate about whether St. John’s is the oldest city in North America.

















The first paragraph sums up why we increasingly find our political institutions disgusting:





“. . . . a gaffe occurs when a politician accidentally tells the truth.”





Most of us are open to change, and can be persuaded by logical and reasoned argument, in a debate. We like to think things through and test our beliefs against new information.





There are some who are vulnerable to McKenna’s tactics, but most of us switched her off long ago.

because he said so. I found the attitude of McKenna’s colleague, Pablo Rodriguez equally disturbing. He claimed that having UNIFOR on his $600 million media grant panel was perfectly valid





In recent months, Trudeau and his cabinet ministers have taken to using the royal “we” more and more - we find, we think, we believe, as in ‘we like to use the term ‘peoplekind’. Poppycock! It is an insidious way of self-aggrandization. “We” know what’s best (and you had better listen to us). There is an unspoken threat of consequence for not obeying.





The most annoying thing about the federal carbon tax is not the added cost, but the extra cost gets us thinking. and we realize that the intent is to tax us into submission.





......... long pause ..........





We allow governments to tax us to provide services we need, however, the notion of governments using taxes to manipulate us, or make us bend to its will, is repugnant.





That is sufficient reason to kick incumbents to the curb.





We must never allow any government to infringe on our freedoms and rights through taxation or regulation -- that is the road to serfdom. Democracy was born from serfs willing to die rather than submit to having their meager earnings seized by greedy kings. And, all that has changed, over eight centuries, is how rulers take what we have earned.





When governments act as our rulers rather than our representatives, they must go. They have broken trust placed in them to carry out their responsibilities compassionately, fairly and justly.





John Feldsted

Political Consultant & Strategist

Winnipeg, Manitoba









CLICK HERE for the full video clip of McKenna’s comments ( now deleted from her Twitter account ) for people to simply ... say it louder, we’ve learned in the House of Commons, if you repeat it, if you say it louder, if that is your talking point, people will totally believe it.” ) for people to simply ...