Article content continued

Poilievre has been dismissive of concerns, saying repeatedly and rhetorically that the public doesn’t want another building for lawyers. And, on the eve of a crucial vote at the National Capital Commission, four board members were suddenly replaced, some of whom were likely to vote against the design of the monument.

This government is hardly the first to do whatever it takes to get its way. In 1990, Brian Mulroney stacked the Senate with eight new appointments to get the new GST passed. But it’s puzzling why this monument is worth so much political capital to the Conservatives, especially when there are palatable compromises available. The memorial could be constructed on another downtown site, as some architects and urban planners have recommended, and the government could look like it listened to the community instead of forcing a solution on it.

Even the new scaled-down design was advanced without much consultation. Is all of this simply because the government enjoys wielding power over the people it perceives as privileged elites and artistes, that it simply can’t stand letting them have their way? Even local Conservatives are privately scratching their heads over why this matters so much.

Poilievre is unlikely to lose his safe riding over this issue, and it’s unlikely to be a ballot question for many voters. But the government’s approach fits a familiar narrative of arrogance that opposing candidates will be more than happy to highlight.