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“The look on the face of this head of state, who I won’t name, I could just see him thinking, ‘Oh, my goodness, Canadians really are bonkers,’” said Freeland, reportedly to appreciative laughter.

We’re meant to picture Trudeau smacking down some Berlusconian fossil. But that was, objectively, a bonkers thing for Trudeau to say — and this isn’t just me being a crank. As Freeland tells it, the self-styled Prime Minister of Feminism said, in so many words, that he left qualified women out of Cabinet so as to ensure there were enough men at the table. Why on earth would anyone applaud that?

This week, many more Canadians are partaking of this befuddlement — welcome aboard! — thanks to Sophie Grégoire Trudeau’s Instagram account, where she posted a photo of her and Justin holding hands and staring mesmerized into each other’s eyes. “This week, as we mark International Women’s Day, let’s celebrate the boys and men in our lives who encourage us to be who we truly are, who treat girls and women with respect, and who aren’t afraid to speak up in front of others,” she wrote. She advised locating a “male ally,” clasping his hand, (presumably) gazing mesmerized into his eyes, and posting a photo of the scene under the hashtag #TomorrowInHand.

This did not go over well, as you might imagine, among women who think International Women’s Day is a pretty stupid occasion to celebrate men. Half-hearted defences have been mounted along the lines of “it’s a good thing when men support women,” and it is. But look again at the people Grégoire Trudeau wants to celebrate: men who “encourage” women? Who “treat (them) with respect”? These are nothing more than the most rudimentary obligations of being a friend to anyone.