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Trudeau was the chair of Katimavik at the time, attending many public events. Even back then he attracted a crowd and various hangers-on vied for his time. Boyle could’ve been one such character.

If so, Trudeau should say so, instead of leaving people with no choice but to fill in the blanks with their own best guesses. He could just say he doesn’t recall the meeting or have any clue what Boyle meant.

Instead, the PMO has offered various reasons why they won’t comment on the meeting. First, they cited privacy. But whose privacy? And why? We’re routinely informed of the PMs comings and goings and what transpired. Then, after the charges were revealed, they wouldn’t comment on the meeting citing the fact it was now before the courts. But the meeting and what was discussed in it are an entirely different matter, aren’t they? They better be.

This is a bigger problem than this one incident. The Boyle story is only the latest in a growing tally of questionable decisions. And here’s the thing with this list: There’s a recurring theme.

It’s one thing for a politician to make a few lousy calls here and there that span a variety of subjects. But too many of Trudeau’s blunders focus on the same issue: extremism and radical Islam. Let’s do a roll call, the first item of which brings us back to the very beginning of Trudeau’s tenure.

The PM was elected on Oct. 19, 2015, a Monday. The very next day he spoke with President Barack Obama on the phone. Such calls are often just about exchanging niceties. Instead, Trudeau made his first decision as PM: He told Obama we were pulling our CF-18 jets out of the fight against ISIS.