The Shady Side Of Justin Trudeau

Justin Trudeau entered politics in 2008, leaving a teaching job to run in a federal election for a member of parliament seat in the riding of Papineau in Montreal, Quebec. Five years later, he quickly ascended the Liberal Party ranks, eventually becoming its leader in 2013. But it was while he was contending for the position in 2012 that the rival Conservatives decided to make hay over what they felt was a comment that nullified his qualifications as a leader. In an interview with Télé-Québec two years earlier, Trudeau took aim at the western Canadian province of Alberta, a region dominated by Conservatives, and the stomping grounds of Stephen Harper, the country's prime minister at the time. 

"Canada isn't doing well right now because it's Albertans who control our community and socio-democratic agenda. It doesn't work," he said in French, per CBC. He also affirmed that Canada would benefit more from politicians based in his native Quebec than from Alberta, noting, "I'm a Liberal, so of course I believe that. Certainly when we look at the great prime ministers of the 20th century, those that really stood the test of time, they were MPs from Quebec." Trudeau admitted he misspoke during that interview, but disgruntled Albertans didn't buy it. Trudeau's slights against Alberta continued, including omitting it by name when listing all the provinces that entered Confederation during a speech celebrating Canada's 150 years as a country in 2017.

Image was one reason Justin Trudeau cruised to victory to become Canada's 23rd Prime Minister. But he also carried an optimistic swagger and a demeanor that connected with Canadians, reassuring the masses that all was well. Those attributes were severely put to the test in 2016, several months after he assumed office when the opposition squabbled in Parliament over legislation concerning medical assistance in dying. Video documentation obtained by CBC showed Trudeau briskly leaving his seat and approaching a crowd in the middle of the House of Commons. He then grabbed opposition Conservative Whip Gord Brown and pulled him away from the huddle while elbowing New Democrat MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau in the process. Moments later, Trudeau went back into the fray to exchange words with NDP leader Thomas Mulcair while members of his party left their seats to get a better view of the altercation.

After the dust had settled, Brosseau claimed to be so traumatized by Trudeau's elbow that she wasn't able to vote on the bill. "I was elbowed in the chest by the Prime Minister," she said in the House after the incident, according to CBC. "And I had to leave. It was very overwhelming." Trudeau apologized three times for his behavior in what the media called "Elbowgate" but didn't offer an explanation for his actions. "Members rightfully expect better behavior from anyone in this House," he said, as reported by CTV News. "I expect better behavior of myself."

It's a given that Justin Trudeau's photogenic features helped land him the prime ministerial job. So, in 2017, when it came time to select a new Governor General (Canada's figurehead representative of the British Royal Family, which at the time was Queen Elizabeth), he felt that person should have similar features. He insisted on Julie Payette, a blond, curly-haired celebrity in her own right, via her status as one of only two Canadian women astronauts to venture into space. He wanted Payette's cachet to add pizzazz to the position, replacing a not-so-flashy former law professor named David Johnston, and was willing to cut corners on the vetting process.

Payette may have had the right stuff riding in the space shuttle, but as Governor General, she toted a lot of toxic baggage. Trudeau and his selection team were even willing to turn a blind eye to Payette getting nailed in 2011 with an assault charge, which was eventually dropped. Once she became Governor General, her Rideau Hall headquarters blew up into chaos. Employees complained about Payette's behavior, from verbal abuse and threats to allegations of improper physical contact. Four years later, Payette was forced to resign. According to the National Post, Trudeau said, "Everyone deserves a safe and secure workplace, and that includes people who work hard in the Governor General's team. That is something that I take very seriously," although he refused to accept responsibility for her ill-suited appointment.

Notorious for his shallow optics, Justin Trudeau embarrassed himself in 2018 when he took his family with him to India on government business. Once they deplaned, the clan turned into an international laughing stock as they emerged wearing traditional Indian garb. What Trudeau hoped would be an homage to the host country's traditions became ridiculed as an amusing cosplay escapade. But things were about to get worse for the visiting prime minister. Before a formal function at Canada House in Mumbai was to start, it turned out that the invitation list included Jaspal Atwal, later identified as a Sikh separatist who was convicted in Canada more than 20 years earlier for trying to assassinate a visiting Indian cabinet minister. It wasn't until a reporter blindsided Trudeau about that contentious guest list entry that Trudeau was taken aback. 

The Indian media, including The Hindustan Times, blamed Trudeau's staff for approving Atwal's invitation, but the prime minister himself denied responsibility. Instead, he claimed that they withdrew the invitation once they found out about Atwal's past and blamed a Liberal politician accompanying him for adding the convicted terrorist to the list. "The member of Parliament who included this individual has, and will, assume full responsibility for his actions," he said, notes CBC. That said, the damage was already done, as Trudeau's wife, Sophie Gregoire, and a Liberal cabinet minister did a photo op with Atwal during the trip.

One scandal that could have permanently destroyed Justin Trudeau's career in 2019 involved SNC-Lavalin, a Quebec-based construction and engineering company that had previously given the Liberals more than $80,000 in campaign donations. The company approached the Trudeau government seeking ways to sidestep a trial after facing fraud charges for paying off Libyan government officials more than $45 million up to a decade earlier. When prosecutors denied a request for a deferred agreement, the government amended the Criminal Code to introduce remediation agreements, a loophole enabling SNC-Lavalin to pay a fine rather than risk being convicted.

But the situation was under the jurisdiction of Attorney General and Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, a member of Trudeau's cabinet who questioned the partisan intentions of her boss. During an investigation of the SNC-Lavalin affair, she recalled being reminded of the consequences for Trudeau and his staff if his requests weren't met. "In my mind those were veiled threats and I took them as such," she said, according to the National Post. "That is entirely inappropriate." Trudeau downplayed those exchanges, with Global News reporting that he said, "Each of these interactions was a conversation among colleagues about how to tackle a challenging issue."

Eventually, Wilson-Raybould would lose her portfolios and be kicked out of the Liberal party, while the ethics commissioner would finger Trudeau for political interference. SNC-Lavalin would plead guilty to fraud, while Trudeau barely hung onto his prime minister seat with a minority government after a federal election later that year.

In 2020, police raided a Toronto mansion housing an illegal casino operation owned by real estate developer Wei Wei. After he and his family were charged with operating a common gaming house, it was discovered that the accused tycoon apparently had connections to Justin Trudeau. According to the PM, Wei, who previously worked with the Chinese government to revitalize one of its run-down cities, met with Trudeau several times, on occasion as part of an organization representing his native country's communist party. In a 2016 event, Wei was seen with Trudeau in a group shot. Additionally, the Globe and Mail reported that one member from that delegation donated $200,000 to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, named after the former prime minister and Justin's father. He also plopped down another $50,000 to create a statue of the late statesman. 

Trudeau repeatedly avoided commenting on any ties he may have had to Wei or any other Asian figures with communist inclinations admid accusations that such fraternizing would raise doubts about his ability to defend Canada's national interests. "We have always followed all the rules around fundraising and will continue to," he said during the question period in the House of Commons, according to Global News," adding, "But we actually went above and beyond that in making sure all of our fundraisers are done in public spaces and we invite the media to it and publish the list of people who attend."

Despite his sex appeal, Justin Trudeau frequently claimed to be a dedicated husband and father to his three children, a point confirmed by his wife, Sophie Gregoire. "I call him my prince," she said in Chatelaine, "because he treats me like a princess." But by August 2023, that idyllic vision was shattered when they announced their split. "Sophie and I would like to share the fact that after many meaningful and difficult conversations, we have made the decision to separate," wrote Trudeau on Instagram. Gregoire — who included a similar message on her account — didn't waste any time vacating the family's Ottawa residence before the announcement.

Neither provided a solid reason for wanting to end their 18-year marriage, although rumors have frequently percolated that Trudeau cheated on his wife. OSN explored one such dalliance between Trudeau and his Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly but couldn't verify their relationship was intimate. Trudeau had dismissed such allegations as far back as 2014 when the CBC broached the topic. "This is a conversation about the kinds of challenges that any real marriage goes through," he said. "Tremendous ups and downs, but as I say we are deeply in love and committed to each other and we continue to be." However, Gregoire was more opaque when tackling the same issue. "Ask if whatever happened in our lives — I'm not saying it did or didn't," she told Global News. "As if we would answer that."

Critics love to point out how much Justin Trudeau likes to hang with celebrities, from Harrison Ford to Idris Elba. So when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy jetted to Ottawa in September 2023 to secure funding for his country's existential war effort against invading Russia, no doubt Trudeau was gobsmacked about basking in the glow of arguably the world's most high-profile leader at the moment. In the end, Zelenskyy got the better end of the deal, receiving $650 million worth of assistance. Trudeau, however, probably wished that the spotlight would have faded to black. 

The downside of the House of Commons shindig occurred after Zelenskyy's heartfelt speech when House Speaker Anthony Rota introduced 98-year-old Canadian immigrant Yaroslav Hunka, described as a "freedom fighter" who defended Ukraine during the Second World War. Hours after the final standing ovation, it turned out Hunka fought for Ukraine against the Soviet Union as part of the Nazi Waffen-SS Galicia Division. Apparently, Rota invited Hunka on his own accord, skipping the vetting process.

"All of us who were in the House on Friday regret deeply having stood and clapped, even though we did so unaware of the context," said an embarrassed Trudeau over the controversy that resulted in Rota's resignation, as reported by AP. Trudeau declined to take responsibility for the fiasco, a point his opposition jumped on. "Mr. Trudeau must personally apologize and avoid passing the blame to others as he always does," argued Conservative leader Pierre Polievre, according to the Economic Times.