Please Advise! Is Justin Trudeau Done?

[Editor’s note: Steve Burgess is an accredited spin doctor with a PhD in Centrifugal Rhetoric from the University of SASE, situated on the lovely campus of PO Box 7650, Cayman Islands. In this space he dispenses PR advice to politicians, the rich and famous, the troubled and well-heeled, the wealthy and gullible.]

Dear Dr. Steve,

Finance minister Chrystia Freeland's shock resignation just hours before delivering her scheduled economic statement has thrown the Liberal government into turmoil. Her parting statement made clear she did not support the prime minister's economic plan, including his temporary GST holiday. Calls for his resignation are coming from every party including his own. Is Justin Trudeau doomed?

Signed,

Budget Jones

Dear Budget,

We should all thank Chrystia Freeland for this lesson. With the recent Canada Post disruptions, it can be hard to know the best way to deliver a holiday message. Freeland showed us how it's done.

And then, having kneecapped the prime minister like a gangster on Monday, Freeland put on a red dress and strolled into the Liberal holiday party Tuesday. And you thought your staff parties were awkward. At least there was little chance of anyone getting too drunk and making out. They must have had metal detectors at the door.

The erstwhile finance minister is the talk of Canada town. A new book about Freeland, Chrystia, was supposed to arrive in February but publisher House of Anansi is rushing it into stores this week. And bonus — thanks to the prime minister, it will be GST-free. Alanis Morissette has a word for that.

Trudeau had made the remarkable decision to tell Freeland, shortly before she was to deliver the economic statement, that she was being bumped out of her job as finance minister, into some vague U.S.-Canada liaison position.

Heck of a strategy, Justin. Hey Chrystia, we want you to give the toast to the bride, but you're not allowed to stick around for the reception. Can't wait to hear what you have to say!

Trudeau might want to characterize the departure of Freeland and impending loss of housing minister Sean Fraser as rats leaving the sinking ship, but it's got to hurt when those rats are wearing epaulettes. Apparently Trudeau's plan is to get former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney to step onboard the Good Ship Liberal. What a tempting offer. We're having a special this week, Mark — sign up and get a free life preserver.

But if Carney is not overeager to join the crew, there are people with an eye on the captain's chair.

Former B.C. premier Christy Clark happened to be in Ottawa this week. Clark recently said she “would like to be part of the discussion about the future direction of the Liberal party and the country.”

A bid for the leadership makes a certain amount of sense for a dark horse candidate like Clark. It's a “buy low, sell high” strategy — easier to make a winning offer on a house when it’s on fire. Unfortunately for Clark, an October Angus Reid survey showed her poll numbers with Liberal supporters are worse than Baroness von Schraeder's were with the von Trapp children. (For those not familiar with The Sound of Music, the Baroness was the foe Julie Andrews defeated before she took on the Nazis.)

As for Freeland, she is certainly top of mind for those Liberals seeking a new skipper. Trump helped out by referring to Freeland as “totally toxic.” Freeland should send Trump a token of thanks for that Christmas gift —perhaps a fruitcake. It's always a privilege to join the ranks of Trump's “nasty women.” Is it too late to stick that quote on the back of the book?

For that matter, Freeland should be pretty glad she didn't have to serve up the deluxe turd platter that was the government's economic statement. It showed a huge deficit. Plus the loonie is way down.

But the real currency question of the week concerns the prime minister: has the penny dropped? Has Trudeau finally figured out that he has run out of runway?

Reports suggest Trudeau is still inclined to hang on, despite his increasing isolation. It's like a cross between Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. They keep stabbing him and he keeps saying “It's only a flesh wound.” How do you assassinate someone who simply refuses to pay attention?

Holiday movies are hitting different this year. Dr. Steve can't be the only one who sighed while watching The Sound of Music, recalling the days when Nazis were the bad guys.

And Justin? He must be experiencing the uncomfortable realization that he shares something with Donald Trump — they have both been cast in sequels to Home Alone.