Indigenous leaders from across Canada are aghast that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would call for a snap election going into the fall ‘COVID season’ in the midst of a generational global pandemic. They are so worried that the election will exacerbate the crisis that they are pleading with Governor-General Mary Simon to reject the Prime Minister’s expected request for an election.
“This election will likely cost the lives of thousands of elderly and ill members of our communities,” says one civic leader from the Six Nations Reserve. “That’s too high a cost, for no other reason than to enable Justin to play politics. It’s shameful and he should be ashamed of himself for such brazen selfishness.”
“He abuses the enormously privileged pomp and circumstances that he has enjoyed, but has never earned or deserved, his entire life,” the critic adds. “And now he’s willing to risk the lives of our most vulnerable for a completely unnecessary vanity project.”
Some political observers believe that Simon may insist that the Prime Minister refrain from requesting a snap election until next summer when seasonal impacts on the coronavirus will help mitigate the health risks posed by conducting a national election. It’s widely thought that Queen Elizabeth II would disapprove of the election’s timing, and is increasingly interested in providing constitutional oversight that holds the Prime Minister accountable.
Jagmeet Singh, whose NDP is expected to gain ground in the seat-heavy Greater Toronto Area, has also asked Simon to reject any snap election until next summer.
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