The Truth about Trudeau - Bob Plamondon

Want to know a secret? Former Canadian Prime Minister, the late Honorable Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was far from the great statesman and effective leader Canadians have been constantly told about. His flaws were many, and the extensive damage he did to Canada’s armed services, economy and international standing is too much to measure.
For those who admire intellectual prowess and charisma in their politicians, Trudeau did not disappoint. But for any Canadian who takes pride in the country’s political history, economic strength, world-wide reputation or military accomplishments, Trudeau was a total failure. For the first time since Canada’s fifteenth prime minister left office, permanently, in 1984, his flaws and immaturity are stringently outlined by Globe and Mail best selling writer Bob Plamondon in The Truth About Trudeau.
     Politically, the 389-page biography leaves almost nothing to the imagination, to the point that the rendition of Trudeau’s obsession with what many would call unnecessary constitutional change was reminiscent of how sleep-inducing the issue was when it was being played out day after day after day in the nation’s press. Even after Trudeau left his successor Brian Mulroney to deal with the fact that Quebec had not signed on to the new constitution deal or the Charter of Rights and Freedoms – Mulroney formulated two hopeful solutions in the Meech Lake and Charlottetown accords – the former PM rose “[l]like a zombie who will not rest,” writes Plamondon, in his 2013 book. “Trudeau rose up to kill both deals with a few appearances, a scattering of op-eds, and behind–the-scenes work.”
     The saddest irony is that, had Trudeau stayed out of office when he resigned in 1979, as he obviously meant to do, there almost certainly never would have been a Charter of Rights, and thus Parliament would still retain all that authority that has been ceremoniously handed over to unelected judges.
     Plamondon’s book takes you through every negative and lasting Trudeau issue, from his almost obliterating the military through budget cuts, to his embarrassing affection for communist dictators, to his efforts to insult American officials, to his borrowing spree that our great-grand children will repay.
     Plamondon’s writing is so clear and detailed, that it is even possible to disagree with him on some points he explains, such as whether the War Measure Act was overkill in the 1970 October crisis that saw Quebec deputy premier Pierre LaPorte kidnapped and murdered.
     For the truth about Trudeau, this book is absolutely worth reading.

As with most books on Lynne Like's, you can get this on Amazon.ca.