Canadian progressive rock star and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is now dealing with his own #MeToo crisis, and, as you will see, not that well. These are old allegations, first appearing in a tiny community paper called the Creston Valley Advance in 2000 An unsigned editorial related that Trudeau, then a 28-year-old teacher, groped a young, female Advance reporter covering the Kokanee Summit Festival in Creston, British Columbia. The Creston editorial did not include details of the alleged groping incident, but wrote that the reporter involved felt “blatantly disrespected” and that Trudeau allegedly apologized a day later for “inappropriately handling” her.
Nobody cared. After all, Bill Clinton had just ducked impeachment because American Democrats and the news media successfully sold the narrative that a President using his intern as a personal sex-toy was “private, personal, consensual conduct.” The story was quickly forgotten.
Then came the Harvey Weinstein Ethics Train Wreck, and suddenly any male in power is vulnerable to having their career and reputation undone because of a recovered or re-evaluated memory they did that everyone winked at decades ago, but is now proof positive of a dark and irredeemable soul, or something. (This is the point where, if you are Prof. Paul Butler, you shout “Oh come ON!”) The episode resurfaced recently when popular political commentator and Trudeau critic Warren Kinsella tweeted a picture of the editorial last month with the hashtag #MeToo. His tweet was later picked up by various conservative outlets. This is suddenly a problem for liberal leader who has proclaimed his feminist credentials. He has said that he has no tolerance for any kind of sexual harassment or unwanted touching.
And now this. Observations:
- Here was Trudeau’s response to the allegations: he initially said that he did not recall the event. Then he said, well, he remembered the event, but not the incident. “I remember that day in Creston well. It was an Avalanche Foundation event to support avalanche safety. I had a good day that day. I don’t remember any negative interactions that day at all,” he said. The next day, he told reporters that he apologized to the alleged victim for the incident he doesn’t remember “in the moment,” but said he is confident he “did not act inappropriately”…but respects ” the fact that someone else might have experienced this differently.”
Translation of this self-contradicting double-talk:
Let’s see now: He doesn’t remember the event, which he remembers well, but not the incident, though he remembers that he apologized for it, though he is certain he did nothing that required an apology, but he can certainly understand how someone might see it differently.
All righty then!
- And this is why no male will ever be nominated for President by the Democratic party in the foreseeable future. All it will take is for some woman who upon reflection, perhaps with prompting (or compensation) from a political opponent or due to a sudden burst of #MeToo wokeness, to decide that the attention she thought decades ago was welcome really wasn’t after all, and that male’s candidacy will be effectively derailed, unless he is on record as saying, like Donald Trump, “Yeah, I like women, I show it, I sometimes kiss them, and you know what? They like it. What are you going to do about it?”
But no Trump-like candidate would ever be nominated by the Democrats.
- Successful male politicians are almost always Alpha-males who are (or were) attractive and proactive in their interactions with the opposite sex. Most of them will have had episodes in the past that by today’s sometime hypersensitive standards would qualify as sexual misconduct.
No, I don’t believe Trudeau for a second. His father, former PM Pierre Trudeau, was a notorious and shameless womanizer. Do you really think Justin was raised to think overt flirting and aggressive sexual conduct was inappropriate?
- Now I will repeat what I wrote about Rep. Jim Jordan and the recent accusations against him regarding knowing about a serial sexual molester at Ohio State and keeping silent:
“[R]ecent history shows that the best course—which also happens to be the most ethical one– would be to immediately admit… that you were wrong, point out that you were young…express regret and contrition. Unfortunately, it is too late for that now.”
This is especially true in Trudeau’s case, because this is not an ancient story that is just coming to light now, many years after the episode in question. There was a contemporaneous account that everyone chose to ignore in a “less enlightened” time.
Ethics Alarms 
Nice post.
Ok, this one I can understand that things may have not played out as he remembers, and Jack unfair to assume because his dad was a leach he is too. I only give benefit of the doubt because, I a gay man and a guy with Asperger’s who does not like physical touch unless it is well planned, and. I am ready for it. Despite this I have been accused of sexual advances a few times in the past and only once with the gender I might have been interested in, the first incident was early in my teaching career in an adult acting class, I assigned a woman a role as Sophie from Star Spangled girl. Then when her bland reading of the piece I tried to explain her character was a stalking victim. Next day a was called by schools administrator to ask why I made a pass at the woman. After talking to the other students in class I as cleared. Next time was in a stage combat class where I reposition a young lady, so she would not get injured, fortunately the young ladies combat partner knew me! From other classes and explained to the gal I was gay, which alarmed one of the guys, sorry but not my type, straight and unattractive, And it was teaching her safety. Next time my hand did end up in a place I would not want it, but it was an accidental grope, I was showing an actress, a comedy pratfall move when I tripped for real and ended up with my hand landing in a place that horrified me! This time the actrss who knew me well was cool but the stage manger wanted to make a big deal. Meanwhile I was flabbergasted and my sound guy Ed was laughing his head off at my embarrassment. Finally about a couple years ago I get accused of sexual harassment third hand by a woman I owed her husband money, and she accused me of harassing my male employees, and sales reps, never happened, my employees at the time that were male were my nephew and Jacks son. Neither was likely! The case and point is it not always what it seems.
Fair points, but when you were questioned about any of these events, was your story consistent, or did it keep changing? Trudeau’s problem is that his alibi is all over the place, which is a sign of dishonesty.
Never has story changed, never have I been interested in women and most of my boyfriends have been cops or military, I guess I have a type.
By the way I apologized for the misperceptions, anyway as if they were thinking that was that I did not want a misunderstanding, the accusation by the final woman. I blocked her on Facebook and tried to find recourse for her lies!
If an accuser is lying, a normal response would be, “Sorry, nope, that never happened. 100% false.”
If an accuser is telling the truth, and the accused remembers doing it, a normal response would be, “I was ignorant and foolish, I didn’t think I was crossing any lines, I am very sorry, I have evolved since then, we all need to work together to get better, argle bargle, etc.”
But if the accuser is telling the truth, and the accused doesn’t distinctly remember the incident, but knows it’s probably true because he’s done similar things a bunch of times? That’s when I suspect you get that hot mess of an apology/excuse whatever Trudeau just served up.
” … the accused doesn’t distinctly remember … ”
I had that exact situation when a subordinate I wanted to defend could not recall whether or not he had pinched a high school girl on the butt, as was alleged. I was at first incredulous that he could not recall one way or the other, but quickly realized that if he claimed he could not recall doing that, then it definitely was something he had done or would do. Either way, he could no longer be a part of the high school staff.
Good call! Character matters
Color me surprised! I thought he was untouchable, judging by all the worship I see on Facebook. He is idolized in Canada like Obama was here.
I will not snicker or otherwise gloat about this even though I am sorely tempted. Canadian friends have been insufferable since the election, continually pointing out that Trudeau is 100 times more of a gentleman than Trump and would never do anything so crude (‘our leaders have class!’) , for they must be heartbroken and one must never kick others when they are down. Is this another case of the Ardent Male Feminist being proved a creeper? Happens quite a bit….
When will people learn that ALL politicians are politicians? They’ll say what they need to, to get what they want. Do not be fooled by pretty wrapping and smooth words. They are almost all the same.
Those Canadians will find a way to ignore, dismiss, or otherwise mitigate this story… just like was done for Bill Clinton (Slick Willy) in this country years ago.
The woman just has to take one for the cause, you know.
Justin should play the “I was just a child” card. It’s right there on the top of the deck for all victim groups. You know, like lefty pols.