It has been said乌鸦传媒攎ainly by Americans乌鸦传媒攖hat the U.S. leads and the rest of the world follows. And judging by some of the changes Canada has experienced over the last 20 years, there may be some truth to that.
There乌鸦传媒檚 no denying乌鸦传媒攄espite popular, pro-Canada rants such as those delivered by Rick Mercer, Maple Leaf-waving, chest-thumping patriotic beer commercials and the current international round of 乌鸦传媒渃ool Canada乌鸦传媒� Trudeaumania II, Canada is much more American than it used to be.
Like the U.S., we have a Supreme Court that makes or breaks laws put in place by our elected officials, we are becoming a more litigious society, our last prime minister acted more like a president at odds with Congress in his relationship with the House of Commons than the mere leader of the party with a majority in Parliament. And don乌鸦传媒檛 get me started with the level of control U.S. companies have over our economy.
Sure, we still have many key differences乌鸦传媒攍ike a medical insurance system that works, a social safety net, a federal law allowing you to marry who you love regardless of gender, sane gun laws, beer with real alcohol levels, and, of course, Coffee Crisp.
But as Justin Trudeau乌鸦传媒檚 daddy once said, living next door to the U.S. is like being in bed with an elephant. We have to be careful when it rolls over.
So, it乌鸦传媒檚 not surprising we now have our own version of a self-absorbed businessman-turned-television celebrity who wants to run the country.
But to say former Dragon乌鸦传媒檚 Den TV investor Kevin O乌鸦传媒橪eary is Donald Trump light, is rather insulting乌鸦传媒攖o the word light.
While Trump wants to build a wall to keep Mexicans out of the U.S.乌鸦传媒攑eople he described as rapists乌鸦传媒攁nd ban Muslims from entering the country乌鸦传媒攏ot to mention insulting anyone who questions him, including more than half the U.S. population i.e. women, O乌鸦传媒橪eary has so far only targeted Alberta NDP Premier Rachel Notley for his version of headline-grabbing quips. And he did it with a shockingly polite, albeit insulting and self-serving gesture.
In a nutshell, he乌鸦传媒檒l invest $1 million in the Alberta oil sands if Notley quits.
To paraphrase former U.S. vice-presidential candidate Lloyd Benson when he famously responded to his Republican counterpart Dan Quayle in an election debate when Quayle invoked the memory of former president John F. Kennedy: Sir, I heard Donald Trump and Kevin O乌鸦传媒橪eary is no Donald Trump.
O乌鸦传媒橪eary may be muling a run for the Conservative Party leadership but if he carries through I can乌鸦传媒檛 see the Canadian electorate investing their votes in his political venture.
Talk about 乌鸦传媒渏ust not ready.乌鸦传媒� O乌鸦传媒橪eary would make political lightweights seem like veteran Ottawa heavyweights.
O乌鸦传媒橪eary乌鸦传媒檚 consideration of a run for leader of Her Majesty乌鸦传媒檚 loyal Opposition seems more like a ratings bid for whatever show he乌鸦传媒檚 currently hosting than it does a serious bid to emulate 乌鸦传媒淭he Donald.乌鸦传媒�
While Trump is a billionaire who figures he knows better, O乌鸦传媒橪eary, as he himself pointed out recently, is not. He just played a billionaire on Dragon乌鸦传媒檚 Den.
It seems he乌鸦传媒檚 not a politician either, he乌鸦传媒檚 just playing one to keep his name in lights.
Alistair Waters is the assistant editor of the Capital News.
