Is Justin’s PMO Out of Touch in its Bubble?

“The political inertia inside Mr. Trudeau’s seven-year-old government is so heavy that the Prime Minister and the people around him don’t even seem to feel the nudges of MPs in their own party – the folks in touch with constituents – who are telling them it is time for those (vaccine) mandates for arriving air travelers to go.”

How classic. As a former PMO staffer I know how easy it is to miss the real issues that plague the lives of ordinary people – in this case beleaguered travelers in lineups made even more unbearable because of vaccine mandates. The PM and his staff are very celibately NOT ordinary people.

When they travel their bags are taken from them and they don’t see them again until they are put in their hotel rooms at their destination. They board a jet plane directly on arrival at the airport. Driven up to the bottom of the stairs. At the destination, cars await them at the bottom of the stairs and they are whisked to their destination – even sirens blazing if traffic is bad. No delays with pesky traffic jams. Keys await them at the hotel and are distributed. Then off to your room where your bags await. The ultimate no fuss travel experience.

I’m not saying this is why it seems so difficult for them to lift vaccine mandates. But the fact they don’t experience what Mr. and Mrs. average air traveler experiences can reduce the issue as a straight political priority. Maybe they can imagine the added anguish this causes air travelers. But then the test is, is it harming the reputation of the PM? Their principal concern. Is he being blamed for airport chaos? I heard a poor cabinet Minister dodging the question of responsibility recently by saying this chaos is a worldwide phenomenon. A classic. 

The other factor that may militate against taking quick action on obvious solutions to obvious problems is that this PM, like his father, likes to think big. This is the kind of tone he likes to strike. A few lines from his speech at the recent Summit of the Americas: “…we must keep working together. Especially now at a moment when our world is facing many challenges like a global pandemic, climate change, and threats to democracy and the rules-based order. We need to deliver for people, and make sure they see themselves in the progress we make. For that, we must ensure we have strong institutions, and take action to strengthen them further.”

Where does reducing wait times in airports for ordinary travelers fit into these grand aspirations? It is a problem for all leaders, and it is exacerbated, I believe, by the protected bubble they move in, removed from the ordinary concerns of ordinary people.