Lessons for Dutton as Canada's Trudeau exits ahead of likely Conservative win
There are some similarities between Peter Dutton and Pierre Poilievre — but also major differences.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has become the final world leader who came to prominence during the Obama years to bow out of politics.
It’s another reminder that the optimistic and progressive wave that swept much of the Western world in the 2010s — even including right-of-centre governments in Germany, Australia and Britain — is well and truly over in the wake of Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Trudeau’s departure paves the way for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who blends denouncements of “wokeism” with technocratic language on budget deficits, to take the reins.
Poilievre’s ascent is often linked to global rise of far-right populism, and he has inevitably drawn (often lazy) comparisons with Trump. His combative approach to the press, and his willingness to appear on media channels linked to the right-wing ecosystem viewed as vital to Trump’s win, add some weight to that comparison.
