Is there a parent who has not read to their children at this time of year these famous words? “Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot . . . but the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville, did NOT!”
They are, of course, from opening of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” – the children’s story written by Theodor (Dr. Seuss) Geisel and published in 1957. But who is the Grinch, this grouchy fellow with a heart two sizes too small who comes down from his cave on Mount Crumpit to kill Christmas by stealing gifts and decorations from the people of Whoville?
For this Christmas, at least, we have an answer, courtesy of the Conservative Party of Canada. The villain, it is clear from Hansard, is no less a personage than Justin Trudeau – or to identify him in proper parliamentary language, the Rt. Hon. Member for Whoville.
To explain, the Conservatives have decided to make inflation their go-to issue in this session.
Although there are subjects on which the minority Liberal government is more vulnerable, inflation is a pocketbook issue, easy to compress into a Question Period soundbite.
The Conservative strategy is to demand, day after day, that the Liberals confirm – publicly – that they are going to do what everyone figures they are poised to do: to extend the mandate of the Bank of Canada to hold inflation to an annual rate of 2 per cent. When the extension is announced, the Conservatives will claim credit for keeping the pressure on the government. Meanwhile, they can flail away at their designated grinch, the prime minister, for making Christmas miserable by ignoring the ravages of inflation.
Here are just a few examples from Hansard:
Ryan Williams (Conservative, Bay of Quinte): “Will the Liberals fix the inflation tax on housing by producing supply, rather than inflation-causing cash, or will they be the grinch that steals Christmas?”
Michelle Rempel Garner (Conservative, Calgary-Nose Hill): “The average Canadian right now cannot buy Christmas presents. I know that the prime minister might not understand what it is like to be struggling with a maxed-out credit card, but most Canadians do.”
Opposition Leader Erin O’Toole: “The dream of owning their first home is out of reach for young people because of this government. Why is this government abandoning future generations?”
Blake Edwards (Conservative, Banff-Airdrie): “There are parents who have to make a decision about whether they are going to give their kids lunches for school or a Christmas gift. What does [the PM] say to them?”
Larry Brock (Conservative, Brantford-Brant): “Jennifer, a single mother from my riding, told me that she cannot afford the basic needs for her kids. She often finds herself having to choose between buying clothing and putting food on the table. … When is the Liberal government going to stop printing money to cover up its economic mismanagement?”
Pierre Poilievre (Conservative, Carleton): “Does the Prime Minister realize that every time he takes a trip to the central bank, Canadians have to go over to the food bank?”
O’Toole: “Canadian families are getting desperate. There are single parents worried about Christmas gifts this year. There are seniors on fixed income who cannot afford to fill up their car. There are people worried about transient employment and driving Uber to save for a car over 15 years.”
But will the Conservatives follow the tale to its happy ending? Will they join the celebration in Whoville, when the Grinch sees the light and embraces Christmas?
Cambridge resident Geoffrey Stevens is the co-author, with Flora MacDonald, of Flora! A Woman in a Man’s World. He welcomes comments at geoffstevens40@gmail.com.