By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

nothing changes, mps say

Red Deer MPs, Earl Dreeshen and Blaine Calkins, plus others, react to Trudeau’s resignation

Jan 8, 2025 | 9:44 AM

Both of Red Deer’s longtime MPs, Blaine Calkins and Earl Dreeshen, agree that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation this week changes nothing.

Neither were made available for one-on-one interviews — on this and other related topics — after requests from rdnewsNOW, but they did post statements to social media in reaction to the historic news.

“This changes nothing.
Time and time again, the NDP-Liberals have actively helped Trudeau break the country, but they’re dumping him so they can trick you to save their own skins and then do it all over again,” Calkins, the MP for Red Deer-Lacombe, remarked.

“Only Conservatives WILL put Canada first and bring home Canada’s promise — where a powerful paycheque buys affordable food and homes in safe neighbourhoods.”

Dreeshen, who represents Red Deer-Mountain View, shared a similar refrain.

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“Nothing has changed. Every Liberal MP in power today and every potential Liberal leadership contender fighting for the top job helped Justin Trudeau break the country over the last nine years.

“So, given that Liberal MPs and leadership contenders unanimously supported everything Trudeau has done, why dump him now, right before an election?”

Dreeshen says the Liberals’ only objection is that Trudeau is no longer popular enough to win an election.

“They want to protect their pensions and paycheques by sweeping their hated leader under the rug months before an election to trick you, and then do it all over again,” he said.

“We need a carbon tax election now, to choose between: The NDP-Liberal costly coalition that taxes your food, punishes your work, doubles your housing costs and unleashes crime and drugs in your community. Or Common Sense Conservatives who will axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime.”

In his latest remarks, Trudeau responded on social media himself late Tuesday to repeated insinuations from incoming U.S. President Donald Trump that Canada could become part of the United States.

“There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States,” Trudeau wrote on X. “Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partner.”

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also joined the response to Trump, telling the president-elect to “Cut the crap.”

“We are proud Canadians. Proud of the way we take care of each other and defend our nation,” said Singh, who became leader of that party in 2017.

“Your attacks will hurt jobs on both sides of the border. You come for Canadians’ jobs, Americans will pay a price.”

Green Party leader Elizabeth May issued a statement earlier this week on Trudeau’s resignation saying that while the Liberals broke promises, he has given his life to public service.

“To say public service is a sacrifice is to state the obvious. For that, and especially at a time when basic civility has eroded to where he could be attacked verbally and rudely in front of his youngest on a Christmas holiday, underscores how hard that public service has become,” she said.

“I want to thank Justin Trudeau for his service to his country.”

May also responded to Trump this week by inviting California, Oregon and Washington State to join Canada.

“We do not aspire to be the 51st state … If it was a joke, it was never funny, and it ends now.”

According to the Canadian Press, Liberal MPs are meeting on Wednesday, for the first time since Trudeau’s resignation.