Partisans posing as normal people

Althia Raj traces the “protest” of an announcement by Justin Trudeau three weeks ago to the Prime Minister’s Office and some Conservative party interns.

The staged “protest” is not a particularly novel tactic and that this one was organized by Conservatives was theorized at the time, but it is useful to have such stuff explored and explained, even if only to convey the extent (or depths) to which those who manage political parties will go in pursuit of victory. In this case, that means the Prime Minister’s Office was so eager to make note that Mr. Trudeau opposes the government’s Senate reforms, that it was willing to risk being caught out as the organizers of the “protest” of an announcement about transparency around MP expenses at a time when the PMO itself is the subject of questions about a cheque to a sitting senator.

Of course, if the goal was merely to complicate Mr. Trudeau’s announcement and be pictured in the background of photos about that announcement, then the “protest” was a great success.

In any event, if the PMO would like to send Conservative intern by the Maclean’s bureau to wave a sign bearing the answers to these questions, I would be most appreciative.