A Letter to my Liberal MP on the Occasion

of my Liberal Prime Minister Welcoming a

Totalitarian President-Elect.
November 9, 2016
Dear Mr. Erskine-Smith,
As a progressive-minded Canadian, I know that you share some of my shock regarding the outcome of
the recent U.S. presidential election. As someone who is proud of many of our countrys efforts to
promote human rights in the world and advance the equality of women and members of other
under-represented groups here at home, I was hopeful that Prime Minister Trudeaus response to Mr.
Trumps election would re-affirm Canadas commitment to what many see as core Canadian values of
fairness, peace, order, and good governance.
Imagine my horror and shock upon reading, instead, the statement of appeasement and friendship
that the Prime Ministers Office issued in his name and on behalf of the Canadian people. This
statement affirmed Canadas close friendship with a country that elected to power a man who has been
accused multiple times of sexual assault, who has driven several companies into bankruptcy, and who
in failing to file his taxes (and boasting of his failure) seems to see himself above the basic values of
civil society.
Mr. Erskine-Smith, I do not want to cooperate with the newly elected government of the United
States. I do not want my government to promise to cooperate on my behalf with a group of people who
want to tear down civil society, imprison those who differ from them politically, and deny refugees and
immigrants. I am dismayed and disgusted at our Prime Ministers message of appeasement, and I
hope that you will use any access you have to him to remind him that appeasement in the face of
totalitarianism has not historically served the appeasing nation very well at all.
History does not remember Neville Chamberlain as any sort of hero, Mr. Erskine-Smith, and I am
deeply disturbed that Mr. Trudeau seems to be following Chamberlains path. I urge you to use your
position in Caucus to call upon the Prime Minister to re-affirm his commitment to the Canadian
values he loves to trumpet: to justice, to peace, to order, to good governance, to taking care of each
other, upholding our responsibilities, and responsibly managing our great wealth of natural and
human resources. I will be writing separately to Mr. Trudeau to urge him to remember his
responsibility to Canadians to represent not only our trade interests but also the values that imbue his
rhetoric in his cross-border dealings. I will urge him to champion not only our business relationships,
but also, and more importantly the country we can be. But as my representative in Parliament, you
should know that I do not support Mr. Trumps presidency, do not share his values, and expect my
government to do better.
Sincerely,

Jennie Worden