Pierre Poilievre said what many Canadians have witnessed, and the people protecting, and protected by, the system don’t like it.

People are tired and exhausted. They don’t know who or what to believe, and they’re done watching people in power face zero consequences for sometimes criminal behaviour.

These last ten years have eroded trust, in institutions, in leaders, and in each other because the Liberals have built a culture of rules for thee, but not for me.

We’ve become a society with no accountability. And it’s destroying the country.

The Conflict of Interest Nobody Talks About:

Recently, Pierre Poilievre made comments on the Northern Perspective podcast, calling the RCMP’s actions “despicable” for covering up for then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s probable criminal activity in the SNC-Lavalin and Aga Khan scandals.

Here’s the most obvious issue no one seems to want to discuss:

The RCMP Commissioner is appointed by the Prime Minister.

So if a Prime Minister is criminally implicated in a scandal, or several and the person investigating him is someone whose job depends on him, that’s a significant conflict of interest.

The Backstory the Liberals Hope You Forgot

SNC-Lavalin:

SNC-Lavalin is a massive Montreal-based engineering and construction firm accused of fraud and bribery over contracts in Libya between 2001 and 2011, including paying roughly $48 million in bribes to officials in Muammar Gaddafi’s regime to win business deals.

Under Canadian law, those are criminal offences.

Trudeau and his office pressured then Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould to give SNC-Lavalin a special deal to avoid criminal prosecution. She refused. He punished her. She resigned and blew the whistle.

The Ethics Commissioner found Trudeau guilty of breaking conflict-of-interest laws.

But here’s the catch: the Conflict of Interest Act — the law Trudeau broke — isn’t part of the Criminal Code. It’s an administrative law.

So while the Ethics Commissioner can find him “guilty,” it’s not a criminal conviction. The punishment? Public shame and political damage, not jail time. Perhaps that needs to change?

Why the RCMP Looked the Other Way:

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) did consider investigating whether Trudeau or his staff obstructed justice, a criminal offence under Section 139(2) of the Criminal Code.

But here’s the kicker:

The Privy Council Office (PCO), which reports directly to the Prime Minister, refused to release key Cabinet documents the RCMP needed to proceed.

Without those documents, the RCMP said it couldn’t determine if a crime had been committed and the investigation stopped.

How very convenient for Mr Trudeau.

If that sounds like a system designed to protect power, that’s because it is.

I strongly suggest you (and maybe Katy Perry) read Jody Wilson-Raybould’s book Indian in the Cabinet. It exposes the depth of Trudeau’s corruption, and the lengths he’ll go to cover it up.

The Aga Khan Island Vacation:

Trudeau also accepted luxury vacations and private helicopter rides from the Aga Khan, a billionaire whose foundation lobbies the government. The Ethics Commissioner found him guilty again.

And what did the RCMP do? They said it might be okay because the Prime Minister “approved” it himself.

Think about that: The accused, the Prime Minister cleared himself. Rules for thee but not for me.

Insanity.

Rules for Thee, Not for Me:

While Liberals and the country club crowd rage about Pierre’s “tone,” they ignore the bigger issue:

Why do we have a system that protects criminals instead of the people?

Canadians are told to “trust the system,” but the system is rigged to protect power.

The Ethics Commissioner reports to Parliament. The RCMP Commissioner is appointed by Cabinet. And most of the mainstream media which is subsidized by the Liberal government looks the other way.

Follow the money. Every time.

If the watchdog works for the burglar, he’s not protecting the house, he’s protecting the criminal.

Why Tone Isn’t the Problem:

The debate isn’t whether Pierre’s words were polite, it’s whether he’s right.

Is it the watchdog’s fault if he’s dependent on the hand that feeds him? Or should we be asking why that hand controls the leash in the first place?

Jody Wilson-Raybould had the moral clarity to walk away from power to tell the truth. If she could do that to expose corruption and a criminal Prime Minister, why didn’t the RCMP Commissioner?

Bottom Line:

Canadians are losing faith because our leaders keep proving the system is designed to protect them, not us.

When the RCMP won’t touch a Prime Minister caught breaking ethics laws twice, that’s not integrity, that’s institutional rot.

Pierre said what millions are thinking: the rules don’t apply to the powerful anymore. Maybe they never did. But it’s never felt worse than now.

Tone is a distraction. Truth is the point.

Keep ignoring it, and we keep rewarding corruption.

Accountability is the backbone of democracy and it’s broken.

Mark Carney. Brookfield. Explosive conflicts.

Eyes up, don’t be distracted from facts and truth. The Liberal pattern is obvious and the cost truly is our kids’ future and most importantly, our beautiful country.

Michelle Ferreri is a political commentator, strategic communications and media consultant, and the former Member of Parliament for Peterborough—Kawartha