Trudeau cabinet has car trouble on the way to bigger things

Justin Trudeau's cabinet last gathered together in Kananaskis, Alta., in late April.

Back then, there was no reason to question Jane Philpott's transportation choices, Hunter Tootoo was still fisheries minister, the House leader had been an MP for more than 10 months, Motion No. 6 attempting to limit Commons debate had not yet reached the notice paper, the government's new payroll system was said to be experiencing only scattered issues and we could only imagine what the prime minister looked like with his shirt off at a wedding.

It was a simpler time.

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Of course, a government's life, like any human endeavour, only ever gets more complicated, in small ways and big ways.

And as the cabinet gathers this week in Sudbury, Ont., the prime minister freshly buoyed and burdened by the daunting endorsement of Gord Downie,it has small and big things to consider, and perhaps worry about.

Bunking together ahead of a frenetic fall

Ministers will be bunking together in dorm roomsat Laurentian University, which should at least reduce the risk of an extravagant bill on the public accounts (although, if memory serves, it might increase the odds of staying up all night playing video games).

The topics for official discussion are toinclude the prime minister's upcoming meeting with the premiers on climate change, the government's fall agenda, Indigenous reconciliation and dealings between Canada and the United States.

Canadian ambassador to the U.S. David MacNaughton will address cabinet on the latter. Sir Michael Barber, the British political guruwho has put great thought into how governments can deliver on their commitments, will meet with the cabinet for a third time (having taken part in the cabinet's two previous retreats as well).

For the 30 ministers, there are the makings of a frenetic fall.

Pipelines, pot and peacekeeping

In addition to a national plan on climate change (merely the sort of endeavour that could be foremost in this government's legacy),the provinces would also like to discuss health care Health MinisterPhilpott wants new health accords in place by the end of the year.

There are20 vacancies on the Senateto be filled and aseat on the Supreme Courtwill open up in September.

The government must decide bySept.22 whether to appeal a federal court's decision to strike down the conditional approval of Northern Gateway. A decision on Pacific Northwest LNG is due in early October. Andcabinet must decide whether to approve theTransMountainpipeline by Dec.19.

A "discussion paper" from thetask force on Canada Post is duein September. The task force on the legalizationof marijuana is to issue a final report in November. And the special House of Commons committee on electoral reform is required toreport back by December.

Somewhere in there the finance minister, who has expert panels considering economic growth and tax code reform,will be expected to deliver the falleconomic and fiscal update.

A new office forde-radicalizationis expected to be established. Legislation on expanding the Canada Pension Plan will have to be passed. Perhaps there'll be a decision on a peacekeeping mission. And there's an innovation agenda being put together.

These are the sorts of things that can define a government and change a country.

Beside all that, the question of Jane Philpott'scar service might not seem to matter too much. But, of course, it does. Or, at least, it could.

Outstanding questions for Jane Philpott

Through her office, the minister has acknowledged the charges incurred were excessive and promised to repay all costs over and above the market rate. But it might've been nice to see and hear Philpott saying those things on camera by now, while also addressing the outstanding questions of the proprietor's support of her campaign and whether shemisled the House of Commons when she indicated she had not travelled in a "limousine."

Philpott will no doubt be pursued on Sunday when reporters gather outside the cabinet's confab.

Quite possibly this will not amount to anything pivotal. The last government, for instance,managed nearly a decade in power despite its own dalliances withlimousinesandminor furors overmisplaced briefs,a misplaced recorder, a makeup artistand a littlemeddling withan access to information request.

But the Conservatives are intent oncompiling evidence of possible excess and the Liberals might at least try to avoid making that too easy a task.

"When we make a mistake as all governments do it is important that we acknowledge that mistake and learn from it," the prime minister wrote in an open letter to Canadians last November.

So perhapsthis week, in between sorting outclimate change and how to improve the welfare of Indigenous peoples, ministers can have a chat about proper expectations forbooking a car (and whether acknowledging one's mistake might be done more readily).

Small failures in the pursuit of big things

Small things can add up to a big thing. And perhaps the worstpossibility is that the smallthings comes to seem indicative of something inherent to the government: arrogance or carelessness or mismanagement..

This is a government committedto spending and doingbig things. So it might not want to reinforce the idea that it can't be trusted to spend and act responsibly.

And presumably some number of mistakes will be made in the process of doing the big things.

"We know that you do not expect us to be perfect," Trudeau wrote last fall, neatly preparing the country forinevitable disappointment, "but you expect us to work tirelessly, and to be honest, open, and sincere in our efforts to serve the public interest."

But the impossibility of perfection does not quite excuse all missteps. And stalking this government are its own ambitious promises and its commitmentto doing things differently.

Promises might not be kept, actions might go awry, the new House leader might have to use time allocation. What then?

Big things go in the history books, but small failures can grind away.