Editor's note: This article has been edited to reflect that Derek Fildebrandt has in fact never been convicted of a crime and we apologize for the oversight.
Let's just put this out there: 2019 has been a wild ride.
Whether it's been the continuous scandals rocking the federal government, the ongoing international disputes, or the groundbreaking performance of the Toronto Raptors. Simply put, a lot has been going on.
While for some people, 2019 will be remembered fondly, these ten Canadians have chosen to leave the 2010s with a poor and tarnished reputation.
10. Rachel Notley
Who could forget Alberta's one-term NDP premier? Many Albertans see Notley's government as the source of all the province's problems and rightly so. Under he premiership Alberta adopted a carbon tax, saw falling oil prices and record unemployment.
Notley’s campaign style was full of vicious personal attacks against UCP candidates. Her scorched-earth tactics earned her a reputation for playing dirty politics and this reflected in the popular vote results.
While Kenney was able to secure over a million counts in the popular vote, Notley barely scraped by with a little over 619,000.
While Notley spectacularly lost the election to UCP leader Jason Kenney, she has remained on as the leader of the opposition ensuring that her haters will have a villain to sneer at well into the 2020s.
9. Doug Ford
After being handed a major electoral victory in the province of Ontario, Ford's popularity has plummeted.
The PC government’s cuts have cast a shadow of doubt over its reputation in the province.
Both internal issues within his party and a lack of communication with the general public has harmed the premier's reputation. Ford’s failure to communicate and defend the purpose behind the cuts has allowed political opponents to control the narrative.
Most recently, Ford was booed by a jeering crowd when entering the Toronto Raptors parade as a guest of honour.
According to the latest poll by Mainstreet Research, the OPC have fallen to third place, behind the Liberals and the NDP, with only 22.4 percent of the vote.
Thankfully for Ford, an election is not for another three years, giving him ample time to turn his fortunes around.
8. Chair Girl
What is it about chair girl that grinds people's gears?
I think recklessly endangering people's lives by throwing a chair off of a high rise balcony has something to do with it.
But besides that Marcella Zoia's "peer pressure" defence and continued care-free lifestyle has made her especially unpopular among Canadians far and wide.
7. Derek Fildebrandt
Derek Fildebrandt's character has made him a pariah in Alberta politics.
Despite his attempt to be re-elected, the newly formed Freedom Conservative Party flopped and Fildebrandt lost his own seat in the legislature.
Fildebrandt is no stranger to scandal. Originally he was suspended from the Wildrose party after comments made regarding to someone addressing the former Premier of Ontario as "Mr. Wynne."
Later, Fildebrandt was charged with illegally killing a deer on somebody's private property and had to plead guilty to charges for the offense. In another instance, while still MLA Fildebrandt was found guilty of a hit and run after backing into his neighbour's van in an Edmonton parking lot. Fildebrandt was fined $402 for damages in the incident.
After the United Conservative Party chose to nominate deputy leader Leela Aheer for the election, Filderandt accused them of kowtowing to diversity and picking her solely for her gender.
Eventually, Fildebrandt was ejected from the UCP caucus for these and other blunders.
In the election the FCP was only able to secure 8,982 votes, which in comparison was less than the single UCP candidate for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, Nathan Cooper who won the seat with 10,692 votes. The humiliating defeat led Fildebrandt to quit politics. However, he still manages to somehow continue offending people on his Twitter account.
6. Sheila Copps
The SNC-Lavalin scandal brought the worst out of many politicians, but none so much as former MP and Deputy Prime Minister Sheila Copps.
Despite relative silence and being off the radar for years, Copps decided that defending Trudeau and the Liberal party from allegations of political interference was the perfect opportunity for her to re-enter into politics.
Copps' criticism of Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott was met with scorn from most Canadians.
5. Catherine McKenna
The Minister of the Environment Catherine McKenna might just be the least liked member of the Liberal cabinet.
Ever since the federal carbon tax was announced, McKenna has sparked the ire of her fellow citizens like none other.
Most recently, her barroom comments about how if you repeat something loud enough people will eventually believe it, has only amplified her unpopularity.
Her nauseating, sanctimonious tweets include fawning over climate change hypocrites like Leonardo Dicaprio and Justin Trudeau.
It's hard not to point out McKenna's hypocrisy as she jets around the world taking photos of her travels while telling working Canadians they need to pay more to heat their homes and drive to work.
In the latest scandal, it was discovered that McKenna used a chauffeur to get to an event in which she promoted the virtues of taking public transit. This “do as I say, not as I do” attitude only continues to take a toll on her credibility as a spokesperson for environmental issues.
4. Kevin J. Johnston
It's an understatement to say that far-right pundit and failed Mississauga mayoral candidate Kevin J. Johnston is having a bad year.
Earlier this year Johnston was ordered to pay $2.5 million in damages for defaming the owner of Paramount Fine Foods Mohamad Fakih.
According to court proceedings, Johnston falsely claimed that Fakih was involved in “economic terrorism” and only hired “jihadists” on his staff.
Despite the ruling, Johnston's crude and offensive commentary still continue to this day earning him many enemies within Canada.
3. Ben Isitt
This Victoria City Councillor has made it into the news several times for his actions within the council.
Isitt has been responsible for suggesting things like providing methadone to opiate addicts who are not ready to quit yet, removing Christian Christmas symbols from the public space and banning horse-drawn carriages in Victoria.
Recently Isitt's suggestion that the city should bill the military and Veterans Affairs for Remembrance Day and military-related events earned him the wrath of Canadians throughout the country.
2. Nora Loreto
Nora Loreto is seen by many as the quintessential social justice queen of Canada. Her first foray into Canadian infamy was when she questioned the "whiteness" of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash victims.
Since then, Loreto has found a special niche on the internet for having terrible opinions.
The Quebec-based columnist has attacked a $100 million donation to Toronto Sick Kids hospital because of her political gripes against the donor.
In another instance Loreto also called out a Canadian hero who is the foremost expert on genocide, Romeo Dallaire. Dallaire refused to agree with the label of "genocide" in the report on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
1. Justin Trudeau
Entering into an election year, Justin Trudeau needed a big 2019. Tied in the polls, Trudeau should have had a good news budget, lots of photo ops and some scandal-free months to put him in a good position for re-election.
And then the SNC-Lavalin scandal broke and everything changed.
His feminist credentials are long gone.
His indigenous rights narrative has now sunk.
And every week, is another gaffe - to the point where there are almost too many to list. Most recently, there was the box water misstep that overshadowed his big plastic ban announcement and provided the internet endless fodder for ridicule.
Let’s also not forget the China gaffe, the “thank you for you donation” eruption and the growing list of Liberal MPs choosing to quit politics rather than run for Justin Trudeau again.
Trudeau has somewhat made an art of being a buffoon, so we wouldn't be surprised if he does something ridiculous again any day now.
With just a few months until the election, Justin Trudeau needs to turn around his 2019 and fast.
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