The entire process has been a shambles starting with the government denying the need for a referendum and trying to stack the Parliamentary committee, Liberals walking away from the committee when it proposed a referendum but did recommend PR, a Government sponsored amateurish on-line questionnaire that was effectively in competition with one designed by the committee, and the Minister attacking her own committee. And all through this we had Mr Trudeau claiming that he was open to ideas other than Ranked Ballot. I'm not sure if this was all simple incompetence by an inexperienced Minister and PM out of his depth or a more cynical attempt to shoot down every effort to promote anything other than Ranked Ballot.
 
I'm not convinced that this is a defining moment for the Liberals. But it contributes to the drip, drip, drip of questionable ethics with its whiff of manipulation and cynical self interest.