The Irritating Futility of Partisan Politics

Sure, call me naive, but I happen to think that federal politicians, once voted into office to represent their closer community and their country at large should understand they have an obligation to those people whom they represent and to the well-being of the country itself. That is, a loyalty above and beyond the political spectrum of right, left and centre. True, they can address the needs of the country and how those needs may best be achieved through the lense of their orientation, but they should also be capable of discerning social advantage achieved, irrespective of party loyalty - and cleave to that.

But parliamentarians, being simply another station in life for human beings who aspire to a certain level of control and public recognition, are as fallible as the race they represent. We'd like to believe they are honest and their loyalty to the country transcends that given to any single political party, but that isn't the case, and more's the pity. But they can improve the record of partisanship and should make more of an effort to do so. Take the Liberal party of Canada, for example, and if you're with me, you might do the country a big favour and take them on a long trip of introspection.

Canadians are a forgiving lot with an unfortunately short memory and politicians, knowing this, know also that given enough time all the reeking detritus of the last unsuccessful opportunity to govern responsibly will fade. But great balls of fire! ... sufficient time for the bad taste still lingering in Canadian voters' memories hasn't elapsed, and here we are, back at square one. Square one representing the seemingly heartfelt assurances of a chastened Liberal party that its intention is to re-invent itself, to become a better party, one that can be trusted to act in the best interests of the country, not merely mouth the appropriate mantras.

After all the mea culpas, the self-acknowledged failures and contretemps, a leadership convention was held with each candidate promising to bring their party out of their well-deserved political wilderness. They would shine the light of truth and reconciliation on their lapses in judgement and vow never to return to that sad and sorry state of misgovernment by underhanded ploys, outright lies and transparently pathetic cover-ups. A new leader was anointed who represented conviction and honesty, although he was also tainted by default as an elite of the discredited old party, now presumably put to rest.

What does Stephane Dion engage in now? Fostering truth and trust, claiming to love his country and promising a Great White Way should he and his party be brought back into power. On the road to accomplishing this he goes out of his way to criticize forward-looking initiatives brought to reality by the new Conservative government which now understands it has a responsibility to bring in hefty new legislation in support of battling environmental degradation. Oh, Stephane Dion sneers, they're only doing what the Liberals launched after initially sweeping the prospects aside. Yes, Mr. Dion, during your tenure in the Environment Ministry you mouthed promises to meet Canada's obligations under the Kyoto Agreement on Climate Change, but did absolutely nothing. This new government, having started out on the wrong foot, is actually beginning to accomplish something.

After the Liberals cut back Armed Forces funding and allowed it to languish for lack of support year after year, despite offering NATO and the United States the assistance of Canadian troops in war zones it was pointed out to them by the exasperated Canadian military that they hadn't up-to-date equipment and their recruitment levels were at an all-time low - and as a result the Liberals finally acknowledged there was a wee bit of a problem there. With the acknowledgement came a commitment finally to increase recruitment, to provide badly-needed funds for the acquisition of ships and planes and helicopters. Which never did quite get beyond the planning stages. And which the new Conservative government has now taken up as a first order of business and brought to a reality.

Something more for Stephane Dion and his supporters to sneer at, kind of forgetting on the way that their promises always sounded good but in the end amounted to procrastination and nothing more was accomplished other than to hold out a slim hope which was dashed as the Liberals bickered among themselves about implementation and timing. Now we've got Stephane Dion musing about the too-harsh punishment meted out by the previous Liberal government to its various lieutenants implicated in the sponsorship scandal. No fewer than ten Liberals were banned for life by former Prime Minister Martin as a result of their direct implication and singling-out by the Gomery Report.

Given the outraged and disaffected mood of the country at the time, this represented the Liberals' frantic efforts at cleansing itself of a scandal that had tarnished its image beyond redemption; at least for the near future. Marc-Yvan Cote, a top eastern Quebec organizer himself confessed to the Gomery Commission that he personally handed out envelopes of dirty money - a total of $120,000 in $100 bills - to 12 Liberal candidates in the 1997 election campaign. But Mr. Dion informed Le Soleil he had no personal objections to allowing Mr. Cote back into the party.

The honest and trustworthy individual has suddenly been transformed into a mealy-mouthed blunderer. So much for being an experienced politician, with a vision of Canada, a dedication to advancing the country's aspirations for the future, a brilliant academic-turned-politician. The period of atonement for past sins didn't last very long. Now Liberals feel free to glibly get on with business as usual, sniping, cat-calling, challenging, clinging to the belief that as the "natural governing party" of Canada all will be forgotten, all will be forgiven.

Let's hope not.