Enquire? Yes, Most Certainly, We Should

I for one would appreciate enlightenment on the subject. We read about and deplore the level of corruption among politicians in Third World countries - emerging economies - that better? We call them, despairingly, banana republics. They're not alone.

There are so many countries of the world, those we might feel would aspire higher, whose lawgivers are corrupt and brought up short from time to time with great public display of anger and disappointment, their crimes of self entitlement against their countries writ large in offended newspaper articles.

Canada? We're given a fairly good record of clean politics. Undeservedly, seems to me. Corruption is not endemic in Canadian politics as it it elsewhere, true, but it does raise its ugly head from time to time when politicians feel particularly entitled and use their privileges in ways that are more than a little suspect.

Those, like former prime minister Jean Chretien, who launched so many trade missions to China to encourage trade between the two countries. And who, post-prime-ministership joined a prestigious law firm and became a lobbyist for Canadian oil companies. Now his trips to China are just as frequent, lining his pocket quite comfortably, having used his former premiership as a handy launching pad.

Nor should we be surprised at the quality of this man's integrity, since even while in office he proved himself amenable to draining the public purse without regard for the effects. He tainted his public office by underhanded mismanagement, dispensing largess to his party's insiders and hangers-on in the name of national unity. He wasn't above applying political pressure to lobby in his own self-interested business enterprises.

His successor was just as aggravatingly mendacious in his ownership of a national and internationally-operated shipping conglomerate, taking careful steps in registration to ensure he would pay as little corporate taxes to the country he also became political custodian of. Paul Martin too saw nothing amiss in denying lawful tax payments to the country's coffers, while he excelled at taxing Canadians and cutting back needed social programs, to the detriment of the country's social fabric.

Before either of these sterling symbols of honesty and integrity were installed, however, there was Brian Mulroney whose level of corruption while in office was somehow even more besmirched and cleverly stealthy than his successors. And although the succeeding Liberal government under the hypocritical Chretien did its utmost to discover the truth and indict the Conservative leader they inherited the crown from, their attempts met with failure.

Not for lack of trying. But because Brian Mulroney was too clever by half. Covering up his tracks, denying, denying, always denying. And shouting to the heavens that evil influences were attempting to befoul his legacy as a Canadian prime minister. He was involved with a finagling under-the-counter German businessman; as like is attracted to like. Recognizing mutual opportunities for self-enrichment.

Government contracts for high-priced airplanes could be arranged if the price was right: wink-wink. And while temptingly incriminating bits of evidence were discovered here and there; in Swiss bank accounts never fully explained nor understood; in narrations by another party in the discreet discussions; nothing quite stuck to the smooth veneer of this man. Even though investigative reporters wrote of his having conducted less than licit meetings with a suspect character, accepting envelopes containing hundreds of thousands in cash.

Denial, denial. And affront galore. And, when all else fails, counter-attack. Which is what law suits generally do, most effectively. This grasping and self-serving politician sued the government he had once represented in the highest office of the land. Availing himself handily, under the guise of offended vulnerability, to millions of dollars representing the hard-earned tax hand-overs of ordinary citizens of the country.

So when our current prime minister, himself a master of integrity, and honestly beyond dispute as an honourable man, and a gifted politician, asserts that there is no need to launch a further investigation into the stealth-operation of accepting bribes, then waiting a decade to declare them as honest income, he is wrong. There is a need, a dire need.

Each of these men whose self interest trumped their dedication to the public position of trust they held should be held accountable for their malfeasance.