Venality Personified
It's most certainly true that most Canadians view the character and reputation of our former Conservative prime minister, Brian Mulroney, with utter distaste bordering on the obsessive. He's earned that lack of respect edging over into outright contempt. He didn't have to do anything special to persuade Canadians that his oleaginous persona expressed character traits running counter to our naive expectations that the leader of this country exhibit a high degree of rectitude in earning public trust.
All he had to do was exactly what he demonstrated, his own true character. Memory of which is still sufficiently potent to ensure most Canadians view his stint in public life as the leader of his political party and his installation as the premier legislator in our country with the kind of disbelief that had us asking who on earth voted him into power?
It's been a blessing for the country to have been rid of him, to no longer see his blarney-smeared image front and centre in our daily newspapers. We breathed a sigh of collective relief; good riddance to rubbish. Doubtless there were many in his party who exhaled relief as well in the wake of his having single-handedly destroyed the party - or at least brought it to the brink of extinction.
He has his supporters, some defending his record in administering the internal affairs of this country. There are many who point to his having brokered a free-trade agreement with the United States, claiming it has served to enhance Canada's economic prosperity. While many others dispute this. He enacted legislation to impose a burdensome consumer-services tax some hold to have been necessary. His government continued his predecessor's pressure on South Africa to end apartheid. It enacted some forward-looking environment legislation.
These initiatives, some questionable in efficacy, some decidedly on the right track for the country in upholding our reputation in support of human rights, in broadening and extending immigration acceptance figures, in lobbying the United States to take steps to counter the incidence of environmental acid rain fall-out, could certainly have produced a proud enough legacy for the man. One can only suppose his allegiance to self overrode that to the country.
From time to time tawdry reminders of his smarmy, self-certifying antics would come back to momentarily haunt us, giving us occasion to think back and congratulate ourselves at his absence from the national podium. He was free to pursue all avenues open to him in his ongoing goal of acquiring wealth, by whatever means offered. His past governance having afforded him the opportunity to acquire the status of power leading to many other pursuits.
Not the least of which, in the interim transition from public to private life was the ethically twisted decision to tarnish the public office he was on the cusp of leaving by stealthily accepting cash inducements in the purchase of the authority vested in him as a former prime minister. Now, the allure of being handed three discrete packets of $100,000 cash for unspecified, undocumented lobbying to bulk up his family fortunes has come back to haunt him. And us, as he blathers on about winning yet another assault on his reputation.
But his loyal admirers and defenders are quick to point out it was an error in judgement for which he should not be held accountable, since the man was looking at an uncertain financial future. Needing the wherewith to support his family in the manner to which they had become accustomed. Handily overlooking the fact that he lied under oath when he declared unequivocally that he had no business dealings with Karlheinz Schreiber in the Airbus investigation.
That at no time did he divulge that he had accepted $300,000 in under-the-table cash for unexplained activities that just could not conceivably have been a bribe for his assistance in securing an Airbus deal with Air Canada. That he tardily declared that sum for taxation purposes some six years later. That he was innocent of all charges of criminal skulduggery, he has been quick to claim. Just as he was quick to claim $2.1-million of taxpayer money to settle a legal claim against the RCMP and the government of Canada for smearing his reputation.
Fact is, it is his own actions that have cast a grim light of malfeasance over his character, now ably aided and abetted by his loyal pimps who righteously claim on his behalf that it was all a big mistake, that this poor hounded man was simply trying to provide for his young family. That despite after representing Canada on the world stage he besmirched the office he left, everything is all right.
"So when he left, he had no money. He was optimistic, he was going back to his old law firm, but there is a difference between optimistic and having the revenue" according to spokesman Luc Lavoie. "So the man kind of - I wouldn't say 'anguished -- but worried about how the future would unfold." His family was "expecting the type of lifestyle they had prior to joining politics, which is something he had probably promised them."
Dear dear, we are so heartlessly unsympathetic.
All he had to do was exactly what he demonstrated, his own true character. Memory of which is still sufficiently potent to ensure most Canadians view his stint in public life as the leader of his political party and his installation as the premier legislator in our country with the kind of disbelief that had us asking who on earth voted him into power?
It's been a blessing for the country to have been rid of him, to no longer see his blarney-smeared image front and centre in our daily newspapers. We breathed a sigh of collective relief; good riddance to rubbish. Doubtless there were many in his party who exhaled relief as well in the wake of his having single-handedly destroyed the party - or at least brought it to the brink of extinction.
He has his supporters, some defending his record in administering the internal affairs of this country. There are many who point to his having brokered a free-trade agreement with the United States, claiming it has served to enhance Canada's economic prosperity. While many others dispute this. He enacted legislation to impose a burdensome consumer-services tax some hold to have been necessary. His government continued his predecessor's pressure on South Africa to end apartheid. It enacted some forward-looking environment legislation.
These initiatives, some questionable in efficacy, some decidedly on the right track for the country in upholding our reputation in support of human rights, in broadening and extending immigration acceptance figures, in lobbying the United States to take steps to counter the incidence of environmental acid rain fall-out, could certainly have produced a proud enough legacy for the man. One can only suppose his allegiance to self overrode that to the country.
From time to time tawdry reminders of his smarmy, self-certifying antics would come back to momentarily haunt us, giving us occasion to think back and congratulate ourselves at his absence from the national podium. He was free to pursue all avenues open to him in his ongoing goal of acquiring wealth, by whatever means offered. His past governance having afforded him the opportunity to acquire the status of power leading to many other pursuits.
Not the least of which, in the interim transition from public to private life was the ethically twisted decision to tarnish the public office he was on the cusp of leaving by stealthily accepting cash inducements in the purchase of the authority vested in him as a former prime minister. Now, the allure of being handed three discrete packets of $100,000 cash for unspecified, undocumented lobbying to bulk up his family fortunes has come back to haunt him. And us, as he blathers on about winning yet another assault on his reputation.
But his loyal admirers and defenders are quick to point out it was an error in judgement for which he should not be held accountable, since the man was looking at an uncertain financial future. Needing the wherewith to support his family in the manner to which they had become accustomed. Handily overlooking the fact that he lied under oath when he declared unequivocally that he had no business dealings with Karlheinz Schreiber in the Airbus investigation.
That at no time did he divulge that he had accepted $300,000 in under-the-table cash for unexplained activities that just could not conceivably have been a bribe for his assistance in securing an Airbus deal with Air Canada. That he tardily declared that sum for taxation purposes some six years later. That he was innocent of all charges of criminal skulduggery, he has been quick to claim. Just as he was quick to claim $2.1-million of taxpayer money to settle a legal claim against the RCMP and the government of Canada for smearing his reputation.
Fact is, it is his own actions that have cast a grim light of malfeasance over his character, now ably aided and abetted by his loyal pimps who righteously claim on his behalf that it was all a big mistake, that this poor hounded man was simply trying to provide for his young family. That despite after representing Canada on the world stage he besmirched the office he left, everything is all right.
"So when he left, he had no money. He was optimistic, he was going back to his old law firm, but there is a difference between optimistic and having the revenue" according to spokesman Luc Lavoie. "So the man kind of - I wouldn't say 'anguished -- but worried about how the future would unfold." His family was "expecting the type of lifestyle they had prior to joining politics, which is something he had probably promised them."
Dear dear, we are so heartlessly unsympathetic.
Labels: Canada, Justice, Politics of Convenience
posted by Pieface | 5:10 PM
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