Bad Faith Politics

Sounds like nasty skulduggery. And to claim ingenuously that there is nothing underhanded involved in its execution, is a bit much. And because it is so obviously partisan, bad-tempered and juvenile, it should be stopped immediately, and acknowledged as an insultingly-bad enterprise to discredit and take advantage of opportunities that don't really legitimately exist.

This is bad faith politics at its worst. Spreading rumours, pretending there is truth to them, and attempting to influence people to act as though the rumours are true, to advantage, one political party over another. It's such a wretchedly clumsy and unethical scheme, it's hard to credit that the Conservatives aren't embarrassed beyond endurance by confirming they're behind it.

Telephone calls have been going out to voters and supporters in the Montreal riding of Liberal MP Irwin Cotler, in Mount Royal, over the past few weeks, to spread the allegations that a by-election is on the horizon with the anticipated resignation of Mr. Cotler. And suggesting his constituents switch their vote from Liberal to Conservative.

As a practise, calling up residents of a certain area to persuade them to vote for one political party over another, this is not unusual. During an election process. When everyone mans the lines of communication between hopeful-to-be-electeds and the electoral public. That's fair game. Anyone can do that, as the parties vie with one another for votes.

But when there's a sitting member of Parliament with no real issues respecting his tenure as an elected Parliamentarian, when someone has begun swirling unauthorized rumours to the detriment of his continued effectiveness and presence in an attempt to spread suspicion and doubt in the minds of his constituents, it represents a low point in ethical practise.

One Conservative commented that rumours of MP Cotler's presumed wish to stand down had circulated for over ten years, so there was nothing amiss in resurrecting them at this point, in an effort to "identify supporters" for the Conservatives. "Every political party in the House identifies its voters in one way or another. This is an important part of the political process".

MP Cotler explained the obvious; spreading of false and misleading rumours does not represent freedom of speech, but rather freedom from ethical behaviour. Just as there are laws protecting the consumer against false and misleading advertising, there should be an acknowledgement that false and misleading political manoeuvres stink to high heaven.