Errant Judgement

It's such a human fault. Picayune in some ways, significant in others. That someone in the position of the Minister of Defence representing the Government of Canada should behave in such a juvenile, shabby manner. Unable to discipline himself not to succumb to the temptation to demonstrate just how indispensable he is and as such, rightfully accorded the privilege of misusing equipment, highly expensive to operate, for his own private use.

Why Peter MacKay felt that he would be immune from criticism for the flagrant, temporary misappropriation of the use of Canadian Forces' equipment and personnel simply because he is Minister of Defence is something for him to explain. Given that, precisely because he is Minister of Defence he should know that he is highly visible and under scrutiny at all times to ensure he does not seek to benefit personally from his position.

Guess the temptation was just too overwhelming. And, in the process, he tied up the time of a number of high-ranking military officers having to brainstorm how they might accommodate this presumptuous request by their minister, and do it in such a way as to deflect the possibility of due criticism upon themselves as well as the minister, at some future date.

Fact is, satisfying this silly little whim of someone who felt like indulging himself was pegged at a cost of $30,000 to the taxpayer. For an exercise that involves skilled technicians and their well-honed equipment meant to rescue entire ship crews in trouble at sea, and which was undertaken for the purpose of saving Peter MacKay a little inconvenience in time spared.

He was on his own recreation time, fishing along the Gander River at a private sport-fishing lodge in Newfoundland, when he alerted his office that he needed to be in London, Ontario, and they, at his behest, contacted DND on his behalf. Defence Minister Peter MacKay has defended his flight aboard a Cormorant search-and-rescue helicopter as use for government business.
Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press

After all, let's face it, he is the Minister of Defence; one does not casually dismiss such a request. Although, in fact, one seasoned veteran of political fall-out and the propensity of the press and opposition politicians to make hay over such errors-in-judgement, did more than adequately foresee the potential problems that Minister MacKay was getting himself into.

"If we are tasked to do this we of course will comply. Given the potential for negative press though, I would likely recommend against it, especially in view of the fact that the Air Force receives (or at least used to) regular ATIs specifically targeting travel on CF aircraft by ministers." Air Force Col. Bruce Ploughman, Winnipeg (give that man a cigar)

The inadequate and rather absurd fiction that Minister MacKay parlayed in the House of Commons that he had to cut short his personal recreational fishing holiday in the larger interests of taking part in a vital exercise in his official capacity rested the story in a "hold" position for awhile. But intrigued reporters at several newspapers dug a little deeper, unearthing, through Access to Information, a few very incriminating emails.

This Minister of the Crown who has acquitted himself very well, in the interests of the country and of the portfolio he has held for the past number of years, is guilty of having succumbed to a very human impulse at self-aggrandizement. He's managed to land himself into a bucket of hot water. At this point, he should dry himself off, claim ownership of his unwise decision-making and move on with life.

And we can only hope that the embarrassing process illustrating poor judgement is a lapse, unfortunate, but remedied by a man who has fully acquainted himself with his own fallibility and found it wanting.