Wishing me a Happy New Parliamentary New Year
My Parliamentary Wishes
by David Russell
What will it take, for goodness' sake?
The final week of the old year marked yet another milestone for the continually scandal-plagued federal Liberal party as the RCMP launched an investigation into the actions of the federal finance department after allegations someone in the ministry may have leaked information to certain privileged - read, Liberal-friendly - investors about pending decisions regarding income trusts.
Ask Martha Stewart what usually happens to people who get trading information ahead of the rest of the public.
And still, the Canadian public responds with in its usual manner: ho-hum.
And Ralph Goodale, federal Finance Minister, not only refuses to resign while his ministry is the target of a criminal investigation - which, by the way, used to be the expectation in the parliamentary system at even the whiff of misconduct - for several days he was so deep into Saskatchewan campaigning he could not be reached for comment.
One wonders to what group of Luddites the minister was reaching out and if they even knew an election was forthcoming. Half the population within the vast majority of Canada that is reachable by telephone and television are not even aware a campaign has begun. On what cave door must he have been knocking?
Were it that this was the only example, as opposed to but one example, of potential Liberal misconduct the public could be forgiven for being so forgiving. But it isn't. The litany of Liberal misconduct in its twelve years in office is surely unparalleled in Canadian governance history.
There's no need to bring up the Gomery inquiry and sponsorship scandal: that's been covered ad infinitum to the point most people simply do not want to hear about it any longer.
But let's recall the myriad other times in this past dozen years our current government has badly bunged up their attempts at running programs: the Human Resources Development Canada scandal; the L'Affair Grand Mere with former Prime Minister Chrétien involved in questionable dealings with the Business Development Bank of Canada and personal properties in which he held ownership shares; the Canadian Gun Registry program, a $2 million program that at last count had reached costs well in excess of a billion dollars. Is there anyone left in the country that really believes this is a government capable of running the country competently and without dipping its party hands into the taxpayers' cookie jar?
Finally, some signs on the horizon may indicate the public is finally seeing the light. A recent Ipsos-Reid poll actually shows the Conservatives pulling slightly ahead of the Liberals. Both parties remain within the margin of error and I'm the first to confess that I always doubt the validity of election polling anyway, but it does at least give some hope that Canadians may actually be thinking about what we expect from government for a change.
In an ideal world, the parliament on January 24th will look like this: the Conservatives will form the government, at least a minority; the New Democrats, who frequently have conceived many of the best social policies, are Her Majesty's Official Opposition, providing some balance to the Conservatives' fiscal conservativeness; and the Liberals spend some well deserved time mired in third place reflecting on what a government ought to be.
Wishful thinking to be sure, but a New Year's resolution I'd be happy to help the country keep.
by David Russell
What will it take, for goodness' sake?
The final week of the old year marked yet another milestone for the continually scandal-plagued federal Liberal party as the RCMP launched an investigation into the actions of the federal finance department after allegations someone in the ministry may have leaked information to certain privileged - read, Liberal-friendly - investors about pending decisions regarding income trusts.
Ask Martha Stewart what usually happens to people who get trading information ahead of the rest of the public.
And still, the Canadian public responds with in its usual manner: ho-hum.
And Ralph Goodale, federal Finance Minister, not only refuses to resign while his ministry is the target of a criminal investigation - which, by the way, used to be the expectation in the parliamentary system at even the whiff of misconduct - for several days he was so deep into Saskatchewan campaigning he could not be reached for comment.
One wonders to what group of Luddites the minister was reaching out and if they even knew an election was forthcoming. Half the population within the vast majority of Canada that is reachable by telephone and television are not even aware a campaign has begun. On what cave door must he have been knocking?
Were it that this was the only example, as opposed to but one example, of potential Liberal misconduct the public could be forgiven for being so forgiving. But it isn't. The litany of Liberal misconduct in its twelve years in office is surely unparalleled in Canadian governance history.
There's no need to bring up the Gomery inquiry and sponsorship scandal: that's been covered ad infinitum to the point most people simply do not want to hear about it any longer.
But let's recall the myriad other times in this past dozen years our current government has badly bunged up their attempts at running programs: the Human Resources Development Canada scandal; the L'Affair Grand Mere with former Prime Minister Chrétien involved in questionable dealings with the Business Development Bank of Canada and personal properties in which he held ownership shares; the Canadian Gun Registry program, a $2 million program that at last count had reached costs well in excess of a billion dollars. Is there anyone left in the country that really believes this is a government capable of running the country competently and without dipping its party hands into the taxpayers' cookie jar?
Finally, some signs on the horizon may indicate the public is finally seeing the light. A recent Ipsos-Reid poll actually shows the Conservatives pulling slightly ahead of the Liberals. Both parties remain within the margin of error and I'm the first to confess that I always doubt the validity of election polling anyway, but it does at least give some hope that Canadians may actually be thinking about what we expect from government for a change.
In an ideal world, the parliament on January 24th will look like this: the Conservatives will form the government, at least a minority; the New Democrats, who frequently have conceived many of the best social policies, are Her Majesty's Official Opposition, providing some balance to the Conservatives' fiscal conservativeness; and the Liberals spend some well deserved time mired in third place reflecting on what a government ought to be.
Wishful thinking to be sure, but a New Year's resolution I'd be happy to help the country keep.
posted by david russell | 6:57 PM
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