CKNW Editorial
for October 13, 2000

I thought that since Prime Minister Jean Chretien and I were once colleagues on the Committee of Cabinet Ministers on Confederation, some moons ago, that it would only be appropriate that I tender him a bit of advice on the forthcoming election.

Dear Prime Minister,

I’m going to cut to the chase quickly and tell you that you are making a number of mistakes which could be fatal to your chances of forming the government after the next election. I know you are an experienced politician but sometimes we can get a tad arrogant when we’ve been around awhile. Which gets me to my first point. You are arrogant. Arrogant as hell. You won’t listen to any suggestions that some power must be returned to the MP even though serious students of government and the two dailies calling themselves national have got onto this topic. If anything, with respect, you’ve become more arrogant as the criticism mounts …which is the way tyrants usually behave on their political deathbeds.

Now take this Mount Logan business. You didn’t do any homework and find out what the rules are for naming or re-naming mountains and things like that – you didn’t consult any to be affected such as the people of the Yukon and you didn’t consult your own MPs. It was just more of your "my way or the highway" attitude. Now you’ve got yourself in a pickle from two points – first your arrogance has been further evidenced by your conduct and you have created a political issue that you just don’t need. Even those who would normally support you are angry at this. That’s really dumb.

Let me pause there because thus far we have two issues that are against you and issues that Stockwell Day can run with. He’s picking up on reform of the way we govern ourselves and his policies stand in stark contrast to yours. On the arrogance issue Mr Day is falling all over himself to be a man of the people and the fresh face on the block.

This ties into another issue. You’re too old, Prime Minister. You’re past it. And it shows. Yes, I know that you think I’m too old too but I still have a couple of years on my contract and I’m not, thank God for all mercies, the Prime Minister. But you’ve put age in issue with your bounding up stairs six at a time and tumbling down ski slopes. And you know better than that because you are taking the battle to Mr Day’s turf. He’s fitter and younger than you are and you, by making age an issue, have given him home field advantage.

But there is a much bigger issue than the foregoing, In deciding to ride on Pierre Trudeau’s shroud you’ve taken a huge gamble that you can’t win. You have completely misread the public mood and you’ll pay for it.

How so? Wasn’t the nation in collective tears when Justin gave that eulogy? And didn’t the Liberals go up in the polls in the aftermath?

Indeed you’re right. But consider this. Canadians, especially in this part of Canada, suspended their dislike of what Trudeau did and stood for because they genuinely grieved the passing of a great Canadian … and they knew that he had lost his considerable zest for life when Michel was drowned. The emotion and sense of loss was genuine, prime minister, but it wasn’t permanent. You attached yourself to Trudeau at a time people mourned his death – now you’re stuck with him after the freezing has gone out and people are once again remembering what they disliked, indeed hated about the man.

I’m surprised at you Prime Minister – and I must tell you that unless you stand aside and let new, younger blood take over you’re staring at an electoral catastrophe. Every day that passes you’re looking more and more the aging, arrogant, and out of date petty tyrant that you are.

No, Prime Minister, there’s no need to thank me. None at all. Glad to have been of some help.