CKNW Editorial
for November 20, 2000

It’s time we got serious about this federal election, folks. This election is not about which person you will chose as your MP. It’s about who will be the next four year dictator. I’m always saddened and amused by those who say "I vote the person, not the party". I can understand that, I suppose, when you want to get rid of a piece of bad business and get him off the government payroll, like Lou Sekora, who is an embarrassment to his constituency but that’s the exception. The rule is that you should vote for a fence post with hair if he belongs to the right party.

This is, I fully admit, a terrible state of affairs. Would that we had a system where the legislative branch was separate from the executive and we could really afford what ought not to be the luxury of examining the candidates and picking the one we think is best. But we don’t.

It’s wise, I think, the re-examine our system – at least how it is run by Liberals who in fact have been running things almost since time began. The Liberal caucus is a bunch of political eunuchs who are expected to vote with the party any time the party whip, on instructions from the prime minister, says they must – which is every serious vote. They have absolutely no choice in the matter. They are not to concern themselves with what their constituents might think or whether it’s good or bad for their province – they must do as they are told. Period.

But, they say, you should see us behind closed doors! It’s there that we really put out for our constituency. And this is invariably backed up by Mr Chretien or Mr Martin.

That’s barnyard droppings, folks. When you are on the backbench of a majority government it is mandatory, if you want to get ahead, to punctuate your feelings with great deference and respect. For that’s how the system works. If you want to get ahead – and who doesn’t want that "honourable" in front of their name with all the money and perks that brings … or the parliamentary secretaryship that brings more money and nice trips … of even on a prestigious committee that gets to go to fun places … if you want to get along you go along. Period. If, just to take one example, you want to vote for Stephen Owen because he is, without question, a good man, remember his predecessor Dr Ted McWhinney, who was also a very good man. Remember the good doctor on Bill C49, the bill that increased expropriation powers to native bands … remember how his constituents opposed it and how Dr McWhinney publicly opposed it in speech and in writing. And remember how he marched into the House of Commons and, like a good little boy, voted for it because the Prime Minister told him so. That, dear friends, is the system.

If you are in any doubt about this, ask John Nunziata who thought the Prime Minister meant it when he stated unequivocally that he would abolish the GST … so voted against it when it came to a vote. He was tossed out of the caucus and the party for standing for Liberal Party policy.

If we are to vote for the leader because he will be the next four year dictator we’re down to two choices – a prime minister whose arrogance knows no bounds … who won’t speak to the people of Canada except at party fund raisers … who has at present five RCMP investigations going on in his riding … a man who denied pressuring the Business Development Bank of Canada for a loan for his crony, a convicted felon who wanted the money for a hotel that Chretien once had a substantial interest in … a man who, under pressure from the fine work of Andrew MacIntosh of the National Post now admits that he not only pressured Francois Beaudoin, the Chairman he himself appointed, but did so three times, once in the Prime Minister’s official residence. Mr Beaudoin was, incidentally, fired when the loan went predictably sour and is now suing.

Against this is Stockwell Day, a man who is accused of having unacceptable religious beliefs and who is seen by many to lead an intolerant party. How much of this intolerance is simply the vision painted by Liberal spin doctors in ads they themselves admit aren’t true is for the voter to decide.However the resignation of one of his candidates over a racial issue makes it look very bad for the Allliance. On the plus side, Mr Day has promised much parliamentary reform – how reliable and of what substance those promises are is, of course, an open question.

What is not in question is the only issue of the campaign – who will rule Canada after the next election, Jean Chretien or Stockwell Day. Any who doesn’t understand that that’s the question just doesn’t understand how the system works.