CKNW Editorial
for May 15, 2001

Before I get started let me state firmly that in my view not one single New Democrat deserves to be elected tomorrow. Not one. No matter what constituency I found myself in I would vote other than NDP.

Now that’s out of the way, let’s talk a bit about oppositions and why they’re important.

I have received considerable email telling me that the McKenna government in New Brunswick that was without an opposition and the Klein government in Alberta that has been very short in that department were nevertheless good governments. And perhaps they were – I have never lived in either place and can only tell you that from what I’ve been able to learn these were good governments if you listen to government supporters – not so great if you talk to those who were of a different persuasion.

The point is that we operate in an adversarial system. Many might wish it otherwise but that’s the way it is in all of the world’s true democracies. In fact I would say that the day politicians start agreeing with one another it’s time to count the spoons.

Under an adversarial system it, as Lord Randolph Churchill so neatly put it, the duty of the opposition to oppose. In practice this scarcely means that the members opposite oppose everything the government does. Not by a long shot. In fact very often bills and estimates are passed without dissent. It is the major issues upon which argument occurs.

Now there is another fact that we must lay on the table from the outset, The Legislature has no other function – other than rubber stamping what the majority wants – but to provide a forum where opposition can be voiced. It is not a place where members meet to discuss policy and reason their way to answers. Perhaps it should be but it isn’t. As long as there is a majority – even a very slim one as we’ve seen since 1996 –the cabinet makes the decision and, after a certain amount of wing flapping, the legislature rubber stamps it. Please believe me that what I just said is not cynicism but fact.

Furthermore, Lord Acton was right when he said "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely".

Without an opposition the government can not only do as it pleases – as I say it can do that with one – it can do it without the public hearing all sides of the story. And this is very important.

Let’s look at what tools the opposition has. It has Question Period where ministers can be interrogated about their policies. Whether or not Question Period has been well used by Oppositions is beside the point – it is there and it acts as a brake.

But it goes much further than that. An Official Opposition has funds for research staff who can scan legislation and research it. The bureaucracy, at least below the minister’s office, will usually cooperate by giving the opposition background information, statistics and the like. This means that the opposition is ready for the so-called debate that ensues. Moreover, in a proper opposition each ministry – and this is especially important for the major ones – has its own critic who specializes in that area. After a bit of time, the critic will be very well versed indeed in the portfolio they are shadowing. This means that when a matter comes into the Legislature the media will be provided with all sides of the story.

The opposition can delay legislation – it can’t stop it but it can slow it down until the media and the public understands it. Again, that’s important because if the public is well versed on the issues it can not only bring pressure to bear, it can be well informed the next time an election is held.

There is another point that can’t be quantified – you’ll never know how much bad legislation might have been proposed had there been no opposition there to shine light upon it.

Lastly and by no means least, the opposition has the duty to examine the budget, line by line, and hold the government’s feet to the fire on expenditures.

What about the role of the media? Can they not act as the opposition if there isn’t one or it is too small to be effective?

To some degree it can. During the NDP years the media has done a very effective role and I would single out Mike Smyth of the Province, Vaughn Palmer of the Sun and Les Leyne of the Times-Colonist for special mention in this department – and let’s not forget our own Graham Currie. But the media can’t watch each and every ministry all the time. It hasn’t the resources to check out each ministry’s budget. And while the political columnists and editorialists do much to shed light on what happens in government the overriding duty of the media is to report.

If there is no opposition, there will be government. But it won’t be as good government as it would be with a good opposition.

As a former – and I might say proud – former member of the Bill Bennett cabinet I can tell you that every second of every minute of every day we wished that the opposition would vanish forever into thin air. But they didn’t – and hateful as we found them, they forced us into being the very good government I believe we were.