Adscam: Politics Past and Future
I've voted in every election for which I was eligible to vote since I was 18. That doesn't mean though that I'm not cynical about some of the types of people involved in politics in Canada. In that sense, I am somewhat bemused by the opposition parties saying that they are shocked, shocked (!) that there is dirty politics (in Quebec no less) in the Liberal Party. Let's pause and think back to the last time that the Conservatives, oops, sorry, Progressive Conservatives were in power. I do not seem to recall that government being squeaky-clean by any stretch of the imagination. Now Brian Mulroney did sue the government to clear his name, but his business partner, Karlheinz Schreiber now seems to be dirty player not unlike the Groupaction types we are hearing about today.
My point is that this is behaviour of type that is endemic to politics. It works the same with any system in any country. Look at the embattled Tom DeLay, too much money and too much power swirling around one guy. (DeLay is a good example for those hardcore conservatives with the type of selective memory that leads them to think that other conservatives always play it on the straight narrow. *cough*Richard Nixon*cough*) My point is that I'm cynical about politicians of all stripes. I mean this in the narrow definition of cynical, i.e., I suspect that those in office have suspect (selfish) motives for the things that they do.
So where does this leave us today. Well, it's too early to tell frankly, and the historian in me prefers looking at the past over making predictions for the future. Nonetheless we may be seeing the inception of the sort of political storm that throws the Liberals out of office. That said, part me of thinks that this may be the sort of thing that gets a narrow band of Ottawa types and some media outlets wound up while falling on deaf ears throughout the country. What concerns me though are the alternatives. I've posted about this before (well attempted to, you can read it, but it ended up being a rant on the sartorial sense of certain redneckish Conservative MPs) but allow me to revisit the subject. In Quebec the only alternative seems to be the Bloc. Swell. This is perhaps something that should give the other (federalist) parties pause before forcing an election too early.
(Sidebar on Quebec politics: What is the deal in this province, they seem to change from federalist to separatists like most people change clothes. A few people in one party allegedly played some dirty pool and now the whole province wants to talk about leaving Confederation?! Talk about throwing the baby out with the bath!)
Outside of Quebec, the most likely alternative for many, many people will surely be the Conservatives. Many potential NDP voters may be scared into voting Liberal yet again by fear of the Tories, so this may be another lean electoral harvest for Jack Layton's gang. Now the Conservatives are in large part the old Reform bunch (let's not let the name deceive). While the Tories are now taking tentative steps towards (feigned?) concern about Quebec and its issues, this is still the party of Calgary's hardcore rightist elite. It may make itself the party of Bay Street too, but it's not going to be the party of Quebec anytime soon.
So now we have the potential for a Conservative minority or majority with a strong Bloc among the opposition parties (or in a coalition with the Tories?!) At the same time, prospects are dim for Charest's Quebec Liberals. Thus, it is conceivable that in the next few years there will be a Conservative government that cares little for Quebec in Ottawa, a strong Bloc presence, and the pequistes once again running Quebec. The prospects for separation under such a scenario should disturb any Canadian.
My point is that this is behaviour of type that is endemic to politics. It works the same with any system in any country. Look at the embattled Tom DeLay, too much money and too much power swirling around one guy. (DeLay is a good example for those hardcore conservatives with the type of selective memory that leads them to think that other conservatives always play it on the straight narrow. *cough*Richard Nixon*cough*) My point is that I'm cynical about politicians of all stripes. I mean this in the narrow definition of cynical, i.e., I suspect that those in office have suspect (selfish) motives for the things that they do.
So where does this leave us today. Well, it's too early to tell frankly, and the historian in me prefers looking at the past over making predictions for the future. Nonetheless we may be seeing the inception of the sort of political storm that throws the Liberals out of office. That said, part me of thinks that this may be the sort of thing that gets a narrow band of Ottawa types and some media outlets wound up while falling on deaf ears throughout the country. What concerns me though are the alternatives. I've posted about this before (well attempted to, you can read it, but it ended up being a rant on the sartorial sense of certain redneckish Conservative MPs) but allow me to revisit the subject. In Quebec the only alternative seems to be the Bloc. Swell. This is perhaps something that should give the other (federalist) parties pause before forcing an election too early.
(Sidebar on Quebec politics: What is the deal in this province, they seem to change from federalist to separatists like most people change clothes. A few people in one party allegedly played some dirty pool and now the whole province wants to talk about leaving Confederation?! Talk about throwing the baby out with the bath!)
Outside of Quebec, the most likely alternative for many, many people will surely be the Conservatives. Many potential NDP voters may be scared into voting Liberal yet again by fear of the Tories, so this may be another lean electoral harvest for Jack Layton's gang. Now the Conservatives are in large part the old Reform bunch (let's not let the name deceive). While the Tories are now taking tentative steps towards (feigned?) concern about Quebec and its issues, this is still the party of Calgary's hardcore rightist elite. It may make itself the party of Bay Street too, but it's not going to be the party of Quebec anytime soon.
So now we have the potential for a Conservative minority or majority with a strong Bloc among the opposition parties (or in a coalition with the Tories?!) At the same time, prospects are dim for Charest's Quebec Liberals. Thus, it is conceivable that in the next few years there will be a Conservative government that cares little for Quebec in Ottawa, a strong Bloc presence, and the pequistes once again running Quebec. The prospects for separation under such a scenario should disturb any Canadian.
posted by Dan at 11:05 AM
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