Politics is a dirty business. Those who chose to enter into its inner sanctum of deceit do so at their own peril. The path they walk as they set out to do wondrous things for their fellow Canadians is analogous to a minefield strewn with hidden metaphorical death traps. It takes a lot of courage to muster up the inner strength to make that first, bold step to stardom; or, as some - far too many it seems in Canada - have found, ignominy. The road to ruin often begins soon after that agonising decision to enter the race, to throw one's hat into the arena, and go for the political brass ring.
Canadians, for the most part, are not well served by their politicians, regardless of level of involvement. One area that rankles is the House of Commons where some Members who are clearly past their prime continue to occupy a seat in the Green Chamber and offer little of substance. In a word, such Members are a drag on Canada and ought to be put out to pasture sooner than later. One such example is the current prime minister. Forty years on and he still sits in the House; and not only does he continue to take up space there, he gives the impression that he has every right to be there, not as an elected Member but as a self-appointed dictator. After forty years, there is little that such a person can contribute to the well-being of Canada. Actually, there is little that he has contributed in those forty years. It is time Canadians woke up and saw the world as others see it.
The Americans do somewhat better with their politics and politicians. At least south of the 49th, they have the good sense to limit their president's term of office to two consecutive four-year periods. After that, regardless of how well the incumbent has done and is doing, out he goes to be replaced by a fresh face with new ideas. Granted, some of the faces are ones that some Americans would rather not look upon and granted some of the ideas are less than refreshing, but at least the Americans do have the luxury of a presidential turn over. Of course, as a republic, the United States of America has a different set of rules to follow politically. There, the president is the head of state as well as the head of government. Here, the head of state is the monarch -far off in London Towne - and the head of government is the chap or chappess who occupies the prime minister's throne. It is time that Canadians adopted a system that restricts politicians - again regardless of level be it civic, regional, provincial, or federal - to serving no more than two consecutive terms. At the federal level, such a system would breathe fresh air and a much-needed dose of common sense into the Green Chamber while at the provincial levels the legislatures would more resemble a true house of representatives than a house of compliant stooges all ready to do whatever the prince of parliament demands.
[The Canadian Senate - the Red Chamber - is a idea whose time has passed; it is time to either get rid of it entirely or restructure it so that it more fairly and evenly represents the country. How is it that a province so small (2,185 square miles with a population of 136,400) that it would fit onto a reasonably large sized postage stamp has four senators whereas a province larger than the combined size of U.S. states Alaska and Texas has but six senators. Currently, senators are appointed by the prime minister and often the appointees are failed or defeated politicians. The system is about as far away from equal representation as one can get. Something is amiss today that the Fathers of Confederation could not have imagined.]
Canadians have only themselves to blame for the shoddy manner in which their politicians act and the citizens react, or not. Back in the days when this country was cobbled together by a coalition of politicians each with personal/regional interests foremost in their minds, they shunned the American view of Congress and opted to stay with what they knew best, the British Parliamentary system of government. That meant a government and a Loyal Opposition. One chamber, two sides. The system was sound and afforded reasonable debate - always at a distance of two-swords length. Then, unlike the Americans whose two primary parties have both doves and hawks among their fold, the Canadians drank something that caused their previous sensibilities to fly out the window to be replaced by an idea that perhaps there ought to be more than two parties in the House of Commons. Splinter groups sprang up like mushrooms after a spring rain. For example, currently in British Columbia there are in excess of thirty registered political parties. Thirty! Can you imagine the confusion? The majority of the thirty are one-issue, few-member groups that more resemble a cult than a true political party. Oh, well, the area is called the Loony Left for a very good reason; the aforementioned is but one of those reasons.
As the Canadian political spectrum widened and as more and more single-issue ideas popped into the pointy-heads of politicians, the two staid parties grew a bit ragged along their edges. Those who harboured a socialist bent and who felt they could not perform adequately within the current structure of their particular party, opted out and formed their own group. At the opposite end of the spectrum those who were frustrated with their colleagues pulled up stakes and went their separate way. In time, the two sides of the House became three and four and more. Add to that, an ingredient known as 'special status' wherein one province fielded a party whose sole reason for being was to break up the country. Only in Canada, you say, pity.
The House was divided along lines that bore little resemblance to the original. A divided House is a house of turmoil and confusion; something very much like the Canadian House of Commons today.
It has often been said that those who put their names forward for public office do so with the best of intentions. They stand before a gathering and promise all manner of things each designed to solicit support at the polls. These people are, for the most part, honourable and truly believe in what they spout. Often what they spout has been crafted for them by a hidden group sequestered in a back room somewhere far away from the glare of public scrutiny bent on moulding their 'victims' to suit their personal ends. It is called politics and it is a dirty business.
Once these misguided souls reach Ottawa or a provincial or territorial capital, they soon learn that their only duty is to stand when told to stand, to sit when told to sit, to speak when told to speak and to speak what they are told to speak, and above all, to toe the party line. In other words, these people who entered the political arena with good intentions and high standards soon are reduced to nothing more than sycophants, toadies who slap their flippers together on cue all for a tasty morsel known as patronage. It is all very condescending, all very patronising and the Canadian public eats it up every time.
Canada, a country four thousand miles long, one hundred miles deep, with a national capital populated with many too-long-in-the-tooth toadies who sup at the trough of taxpayer's largesse and return little of substance. It is politics and it is a dirty business.
Bob Orrick is a private tutor of English grammar, literature, poetry and Canadian history to off-shore youngsters. His pupils hail from such places as Taiwan, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and Venezuela. He was previously in international marketing, was a ministerial assistant to a provincial cabinet minister, spent a few years as a reporter then editor of a community newspaper and enjoyed a career in the Royal Canadian Navy.
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