Liberal MP Scott Brison Photo Credit: CBC

Scott Brison, a Liberal MP, recently mailed out his Christmas card to constituents and supporters. As politicians’ Christmas cards go, it is pretty typical. It is attractive and depicts a pastoral scene. The only difference from other cards is that it includes Brison and his same-sex partner. It is also the first same-sex married MP Christmas card. Predictably, there were some hateful, homophobic comments posted on websites, and these sites removed these postings and closed the comments sections.

A few caveats are required. As a heterosexual male, I don’t claim to be an expert on gay culture, but I do sympathize with homosexuals and others when they are faced with discrimination and hostility. At the same time, I do not think it requires a lot of courage to do so, since I believe the level of hostility toward gays has diminished (although obviously has not been eliminated) over the past few decades. Homophobia in Canada, I believe, may now be approaching the degree of stigmatization that racism towards African Canadians has today. The stigmatization of these hateful sentiments, of course, doesn’t mean that they don’t exist or that polite racism and bigotry doesn’t occur.
(more…)

Promoting Politics: Quentin Durgens, MP
Photo Credit: CBC

This article was sparked by an earlier posting from Jason Darby and deals with the elephant in the room or I guess more precisely the digital elephant in the blog. How do we encourage more political participation and an informed vote among Canadians?

There is no doubt that political apathy and political cynicism has increased significantly around the world over the past four decades. The reasons for this are numerous. People have significantly less free time these days. Moreover, there is now a lot of what has been referred to as “ Data Smog”. Whether one is a politician, a businessperson or an entertainer, you have a lot more competition these days and you have to compete for attention in a glut of information in the news media and internet.
(more…)

"You Can't Sink A Howe"

Martin Seligman is a leader in the positive psychology movement. Basically, this movement holds that optimism and other positive emotions help people lead healthier and better lives. Dr. Seligman has used these ideas to forecast the success of medical patients’ recovery, job candidates in the workplace, teams in sporting events, and the success of candidates in political elections.

C.D. Howe was a top political leader in Canada during the 1940s and 1950s and was known as the “Minister of Everything”. During the early part of the Second World War, his ship was sunk by a submarine, but he managed to climb aboard a lifeboat. When rescued by a passing boat, he told his rescuers, “You can’t sink a Howe”.

C.D. Howe’s comment when rescued is interesting. In those days during World War Two, it was usually too dangerous to rescue victims of a ship sunk by a U-boat. In fact, the discovery of the lifeboat in the choppy waters was only by chance, and the tramp steamer that rescued him had disobeyed a direct order not to try to retrieve survivors. Given that the policy of non-rescue was well known, and given that he still had the presence of mind to take command of the lifeboat and express bold macho comments when rescued unexpectedly, this suggests he was a person possessing extreme self-confidence. Does this mean that Martin Seligman’s theories are accurate? After all, C.D. Howe was a successful businessman and politician who sometimes succeeded against all odds.
(more…)

Your cabinet will meet around this oval table

Sir John A. MacDonald once inscribed his occupation as cabinet maker in a guest book. When people would criticize his cabinet ministers, Sir John A would tell them to send him better wood. Crafting the cabinet is an essential but difficult task for any Prime Minister or Premier, and it is a job that does not permit a lot of flexibility.

The importance of the cabinet in Canadian politics is reflected by some of the problems facing governments. Stephen Harper has struggled in the past with unnecessary and embarrassing scandals due at least in part to weak or inexperienced cabinet ministers. He has also struggled to find appropriate appointments for important ministries, also for the same reasons. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has had some strong ministers in his cabinet. However, he may face future problems because the Tories are now led by the plucky and aggressive Tim Hudak, and most of his talented ministers have left or will soon leave the cabinet. The difficulties faced by the Prime Minister or by a Provincial Premier are magnified by the regional nature of the country and the provinces: the government leader must, to the best of his ability, ensure that there is adequate representation in the cabinet from all the regions within his jurisdiction.
(more…)

Just a short note about Rob Davis (a Toronto Catholic School Trustee) and his Toronto Boot Camp for school trustees. A week ago, I had the opportunity to attend his basic training Boot Camp for trustees; more are probably going to be offered, and I think this is a good thing. Some readers may not align themselves with Rob Davis’s conservative political positions, and some may have concerns about public funding for Catholic schools. However, the idea of prepping potential candidates is a good one, and Rob Davis deserves credit for this experiment. This Boot Camp was prompted by the provincial takeover of the Toronto Catholic School Board and by revelations of inappropriate and possibly illegal conduct by some of the trustees on the board. Although personable and intelligent, Mr. Davis and his guest speakers did not sugar coat the training for the potential recruits. This is a very difficult job, and the pay is not commensurate with the responsibilities and workload that a trustee faces. Tips were offered on how to avoid conflict of interest allegations, campaign and raise money effectively, and maintain a work-life balance. If you think you may have a calling to become a school trustee, you can contact Mr. Davis at campaignsolutions@hotmail.com

That’s Wilfrid Laurier from Quebec. He has no future. He does nothing nowadays, but sit in the library, day after day, reading books.
- A journalist commenting in 1884. Wilfrid Laurier became Prime Minister in 1896.

There are great life lessons to be gleaned by watching politicians in action or by reading political history. This should not be surprising, since politicians are recruited from our own society, and they have the same life issues as everyone else. In fact, many issues they grapple with are universal in nature and people around the world also grapple with these same issues in some form.

The foregoing quote underscores a great universal lesson. Success often flows to those with grit and determination who do not let setbacks hold them down. Laurier is just one of many politicians who languished in opposition for years, but through diligence and patience was able to eventually achieve power. Sir John A. Macdonald, Mackenzie King, Abraham Lincoln, and Winston Churchill all experienced major setbacks during their careers, although they are remembered more for their victories and successes. Dalton McGuinty is a recent example: few expected him to be successful, but through discipline, hard work and openness to advice, he was able to bounce back and achieve two back-to-back majorities.
(more…)

“Events my dear boy, events.”
- British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan’s response to a query about the most difficult aspect of governing.

“A week is a long time in politics.”
- British Prime Minister Harold Wilson

Admit it. You have experienced this emotion. You desire something more when you know that you cannot have it. It appears that the desire to know the future is not unlike this craving. Although many people intuitively seem to know that the future cannot be predicted, humans still seem hardwired to want to know the future. Business spends huge amounts annually for consultants and futurists to inform them about the future. They do this despite the fact that these experts for the most part are not held accountable for their forecasts and, if monitored, these forecasts would prove wrong more often than not.
(more…)

Clearly, one of the main reasons the Liberals recruited Michael Ignatieff was for nostalgic and pragmatic purposes. They wanted another Pierre Trudeau. With polls suggesting the Liberals under Ignatieff are hemorrhaging support and the Conservatives are gaining support, this bold initiative seems to have withered into a false start.

Those bright, bookish types sometimes have it hard. When they are rising in the polls, their articulate communication and serious demeanor are used for favourable comparisons with charismatic leaders like Obama, Trudeau, and John F.Kennedy. When they sink in the polls, those same traits are used for disparaging comparisons to diffident, “egghead” leaders like Adlai Stevenson and Stephane Dion.

It does appear to be true that intellectuals generally do not do well in politics. According to psychologist Martin Seligman, their tendency to ruminate and their lack of optimism turns the electorate off. Canadian Political Scientist Stephen Clarkson agrees and cites Trudeau as an exception to the rule. But is he really an exception? I believe that Trudeau deserved his intellectual reputation, but he often did not behave like most intellectuals. A lot of his writing for example was polemical and argumentative in style, which does not mean he was a lightweight, but is a very different approach from most academics. Furthermore, during election campaigns, his gunslinger pose and his visionary and optimistic speeches were not anything like the staid, quiet lectures of an Oxford don. On those occasions when he did appear professorial (most notably his Philosopher King campaign of 1972), the results were near disastrous.
(more…)

I recently had the opportunity to visit a Waldorf school. I was intrigued by the earth friendly curriculum and surroundings: natural beeswax crayons, other supplies made with natural fibre, the chemical free garden, and the holistic and artistic approach to learning. However, although I am not one who likes to challenge other people’s personal beliefs, I found the mythical and spiritual thinking a little disconcerting. I don’t believe that there are little gnomes living in the forest. I have always been a bit of a party pooper. Even as a child, I did not believe in things like Santa, the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy, although my skepticism did not prevent me from accepting gifts from these mealy-mouthed fraudsters.

We all have knowledge that others consider fantasies, whether we are adults or children. As a child, I did not believe in Santa or fairies, but I knew that there were giants who strode across the countryside. I saw them occasionally on television, in newspapers and magazines, in school auditoriums, and in the streets. They were our political leaders who seemed like supreme parents who commanded even our parents. In effect, they were guardians of our country. I still see them that way.
(more…)

My political action, or my theory (insomuch as I can be said to have one) can be expressed very simply: create counterweights.

Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

Tens of thousands of airplanes successfully land and take off without incident at major Canadian airports every year. There were significantly fewer traffic accidents in North America during the past five years. The Prime Minister shoved a protester today. A celebrity actor was arrested at the airport for illicit drug possession.

Which news story is likely to be reported heavily in the newspapers and blogs? Which ones will attract the most attention from readers? It is a good time to be alive, but one unfortunate aspect of today’s times is that we live in an age of instant entertainment and political correctness, in which bad news is reported more frequently than good news and in which people are quick to judge and criticize others. We give our political leaders a hard time, demanding instant solutions to difficult and complex problems, criticizing them often and rarely praising them. If you were to examine snapshots taken of a senior career politician from his/her first election to the present, you would probably see an individual who has aged significantly more than most people in their demographic cohort, not unlike the photo timelines of petty criminals that the police sometimes show at anti-drug workshops.
(more…)