Let the Games End

The fallout from the Canada’s Gomery Report has been fairly predictable and lamentable. Hypocrisy and opportunism are no stranger to politics, and the country has had them in spades over the past week.
Opposition politicians have attempted to drown the report with their clamour for an election. That noise has not completely drowned the trenchant criticism of Gomery’s findings.
I’m sure Justice Gomery is well capable of defending himself against the voluble critics of his first report.
The real danger of these diversions is that the vital reforms this report could generate might be doomed in the name of transient, partisan and ego driven issues.

A Week Is a Long Time In politics
That is the fear of Stephen Harper’s Conservative. With an eye to the polls, Harper’s bunch has seen their first real opportunity to wrest power from the Liberals. Even so, the polls have dipped and started shifting back within a week, with the conservatives fearful of this chance rushing past them.
Perhaps Mr Harper would do well to take a long hard look at the performance of his party and work out why they have not made major inroads into the shaky support the Liberals have maintained.
He’s right in a sense, given the sad history of corruption they hardly deserve even the tenuous grip they have. On the other hand, the Conservatives are not really offering a credible alternative government either.
However Harper, as much as he would like to capitalise on the Liberal’s current woes, he knows that forcing an election is politically problematic. Forcing a campaign which would extend through the Christmas period is close to political suicide.

Jack Layton is a far more astute politician, able to call the bluff of each side at will, with his own party’s agenda always at the forefront. Having now been spurned by the liberals, Layton is not going to play Grinch either; he is game to move for an election, timed to begin after Christmas. But then, apart from not annoying the electorate, timing is not really a vital issue for the NDP, who will gain somewhat, regardless.
The Bloc have their own agenda and seem willing to punish the Liberals on behalf of Quebec. This could raise problems for Harper, in the western provinces, if the Conservatives appear too cozy with the Bloc.
At a distance Quebec is perceived to be as tainted as the Liberals in the scandal. The ordinary voter is not big on nuance. The ‘Quebec’ names coming out of the report merely confirm existing prejudices.
So for the moment, for the opposition, is appears ‘opportunity lost’ and an increase in public cynicism.

Tainted Parties
Criticism of Gomery, or at least his report, is equally as diverting as the power play. The limits imposed on the enquiry by the terms of reference are conveniently overlooked by many who crave more meat.Punishment, apart from dented egos, could never come out of this enquiry. That is the province of the RCMP and Public prosecutor’s Office. Gomery’s report is merely the base from which these further actions can take place. Although it is curious that many of the previously know information was not acted on.
Therein lies the task for our erstwhile elected representatives, to monitor and ensure these investigations and resulting prosecutions proceed without fear of favour.
Criticism of Gomery’s position on PM Martin is understandable on the face off it. It would be incredible to believe Martin was totally unaware of the antics involved in the Sponsorship Program.
However the danger for the opposition, in pursuing that line, is that they are equally tainted. There have been enough signals along the way to raise the alarm among the sleepiest of MPs. Duceppe told Parliament, late in 2004;

“…the first articles on the sponsorship scandal appeared in the press as far back as December 1999. In 2000, the Bloc Québécois spoke out in its campaign platform against the somewhat dubious administration of the sponsorship program, even identifying some advertising firms involved in the scandal.”

Is that it? Spoke out? There is an expectation that opposition MPs, among the few valuable roles they do have, will busy themselves in an effort to uncover potential government corruption. The signals were there, where was the action?
Was it ‘expedient’ for opposition MPs to just let this continue, in the hope of getting their hands on this ‘honey pot’?

Getting Value
Conjecture is a two edged sword and the Canadian public have the right, at least, to know why MPs were asleep at their post through all of this. They also have the right to expect an attempt be made to cure the disease of corruption in this country, not just treat the symptoms.
The diversions and opportunism are part of the self serving culture which created this mess.
The cost of this scandal is now far greater than the dollar value, which has since been inflated by three enquiries. There is a cost in loss of confidence in parliament and MPs. There is a cost in the growing weariness and cynicism of a public who expect decent behaviour from political leaders. If that cost is to be repaid, it must be in tangible efforts to manage public affairs in a decent, honest manner.
Government is not a personal piggy bank and MPs and administrators must be made fully accountable for how they use public monies.
Mechanism need to be in place which gives proper oversight to government and administrative activities. We expect that as a matter of course, now it is time to for elected representatives to put themselves fully behind the efforts to bring that about. The country wants real value from its MPs. Anything else will simply feed the growing discontent of the electorate.