Thursday, January 2, 2003
2002, Canadian politics and all that - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER – Now that 2002 has come and gone, and we're in 2003 finally, a look at the year that was, politically speaking. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien had a most eventful year. His cabinet lost its virginity as he sacked more cabinet ministers in one shot, than in the previous nine years combined. (Word in yesterday's Globe and Mail, is that the Prime Minister is contemplating a similar shuffle for later this month.) Art Eggleton was sacked, as was Lawrence MacAulay, for both mixing up political and personal business with their government responsibilities. Ditto for Don Boudria. Hedy Fry and Maria Minna were dumped for being far too stupid. Crony Alfonso Gagliano was sent to a sinecure in Denmark, when he was about to get exposed for some of the same stupidity that dinged Eggleton and Boudria.
Paul Martin made a monumental exit from Cabinet. He left his long-time portfolio of finance after getting, as he claims, fired. Chrétien, his long-time rival, says he quit on his own volition. The rivalry continued as pro-Martin forces continued to try and force the sitting Prime Minister from office. They even voted with the opposition Canadian Alliance on a backbench enhancing motion. The rift within the Liberal party proves that with a non-existent opposition, Chrétien is getting reined in by his own MPs. Such is the state of democracy in the country. The Prime Minister decides to bow out, but not gracefully enough for Martin and his anti-Chrétien cabal. Jean Chrétien announces his resignation, but opts to not leave until 2004. Paul Martin dug in his heels.
Jean Chrétien, for all his political moxie, has had a bad year all around. Some journalists got together recently and voted him the newsmaker of the year. (Time's newsmaker, incidentally, was Paul Martin.) I don't think the PM relishes in that honour, considering 2002 was his annus horibillis. The Martin forces challenged him and caused him much grief. If it continues, as everyone suspects, he won't last through his intended 2004 departure. I think he'll decide to bag his career be the time Grits convene their convention in the winter of ‘03.
In British Columbia, Gordon Campbell continued his right-wing bent. He made huge and unprecedented cuts in the civil service, doling out suffering to the aged, children with autism, children in school, healthcare workers, lawyers and every other organised ‘special interest group.' He remains unwavering, and for that robustness he deserves points. However, as is painfully obvious, he has become downright mean. He's an ideological bully through and through, trying to be like Margaret Thatcher, without the requisite conviction and balls that Mrs. Thatcher had. No, Mr. Campbell is new to this game. He knows the words, but fails to comprehend the tune. He can berate unions, but some of his ministers have been downright stupid in dealing with their files. His Finance Minister Gary Collins, an effective critic of the previous New Democratic government, has become a boob in the finance portfolio. He's mishandled his ministry, still reeling from a mistaken tax cut and causing embarrassment to the Premier and his government. In early 2003, look for a cabinet shuffle. We'll see a lot of blood letting, but Campbell will stubbornly proceed. Sure he's brave, braving the uncharted waves of unpopularity, but he's doing himself harm in the political long-term.
We, in Vancouver, gained a new mayor. It was a terrific campaign, where the knives were sharpened and duly used. Oddly enough the election campaign was civil, whereas it was the process of getting the NPA nomination that much of the ugliness occurred. Former mayor Philip Owen was knifed by councillor Jennifer Clarke, and found the entire NPA establishment against the sitting mayor. A former coroner, the one that inspired the television serial DaVinci's Inquest, took the left-wing party COPE's nomination. Without any conceivable political experience, he rode to power, taking COPE, a rather homely party heretofore, along with him. They'd run a rather slick campaign around the coattails of the popular Larry Campbell and ran him against the ‘Lady Macbeth'-branded Jennifer Clarke. Alas, Clarke fumbled and the NPA was turfed from office. So too was long-time councillor George Puil.
Vancouver's changed and we're in the midst of a plebiscite campaign on the Olympic bid. A campaign promise promising a referendum on the pursuance of the Olympic bid, has turned into a plebiscite when the costs weren't realised ahead of time. Campbell's for the bid, as the rest of COPE dithers. They planned on using opposition to the bid as a tool in facing down Premier Campbell, now they've bungled this up holding a plebiscite that is practically useless. I suppose the plebiscite will pass, but Vancouver-Whistler hasn't got a hope in hell in getting the 2010 games. This is the Premier's distraction, as he focuses on funding a megaproject whilst being meanspirited in other areas. The International Olympic Committee will notice the fracas and look to Austria instead. What will be interesting is whether senior levels of government will come through with the funding they've promised on capital infrastructure.
Onwards and upwards into 2003, after an eventful and interesting year.
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An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .