It’s hard to write about the SNC-Lavalin affair; it’s changing almost too fast to follow.
One thing is certain, however. We are going to be talking about it for a long time to come. If the Conservative and NDP opposition parties have anything to say about it, we’re going to be talking about it until Oct. 21.
That’s at the very least. If the Conservatives don’t manage to upset the Liberals in the federal election, we’ll be talking about SNC-Lavalin for a few more years past that. And the dismissal of MPs Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott just gave them some more talking points.
Over the past few weeks, it’s become harder to hang onto any respect for politicians, as they shout, cry and make elaborate statements of dubious authenticity.
Sadly, in this case, we’re not talking about the antics of Donald Trump, but the antics of our own fine parliamentarians. And it’s completely non-denominational. Liberal or Conservative, they’re all indulging in more political theatre than governance.
The Liberals have a lot to answer for, both for the particulars of SNC-Lavalin as how it was handled after the news was leaked. There’s nothing wrong with asking the Attorney General to review a decision, but there is with the amount of pressure brought to bear on her.
And while we can admire Jody Wilson-Raybould sticking to her guns, it wouldn’t have been wrong to review her decision, either. What she has done since, however, seems calculated to damage the Liberal Party, which she claims to support.
For their part, the Conservatives seem more focused on using this incident as a weapon against the Liberals, rather than concentrating on good governance.
Witness the appalling display we saw in Parliament a few weeks ago as the opposition parties banged on tables, shouted and just generally made a ruckus to drown out Finance Minister Bill Morneau as he tried to deliver the 2019 budget, the last budget before this fall’s federal election.
What’s missing in all of this is policy. Instead of looking at existing policy or creating a new policy to prevent similar situations, under any government—because if a Conservative or NDP member tells you this kind of power politics wouldn’t happen on their watch, you know they are either naive or lying.
Dragging the SNC-Lavalin affair into the light of day is a good thing. It is, as the cliché goes, “a teaching moment.” Too bad our politicians are more focused on holding or gaining power than on learning and growing.
-Black Press