The On-going Senate Scandals

By Rupert Johnson

Political corruption and scandals are not new. They have been around for thousands of years. What is new and alarming is the fact that they have become an ingrained (and sometimes accepted) component of all political cultures worldwide.

The sad and hypocritical thing is, all new regimes tend to express their determination to clean up the ethical mess of their predecessors, but they all seem to end up creating bigger corruption scandals than ever before.

This brings me to the current Canadian Senate scandals that have taken over the air waves. We should all remember that the present federal Conservative government under Stephen Harper’s leadership promised diligently to clean up the corruption and scandals left behind by the Liberal government in 2005. Remember, Harper’s government was supposed to be squeaky clean, open, and transparent.

However, this was not to be. It may be said that the present Conservative government in Ottawa is perhaps the most opaque, secretive, and scandal ridden government in the history of Canadian politics. The unethical behaviour of many of these Conservative politicians have brought about a plethora cynicism in our Canadian society.

There have been so much wheeling and dealing in Canadian politics today, that a significant segment of our society, especially the younger generation, is becoming increasingly cynical about our political leaders, in particular, and the entire political process in general.

The shenanigans and political scheming of certain Senators with regard to their lavish and outrageous expense accounts have given us enough reason to question the integrity and usefulness of the institution in which they serve. The actions of some Senators are indeed troubling and scandalous.

Even more disturbing is the cloud of secrecy and intrigue that surround the entire Senate scandal. There is no doubt that Canadians are entitled to get to the bottom of the current Senate scandals through an above-board public enquiry.

It is not enough to suspend Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallen, and Patrick Brazeau without pay. It would appear that this is an attempt to push the entire affair under the rug. It would also appear that in a mad rush to get rid of this sordid senatorial mess, due process has been put aside. In this respect, Pamela Wallen is right in saying that due process has been bypassed.

There is no doubt that the whole affair has been very embarrassing to the Prime Minister and his government so much so that they desperately want to get it out of the way. That is probably why the government Senate leader, Claude Carignan wanted to cut a backroom deal with Patrick Brazeau on Friday, October 25.

It is not surprising that this proposed deal has created a political firestorm. Senator Brazeau stated: “The backroom deal was that if I stood in this chamber (meaning the Senate), and apologized to Canadians and took responsibility for my actions, my punishment would be lesser than what is being proposed.” It is to be noted that a visibly angry Brazeau stated emphatically that he did nothing wrong, so no apology was forthcoming.

The Carignan backroom deal is indeed disturbing. What did the government Senate leader have in mind when he offered the deal to Senator Brazeau? What are the details of Claude Carignan’s proposed leniency? Is it full pay while being suspended? Or is it the opportunity for Brazeau to return to the Senate after his apology? Canadians have a right to know the details of this proposed deal.

In view of these despicable political shenanigans by our political leaders, there seems to be a growing replication Diogenes’ cynicism throughout the length and breadth of Canada.

During the latter half of the 4th century B.C., Diogenes, a noted Greek philosopher and one of the founding fathers of cynicism, wandered the busy streets of Athens, on a cloudless, sunlit day.

To the amazement of all onlookers, he carried a brightly-lit lamp in his hand, desperately searching for an honest man. Needless to say, he did not find anyone that matched this description.

I dare say, if Diogenes were alive today and living in Canada, I am confident that he would be very busy repeating the same act with a slightly different focus. At this particular time, he would probably be searching diligently, without success, for an honest and sincere politician.

Rupert Johnson can be contacted at: r.b.johnson@sympatico.ca.