Canadian Polemic

I wonder if many other Canadians are getting as tired of Stephen Harper and his Conservative rhetoric on the Gomery inquiry as I am. Their talking points on the matter haven't really changed since they first got a whiff of the scandal - the latest press release on the matter from the CPC war-room states that "the Conservative Party is the only Party who will clean up government, fight waste, mismanagement and corruption." When will they learn that this kind of rhetoric can only go so far - you need actual ideas and policies beyond the fact that you're not the guys currently in power if you want to get elected.

I also find it really interesting that for months, the CPC has been reasonably supportive of Gomery, although they preferred an election before he had finished. Regardless, MPs and spokespeople were noting that the Liberals were the ones trying to shut Gomery down (Chretien's attempts, fair enough), and that he should be allowed to complete his inquiry fully. Great.

But when the Gomery Report completely exonerated Paul Martin, the CPC began to completely disregard the report they had been so anxiously awaiting. Deputy Leader Peter MacKay came out today disagreeing with the Gomery conclusion that Paul Martin knew nothing. "Willful blindness is a pitiful excuse for leadership. You can try to blame it all on Jean Chretien, but [Martin] was in the best position to try to stop what he knew was wrong." Well, Gomery has just completed a lengthy investigation into the matter that the Conservatives are otherwise agreeing with, and Peter MacKay is simply an observer, last I checked - no credibility on his comments here.

I think that Canadians must be getting tired of this kind of rigmarole. It's one thing to argue that the core of the party is rotten, and that it should go for that reason. But to completely disagree with Gomery's assertion that Martin is in the clear and try and pin the dirt on him that way simply looks childish. The CPC still has much to learn, I'm afraid, about political leadership.