"A Martin Makeover"

April 9, 2003

 Many Canadians might be wondering about this mysterious man who has swept onto Canada’s political landscape sporting a bright red cape and spouting promises of reform and renewal. 

Well, don’t get overly excited.  You can dress him up and make him over, but it’s still the same old Paul Martin, one of the chief engineers of federal government policy and financing for the past decade.  If you have a problem with how Ottawa has been running this country, you have a problem with Paul Martin as well. 

He’d prefer that you forget it, but as the minder of the public purse for almost nine years, Mr. Martin wielded phenomenal control over how your tax dollars were spent.  Just this week as he applauded and celebrated Jean Chrétien’s political legacy, Paul Martin admitted that it was the Prime Minister whom supported him in his political endeavours.  The support was mutual. 

Until last June, there wasn’t a peep of dissent from Mr. Martin about Mr. Chrétien’s policies.  No opposition to spending a billion dollars on the out-of-control gun registry.  No opposition to the spending fiascos brewing within Human Resources Development Canada and the Public Works federal sponsorship program.  As former Finance Minister, it’s not as though Mr. Martin can credibly plead ignorance to the spending debacles occurring under his watch.  

The first signs of dissent between Mr. Martin and the PM were not over public policy, federal spending or the PM’s ethical missteps. Their squabble was simply a turf war.  Mr. Martin felt Mr. Chrétien should retire.  Mr. Chrétien did not. 

Mr. Martin has never denounced the Liberal agenda afflicted upon Canada since 1993.  How can he speak out against something to which he actively aided and abetted? 

In fact, Mr. Martin manages to skillfully avoid speaking “on the record” about even the most benign issues, let alone the controversies for which Canadians expect decisiveness from their elected representatives.  Since his so-called “split” from Mr. Chrétien, he has kept Canadians in the dark about his convictions by dodging votes in the House of Commons and reporters outside the chamber.  That way he’s not required to defend or support any position his government takes. 

It’s become increasingly apparent that this political strategy has been primarily designed for use in Western Canada.  Aware of Mr. Chrétien’s lack of popularity here, Mr. Martin has been distancing himself from his Liberal colleagues in Ottawa and making vague references to democratic reform.  Now he’s taking his show on the road.  

In May, Mr. Martin is staging invitation-only town hall meetings in Calgary and Vancouver promising to discuss such issues as Canada-U.S. relations and Senate reform.  After a decade of turning a deaf ear on western pleas for Senate reform, including the results of Senate elections in Alberta, there is significant justification to be cynical about Mr. Martin’s sudden interest in the issue. 

 Ultimately, Paul Martin strives to be all things to all people and to offend no one by saying nothing.  That's what Canadians have come to expect from the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, but that's not what they're looking for from a Prime Minister!