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|Monday Nov. 1, 2004 |
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who is in
charge, anyway?
On paper, politicians are the ones who run
the governments, but in reality, governments are run by a
combination of two powerful forces: politics and the bureaucracy.
Given that the bureaucracy is
well-established in the system, the balance of power tips from one
side to the other, depending on the ability and the charisma of the
politicians leading the government of the day. There are unwritten
rules regulating this uneasy relationship, but neophyte ministers
must learn them quickly if they don't want to be crushed.
"Between bureaucrats and
politicians there is a razor thin line; in fact, it is invisible:
but don't cross it, you will be electrocuted," a seasoned politician
said some time ago.
The success of all governments
hinges on this capacity to handle this uneasy balance of power.
Lately, however, it appears as if
Canadian politicians are losing this undetected, under-the-table
tug-of-war.
Whenever there is a problem,
politicians are always on the receiving end of the stick. It seems
politicians can do nothing right and bureaucrats can do nothing
wrong.
The ads and sponsorship scandal,
the submarine lemons, helicopters, problems in health care, are just
a few, and are all issues blamed on politicians.
I'm not implying that there are
responsibilities on the other side of the invisible line; it will be
the inquiries that will decide on this merit.
However, Iım puzzled by the fact
that we have already reached conclusions that politicians are the
always the culprits. As soon as thereıs a problem, politicians are
immediately the ones to take blame.
I don't agree. Recently, I had
to go to the emergency ward for a splinter in my hand and I can
assure you that billions of dollars pumped into the health-care
system, still wonıt ever guarantee competence and courtesy.
And, what about the lemons from
England? I have a lot of respect for Art Eggleton, Bill Graham and
John McCallum, but I also believe that their expertise with
submarimes allows them to understand that there are not used to
cruise the Caribbean Islands. If we blame them for the choice of
those four lemons, it means that we have to reinvent the way federal
and provincial governments are formed and that we should fire 99 per
cent of the ministers presently in charge.
We blame politicians when they
try to "interfere" with the jobs of bureaucrats "who should be in
charge," but we jump all over them when thereıs something wrong
"because they, the politicians, are in charge." Look at the
ridiculous dispute in the Ontario Parliament in the last two weeks.
Liberal Health Minister George Smitherman is accused of being "too
rough" because he talked to the people who run Torontoıs Sick
Children Hospital.
Here is how it works: a) the
government tries to implement certain reforms, b) there is often
resistance from the other side, c) the level of the debates
deteriorates and d) the dispute moves from the substance to the
form. And, guess what? Itıs always the politician whoıs on the wrong
side.
He or she is too hands-on, too
rough, too incompetent or all of the above.
The question is very simple: who
is in change? If it is the politician, the bureaucrats can give
their advice and then follow orders. If we accept the fact that
bureaucrats are running ministries, then we could all save a whole
pile of money and not got to the polls every four years.
In any event, if there are
problems, let whoever is in charge take the blame and pay for it.
Iım convinced that politicians are short-changed in this process and
deserve more respect. However, in order to receive respect, they
also have to learn how to respect themselves first.
If politiciansı credibility is in
tatters, they have nobody but themselves to blame.
I was mentioning Smitherman in
Ontario. The people blaming him are also politicians, the same ones
when Mike Harris and Ernie Eves were sitting on the other side of
the House.
Unfortunately, it appears as if
the Conservatives, who instead of learning a lesson, are engaged in
the same old mugıs game. Instead of appreciating that the Liberalsı
behaviour was wrong and restore some kind of fairness and dignity in
the debate, they are more interested in getting even, than being
right.
Can you believe it? They are
blaming the Liberals for not having a nice relationship with
hospitals.
As for the NDP, they bark the
loudest and preach like theyıre the conscience of the world when
theyıre in the opposition. But when theyıre in government, in some
provinces, they behave just like any other political organization
and, when their mandate is revoked or expired, some of their leaders
behave like or become Liberals.
So, who is running the country?
Are the politicians who, by their own admission, are incompetent and
dishonest (watch the daily House of Commons Question Period if you
don't believe me), or the bureaucrats, a faceless unelected entity
with a lot of power and no Parliamentary accountability?
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