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February 18, 2004

Interim Leader of the Opposition Grant Hill's claim that the Conservative Party would be different than the Liberals upon winning an election begs two questions that have plagued governance from time immemorial: Why does absolute power corrupt absolutely? Is scandal-free government a realistic possibility?

The Liberal Party of Canada is not the first, and certainly won't be the last organization that has treated the public purse in a cavalier and frivolous manner.  As the Official Opposition, parties always seem to be holier than thou, both in terms of their criticism and their conduct.  That of course generally changes upon forming government.

If nothing else, one would assume that fear before consideration of integrity and responsibility would be a driving force against breaches of trust.  Alas, this seems not to be the case, as in every level of government, across all party lines, in every constituency, government corruption is unfortunately common.

If idealism about conduct within politics is a youthful naiveté, then let me remain young forever.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Paul Martin has been roundly criticized by communications consultants, media commentators and political pundits for being so openly available and forthright in his defence of the sponsorship scandal.

There is no doubt that this strategy has leaked like a sieve, as the Liberals have dropped a precipitous 13% in one month.

The criticism, however, is not entirely accurate, nor can Mr. Martin's media blitz be solely blamed for the drop.

Mr. Martin has stumbled in his speech, enshrined the words "in fact" into the most annoying political lexicon of the year, changed his stories and accounts several times (sometimes within hours of each other), and generally looked insincere and contrived in his time on the airwaves.

That being said, there is still a hunger amongst the general public, both from political neophytes and avid news watchers, for straight talk guided by honesty.  Whether in person or through various mediums, people are generally tired of unanswered questions, handshakes with eyes that dart over one's shoulder, and coined phrases cooked up by political spin doctors.

The politics of the future will be a more skilled version of what Paul Martin has attempted over the past week. 

Sincerity sells.  Period.

Comments? jonathan@tdhstrategies.com