If economics is the dismal science, political economy must be the corrupt science and therefore politics is just corrupt. We came to this conclusion when we were bemoaning the fact that some otherwise intelligent people might vote for their Ontario PC Party candidate despite their recognizing the fallacious basis of the “Million Job Plan.”
This conclusion was reached the other day in arguing with a well-educated person who was pulling our chain because he knew we disapproved of Ontario Tory Leader Timmy Hudak. Our argument was that it is strategies such as his that are turning people against politics and politicians. We felt that today’s better educated voter had difficulty countenancing such strategies that made the voter out a fool and that assume the liar—the politician—is smarter than the rest of us.
But we could hardly argue that it does not work. We have watched politicians do it for too long. We were laughing recently when the Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak told the audience of the provincial leaders’ debate that he would resign if he could not do what he promised. If the Ontario voters gave his party a mandate, he would likely resign before eight years are up anyway.
In eight years, Hudak will be in his mid fifties and will want to move over to the corporate side to build a larger pension fund. Many companies want a former premier on their board and will pay generously for the privilege. If he can keep Bay Street in love with him, he should be able to earn ten times the $200,000 per year pay as premier.
When you consider that the only other private sector employment Hudak has had in his life was with Walmart that is quite an increase.
Former federal prime ministers can do even better. Why Stephen Harper is hanging on to his position seems to have more to do with his legacy than his family economics. While he has still to find the key to defeating Justin Trudeau, he has not made any of the moves necessary for an orderly transition of power in his party.
But it is hardly just Conservatives who lie to us. They might be better at it and more dogged at it but all the other parties have proved they can lie. Jean Chrétien came to power in 1993 and broke his promises. And nobody believed Paul Martin when he got his chance at the game. Justin Trudeau has already broken his promises to Liberals about open party nominations.
And do not get us started on the hypocrisy of the New Democrats. Maybe we have just been around politics too long.
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Copyright 2014 © Peter Lowry
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