Can Canadians have an open government? Do we want one? Can Trudeau deliver it? They are all good questions. The problem inherent in the questions is Justin Trudeau’s understanding of how Ottawa really works. He might be biting off far more than his limited experience can handle.
Of note is the fact that Justin’s father Pierre Trudeau was hardly as naïve as his son when he won the Liberal Party Leadership and the Prime Minister’s job in 1968. He had the advantage of having worked in the Privy Council Office and his close friend Marc Lalonde had been working in Prime Minister Lester Pearson’s office. As a young Marc Lalonde laughingly explained to us when Pierre Trudeau was chosen, he now had his work cut out for him as an ‘eminence gris.’ He was soon announced as Pierre Trudeau’s principal secretary. The young Trudeau has no such easy path to the knowledge of government processes.
Sepulchres and government buildings are most often built of native stone to survive the vicissitudes of centuries. Change can be glacial. And Ottawa has just been rescued from almost a decade of Conservative control. After that time of cuts, program curtailment, dismissals, constraint and ideological governance, the civil service is relieved but wary.
Nobody in Ottawa is ready to shift to being proactive. They are going to continue to keep their cards close to their vests and their resumes ready. The incoming Liberals might talk a good story about openness and accountability, but nobody in the long-beleaguered city is rushing to hold a Roman triumph for the jubilant Liberals.
And besides, delay, obfuscation and distrust had been built into the civil service DNA. Sure they know it is easy to fire them but then they just come back as consultants for three times the money.
And never forget that government openness only creates more work for public relations professionals. The much vaunted openness to citizen input hardly means that anyone is actually listening.
That very shallow program starring Peter Mansbridge, Justin Trudeau and ten “random” Canadians was one of the silliest and boring shows ever created by the CBC. It was supposed to be discussions face-to-face with the prime minister but it turned out to be concerns of Canadians and blandishments of Justin Trudeau. It was meaningless. We sincerely hope that the attempt to open Ottawa is not as meaningless.
-30-
Copyright 2016 © Peter Lowry
Complaints, comments, criticisms and compliments can be sent to [email protected]