I share your frustration with evasive politicians.
While it mightn't happen very often any more, it can be entertaining when politicians go "off message", as happened during the Canadian election of 2004. The year before, a new party (the Conservative Party of Canada) was formed through a coalition between the Progressive Conservative Party and the Canadian Alliance, a party which had itself been a recent creation. As a result of several disenchanted politicians of long experience leaving the political arena, some of the candidates who ran in the next election had little or no experience in public office.
During the ensuing campaign one Conservative candidate suggested that official bilingualism was unrealistic and needed to be reformed, another that women seeking abortion should have mandatory family counseling beforehand, another that he was willing to use the Canadian constitution to do away with same-sex marriage, and yet another compared abortion to terrorism. It was refreshing, if occasionally disturbing, to hear what the candidates really thought about the issues, but not so good for the party's fortunes in the more liberal parts of the country and in francophone Quebec.
After these unscripted episodes, the leader of the party would scramble to control the damage, reassuring the public that there would be no changes to the abortion legislation, no rescinding of same-sex marriage rights, etc., etc., if the party was elected. As the campaign progressed, we heard less and less from the candidates themselves and more from the party leader or his trusted lieutenants.
As the loose cannons fell silent and the party's message became more consistent, if vaguer and more conciliatory, its fortunes improved. It didn't win the 2004 election, but it did win the next—albeit as head of a coalition—and this year won a majority in parliament.
Now the caucus speaks with one voice, that of the prime minister. It is considered one of the most controlled and uncommunicative in our history.
Dugal: One of the things that really bugs me about party politics is that nobody has a real voice. As you say, all they are doing is just spouting the opinions of the party leaders & never saying what they actually think. I know it may not be pratical, but i'd like to see all politicians to be Independent & have their own views & not have to tow a party line.
I share your frustration with evasive politicians.
ReplyDeleteWhile it mightn't happen very often any more, it can be entertaining when politicians go "off message", as happened during the Canadian election of 2004. The year before, a new party (the Conservative Party of Canada) was formed through a coalition between the Progressive Conservative Party and the Canadian Alliance, a party which had itself been a recent creation. As a result of several disenchanted politicians of long experience leaving the political arena, some of the candidates who ran in the next election had little or no experience in public office.
During the ensuing campaign one Conservative candidate suggested that official bilingualism was unrealistic and needed to be reformed, another that women seeking abortion should have mandatory family counseling beforehand, another that he was willing to use the Canadian constitution to do away with same-sex marriage, and yet another compared abortion to terrorism. It was refreshing, if occasionally disturbing, to hear what the candidates really thought about the issues, but not so good for the party's fortunes in the more liberal parts of the country and in francophone Quebec.
After these unscripted episodes, the leader of the party would scramble to control the damage, reassuring the public that there would be no changes to the abortion legislation, no rescinding of same-sex marriage rights, etc., etc., if the party was elected. As the campaign progressed, we heard less and less from the candidates themselves and more from the party leader or his trusted lieutenants.
As the loose cannons fell silent and the party's message became more consistent, if vaguer and more conciliatory, its fortunes improved. It didn't win the 2004 election, but it did win the next—albeit as head of a coalition—and this year won a majority in parliament.
Now the caucus speaks with one voice, that of the prime minister. It is considered one of the most controlled and uncommunicative in our history.
Dugal: One of the things that really bugs me about party politics is that nobody has a real voice. As you say, all they are doing is just spouting the opinions of the party leaders & never saying what they actually think.
ReplyDeleteI know it may not be pratical, but i'd like to see all politicians to be Independent & have their own views & not have to tow a party line.