Buying their own spin? Consequences lie ahead.
The Prime Minister and David Emerson can keep on bleating that public outrage over what they have done is merely partisan politics at work. That’s not true and never has been, and they are fooling no one. But if they actually are so out of touch as to buy their own spin, in the next election the people will give them a reality check they’ll never forget.
Of course, no one expects Emerson to run in any riding, much less in Vancouver-Kingsway.
But unlike Emerson, Stephen Harper has no plans to slink away from politics at the first face-saving opportunity. Unlike Emerson, he has longer term political aspirations and obligations to his party that include bringing home a majority government for Conservatives.
The Party will be unforgiving if Harper fails to bring home the bacon, particularly if his miscalculation over Emerson and Fortier – where he broke party policy and an ethos developed over more than a decade – contribute to a future electoral failure. In arrogantly staking out his claim to appoint anyone to cabinet, democracy be damned in the process, Stephen Harper will be held fully accountable, sooner or later.
Make no mistake about it, achieving a majority Conservative government is in real jeopardy the longer this sordid affair continues. With a minority government that may head to the polls again at any time – most certainly within people’s memory of the Harper-Emerson affair – this issue will play a leading role in determining the outcome of the next election.
Harper isn’t the only one in the line of fire. Politicians at all levels – civic, provincial and federal – who have given Harper and Emerson their endorsement over this affair will pay a price unless they distance themselves from the entire matter and quickly. Their casual back-slapping will cost them votes and seats.
What Harper did with Emerson and Fortier was wrong. It was wrong on day one and continues to be today. It’ll be just as wrong when the next writ is dropped, and there will be people motivated then as we are today to ensure that politicians pay up for their participation in this attack on democracy.
It didn’t have to be this way. Conservatives ought to respect the will of the people, and work to earn their votes in the next election. And Harper always had another, democratic, alternative available to him, if he was intent on obtaining Emerson’s service in government. Harper could have asked Emerson to resign and plopped him into government with almost zero controversy: in the civil service as a Deputy Minister. After all, that’s Emerson’s comfortable home turf.
That option is still open – and would go a long way to restoring people’s faith in our democracy and respect for the Harper-led government – but I don’t expect proud and aloof politicians to take the offer. They’re hoping that we’ll all go away and forget about this issue.
That’s simply not going to happen.