‘And the award goes to…me’
Let all good citizens pause solemnly today and recognize the 47 Canadian senators who have just declared themselves the nation’s “unsung heroes” - and given themselves medals to prove it. Join with us, please, as we say: “Boo, hiss, boo.” There are other, more appropriate responses to this unprecedented and undeserved display of self-aggrandizement on the part of these unelected, unaccountable politicians. But the words are unprintable.
What the Red Chamber has done beggars belief and proves how out of touch it is with ordinary Canadians. If the much-maligned and heartily unloved Senate had sat down and deliberately devised a plan to discredit itself even more, it could not have done better than it has with its Senate of Canada Sesquicentennial Medals. Opinions will be divided on whether this initiative to mark the Senate’s 150th anniversary was, in general, worthwhile or a colossal waste of Senate time and $225,000 in taxpayers’ money. According to Sen. David Wells, one of the program’s chief proponents, the 1,500 medals were intended for “people who have worked hard in their communities, made contributions, unsung heroes, people that generally go unnoticed.”
Fair enough, some generous spirits will say. And doubtlessly, many of the 1,453 medals given to ordinary Canadians are being worn by individuals who made the country a better place. But there will be little or no public debate about the 47 medals current or former senators awarded to themselves. It’s stomach-churning to see so many senatorial hands patting senatorial backs, even though it should be pointed out most senators did not take a medal.
However Sen. Wells, who championed the medals, gave himself one.
Senators Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin, who were caught up in highly publicized scandals over Senate perks, honoured themselves, too. Duffy, by the way, is suing the federal government for nearly $8 million because of his dispute with it. Perhaps he’ll wear his medal in court.
But the problem with these medals goes beyond which senators did or didn’t accept them and whether they’re “unsung heroes.” There’s something grating, something unseemly, something offensive, about seeing people bestow upon themselves an award.
Soldiers do not declare themselves heroes after a battle, and pin a medal on their own chests. Even the most powerful presidents and prime ministers lack the authority to give themselves a Nobel Peace Prize.
Such honours - if they are to be credible - are made by independent arbiters who have impartially assessed the facts.
Moreover, it’s not as if our senators are not already well compensated for whatever blood, sweat and tears they shed on behalf of Canada. They receive an indexed, annual salary of $145,000 a year, plus $22,000 in yearly living expenses in Ottawa if they come from outside the National Capital Region and a pension most Canadians can only dream of.
They have a nice gig and they should behave better. There’s an old saying that “self-praise is no recommendation.” Too bad so many senators never heard it. Their next medal should be for gall.