History will be tough on tone-deaf politicians

Maybe it’s not all that surprising that most Canadian leaders are soaring in public opinion polls of late, largely due to their handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

It’s because most of our leaders are behaving like leaders — recognizing that now is not the time for petty partisanship and certainly not the time to stir dissent when we have to pull together as a nation. Tolerance and patience for the stupid or self-absorbed is exceedingly limited these days.

The Wexit movement has been virtually silenced by the recognition that a strong Canadian federation is exactly what’s needed during a pandemic that has reduced the price of a barrel of Alberta oil to less than a barrel of monkeys.

When cursed by the worst, politicians are blessed by an opportunity to look their best. It’s impossible not to notice those who have, sometimes surprisingly, risen to that challenge. Consider how Ontario Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford has stepped up — a welcome development not just for Ontarians who seem to have forgiven his past buffoonery, but maybe to all Canadians who are desperate to have anyone step in and fill the void in conservative leadership in this country.

And make no mistake that this pandemic crisis has uncovered how serious that leadership void is in the federal Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) that seems to be struggling mightily right now when it comes reading the room.

In his April Fool’s press conference Wednesday morning, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer made a few reasonable points about refunding the GST and the need to recall Parliament to tweak federal legislation. But far too much of his opportunity to say something of note was wasted on dog whistles about not stopping “illegal border crossers” (not exactly the most critical issue today) or complaints of sending personal protection equipment to China when it was desperately needed.

The barely concealed reason for Scheer’s Wednesday press conference seemed to be about doing what the party has always been doing — to squawk about the “Liberal carbon tax” that surely ranks low on the list of priorities for Canadians except, seemingly, those either currently in CPC leadership or those like Erin O’toole vying for the job.

The price of gasoline was as low as 65 cents a litre at Regina’s Costco on Wednesday — almost half of the $1.24 a litre it was on April 1, 2019 when the four-cent-a-litre carbon tax was implemented. Amid a pandemic crisis that offers virtually no benefits other than we are paying less for gas, why is the CPC still pumping out press releases on this?

Does anyone — even those who have been anti-carbon tax warriors — see this as the issue du jour?

To his credit, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe — who talked about little else other than the carbon tax in two years as premier prior to the COVID-19 pandemic — has so far chosen not to mention it and focus on more pertinent issues.

Ford, recently baited with opportunity to dump all over the carbon tax, the federal Liberals and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, responded that now is not the time. “She’s an absolute champion. I talk to her every single day ... we’re on the same team, we’re on Team Canada ... this is how we’re going to defeat COVID-19, by working together.”

Yes, it’s tough — and maybe a bit frustrating — for all oppositions hoping to offer meaningful contributions.

But this can’t excuse

Scheer and others in the CPC hierarchy that seem every bit as tone deaf — or so seems evident by their insistence to go forward with the CPC leadership race at all.

They are postponing the Olympics and shuttering every major sports league in the world to prescribe to social-distancing, yet it’s proper for the leadership campaign to go ahead?

Why? Well, according CPC leadership front-runner Peter Mackay, it’s because democracy can’t be stopped by a pandemic.

You actually do have a democratically elected leader in Scheer that you are trying push out the door and he’s doing a smart thing in asking for Parliament to be recalled to scrutinize decisions being made.

History may be very unkind to politicians choosing to be tone deaf.

Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-post and Saskatoon Starphoenix.