Being boring isn’t always a bad thing
Is it possible that Canada has the most boring politics in the English-speaking world?
Australia and New Zealand may be duller, but they’re on the other side and we don’t hear much about what happens over there.
In England, Theresa May became prime minister after David Cameron lost a referendum on Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union. Soon after becoming leader, Prime Minister May called a snap election. The Tories lost their majority, but she remained in office with support from a minor right-wing party from Northern Ireland.
Under Mrs. May, the negotiations for Brexit were so laborious and nuanced, only someone with a well-versed British bureaucratic mind could understand what was going on. She dilly-dallied, and finally the Conservatives gave up on her, and six weeks ago Boris Johnson became prime minister.
He didn’t dilly or dally. It was full speed ahead, deal or no deal – Brexit by Oct. 31 – no matter what the cost. Nor did he care that he didn’t have a majority government.
He ignored the fact that a significant number of Conservative and other MPs aren’t that keen on Brexit. And they certainly didn’t want a no-deal Brexit. Thursday, they voted for a law that would prevent the prime minister from leaving Europe without some kind of a deal in place.
How did the impetuous leader of a minority government respond? He kicked 21 Tories out of his caucus. Later the same day, Jo Johnson, minister of universities and Boris’ brother, quit his cabinet and the Tory party.
Boris then tried to call an election for Oct. 15, perhaps thinking that if he could win a majority government, he could repeal the law that had just been passed and leave Europe deal or no deal. But, the members of parliament voted against an early election.
By the time you read this Boris may no longer be the British prime minister, or he might have a deal with Europe. It’s Britain, and these days almost anything can happen. And, it won’t be what you expect.
Then, there’s Canada’s English-speaking neighbours to the south, the most powerful country in the world, with a president who fulminates and fabricates with gay abandon. When President Trump isn’t insulting his allies, he’s playing footsies with his enemies.
Donald Trump appears to have more respect for Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, than he does for any of the European leaders who are the traditional American allies in NATO.
Statements and comments from the president of the United States are often so bizarre and so irrational he makes Boris Johnson seem as prim and proper as an English country parson.
In Canada, political excitement amounts to a prime minister who wears flashy socks and occasional slips into strange costumes when he travels.
Other than that, Justin Trudeau is relatively cautious and predictable.
The other federal political leaders are even more stodgy, with the possible exception of the NDP leader who wears a turban. However, Jagmeet Singh is a Sikh and a turban is part of his normal attire.
This week there was almost some excitement in Canada’s political world.
It was initially reported that 14 former NDP candidates in the last New Brunswick election had abandoned the party and were switching to the Greens. Needless to say, the Greens were excited, or seemed to be excited, by the prospect of 14 new members for what is a relatively new party.
It should be pointed out that none of the 14 former NDP candidates were successful, so it wasn’t quite the coup it first appeared to be. Also, it soon became apparent that there weren’t 14 defections, only seven. So that brief flurry of political excitement ended on a down note.
So, it was back to the dull politics we’re used to.
Though, as Bill Davis, a successful, if somewhat staid, former Ontario premier once said, “bland works.”