Tories too eager to forget MLA’s sex scandal

It’s often said that federal and provincial Tories are two very different breeds. That’s never been more apparent than in how the two wings of the party treat those accused of buying sex.

In Alberta, Progressive Conservatives have welcomed Mike Allen back with open arms less than a year after the MLA resigned from caucus over being nabbed in a prostitution sting in St. Paul, Minn.

In Ottawa, Progressive Conservatives are insistent that Bill C-36 — which punishes johns with heavy fines and possible jail time — be made law by the end of the year.

“Bill C-36 does not seek to allow or facilitate the practice of prostitution,” Justice Minister Peter MacKay told a parliamentary committee earlier this week. “On the contrary, its goal is to reduce the demand for prostitution with a view to discouraging entry into it, deterring participation in it and ultimately abolishing it to the extent possible.”

The voters of Fort McMurray will determine during the next provincial election if Allen has truly been forgiven, but it does seem too soon to welcome him back into the Tory fold. He pleaded guilty to trying to hire a prostitute in December and was fined $500 and given one year of probation — a condition that doesn’t expire until the end of 2014. Given that the legislature doesn’t resume until this fall, and that a new party leader will be chosen in September, what was government whip George VanderBurg’s hurry in putting Allen’s fate to a secret vote among the Tory caucus on Monday?

Alison Redford, who was party leader a year ago, said she was “disgusted” and “disappointed” by Allen.

In a statement after his July 2013 arrest, Allen himself said, “It is a mistake for which there are no excuses and for which I accept full responsibility. This is a deeply embarrassing moment and all I can say is that I am sorry and I humbly ask for forgiveness. I will work long and hard to regain the trust of the many I have let down.”

Miraculously, it would seem Allen has rebuilt his trust in such a short time, at least as far as Alberta Tory MLAs are concerned.

“I asked the question — and he’s back in,” VanderBurg said after the vote, which was taken during the caucus’s annual Calgary Stampede meeting.

“Mike has paid his penalty and he has paid a personal price. He handled himself well through this.”

Handled himself well? How does admitting that police officers caught you trying to buy sex in a hotel room qualify as evidence of conducting yourself appropriately? Remember that Allen was in Minnesota on government business — ironically, to attend a lawmakers’ conference. The fact he paid back his travel expenses doesn’t wipe away the stain of poor judgment, it just means he has a smattering of decency, or a big desire to make the debacle go away.

And as far as paying a penalty and a price, as VanderBurg claims, Allen continued to draw his MLA’s salary and accumulate his benefits while sitting as an independent. He had talked about resigning his seat at one point, but obviously decided to ignore calls from the opposition and the public to step aside.

Frankly, the incident isn’t likely to disappear. Businessmen, welders, bricklayers, and so on, may be able to put such an arrest behind them, but a politician, even one who is single, can’t. An accountant’s character, for instance, is just part of the package, along with qualities such as a knowledge of tax rules and a good head for figures. In contrast, a politician’s character is everything, it is the entire package — it’s why we elect them to represent us and to make decisions on our behalf.

Liberal Leader Raj Sherman gets it. He told Edmonton Journal columnist Graham Thomson this week that Allen should resign because “he’s a lawmaker who broke the law.”

Given all the distractions that have dogged Alberta Tories in recent months, the last thing they need is Allen back among their ranks. They should take a page from their federal Tory cousins and realize that prostitution should be stopped to the greatest extent possible, not be papered over and condoned for political expediency.