Ethics must top agenda of cabinet
How has a summer storm of ethics deluged a government which has worked competently to alleviate the agony caused by the unprecedented COVID-19 virus ? A lack of due diligence, a careless attitude to legislation, and surprising disclosures have combined to cause a governance quagmire and an ethical imbroglio.
Questions are legitimately being raised about the culture of connections between the prime minister, the finance minister and the massive contribution agreement originally announced between the government and the WE organization. Further revelations about paid speaking engagements by family members, and forgotten expenses have only added to the public bewilderment.
The agreement is now cancelled, mistakes have been admitted and apologies have been made. Yet, despite these efforts, Parliamentary committees continue to hold hearings and parallel investigations, while the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Commissioner has also begun an investigation which it notes “takes on average about 7 months to complete.”
Civil society has also been blind-sided. Students have been left in limbo. Charitable organizations, already facing unprecedented need from their clients, are waiting to hear next steps. Will some of the money earmarked for the WE organization be reallocated? If so, how and when?
To ratchet up the drama, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Chief of Staff Katie Telford will appear at the House of Commons finance committee, likely this week. Hopefully, they will be able to answer the fundamental question as to why recusal, a common enough governance tool, was not used by Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Morneau at the cabinet meeting when the WE decision was approved.
A partial explanation may lie in competing messages contained within each minister’s mandate letter.
While discussing “openness, effectiveness and transparency in government,” the letter underscores the need for “humility and continuing to acknowledge mistakes when we make them. Canadians do not expect us to be perfect; they expect us to be diligent, honest, open and sincere in our efforts to serve the public interest.”
But the same letter equally contains the warning that “as minister, you must ensure that you are aware of and fully compliant with the Conflict of Interest Act …”
Which of these messages takes precedence? Apologies can be healthy and healing, but they must not be used as an escape hatch for multiple errors. Is there a limit to the number of apologies any one minister or prime minister can make? Do apologies lead to a lack of accountability?
Whatever the answers to these questions and whatever the results of the investigations, political considerations must also be weighed. The life of a minority government is always tenuous. If the government is to recalibrate its agenda, ethical clarity is needed now.
It is time for the government to acknowledge that the repercussions of repeated ethical mistakes are immense in scope, personally humiliating and can result in unintended consequences.
It is time that elected officials understand that conflict of interest legislation and respect for ethical guidelines must be taken seriously. They do not exist to punish public office holders; rather, they exist to protect elected officials from unwanted influence and to maintain the integrity of the parliamentary system. Politicians ignore those protections at their peril.
It is time for the government to refresh and renew their approach to ethical issues. Place it on top of the next agenda for cabinet, discuss the issues with caucus members and retrain political staff of ethical obligations.
Canadians expect that strong moral leadership will underpin our institutions and our government. While many of us are cynical about that expectation, having had our faith shattered before, we still cling to the assumption that rules and laws will be followed, that public figures will live up to the trust they have been given and that the principles of honesty, fairness and responsibility will prevail.
When that public trust is fractured, the quiet cocoon around ethics escalates rapidly to a noisy cacophony of headlines, accusations and denunciations, reflective of the current situation. The storm will only abate with strong leadership, transparent explanations and a renewed commitment to a positive attitude toward compliance.
There’s no time to waste. Let’s get this done.