IN DEFENSE OF BEING A POLITICIAN TODAY

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday September 18, 2021.

Several federal elections ago I expressed sympathy on Wrights Lane for a local veteran Member of Parliament who had performed admirably over the course of three terms in office but suffered an unexpected upset defeat in the latest polls of the period. 

In this particular post I speculated on how personally disappointing and devastating it must have been for her, and other defeated incumbents for that matter, to swallow such a bitter pill. We all experience defeats of various kinds in our lives, but very few of us suffer the public humiliation of rejection at the hands of our voting peers.

I was subsequently taken to task for my views on this occasion by an anonymous individual who said I had caused him to "get out a crying towel." He went on to suggest that federal politicians are well compensated for their efforts with paid expenses and, in the end, walking away with comfortable retirement compensation. (In all fairness it should be pointed out here that The Members of Parliament Pension Plan is not an outright gift or perk of office. It is a contributory defined benefit pension plan that serves more than 1,000 active and retired senators and members of the House of Commons. The plan offers eligible plan members a lifetime pension benefit when they retire.)

With the latest Canadian election only a matter of a few days away, I was once again reminded of the folly in running for political office. To coin a phrase, "It certainly takes a special type of person."

Generally, there is no denying that most elected representatives work long hours; have little time for family life and are forever at risk of losing their seats. The nature of politics invites criticism and close scrutiny by members opposite and by disillusioned citizens, a process which if exercised civilly can contribute positively to public accountability. But balance and fair judgement rarely, if ever, enters the picture.

Unfortunately, the coarseness of public discourse these days, riddled as it is with name-calling and sneering invective against "anybody who disagrees with you," suggests a hardness of heart in the body politic that is stifling the impulses of reason. Social media is, of course, a prime platform for the spewing of public dissatisfaction and disrespect.

I agree with a fellow commentator who has written colorfully that "language used by politicians and the public alike increasingly is being used as ammunition in a crude arsenal, like so many cudgels, barbed spears and poisoned arrows, to express disaffection, fear, cynicism, bitterness and animosity. As those harsh sentiments echo in the public mind, they spread like the thick goo of an oil spill, smothering the resilience of such vital human traits as reason, understanding, wisdom and courage in the face of confusion and adversity."

Quite frankly, I could never function in that kind of environment. I'm just not built that way. Without question it takes a special kind of person with sufficient ego and dedication to endure the damned-if-you-do and damned-if-you-don't reality of a political life, particularly at the demanding provincial and federal levels.

Can you imagine day in and day out getting up in the morning knowing that there is a segment of the population that demonstrably hates your guts and that members of opposing parties will assuredly be prepared to attack you at the least provocation.

Conversely, can you imagine going to bed at night dead tired and with two options -- 1) trying to forget the sting, negativity and challenges of the day, or 2) rebuttal by means of conjuring up commonly expected fighting-fire-with-fire tactics. To my way of thinking it is a vicious circle and no way for anyone to live on a constant basis.

In spite of occasional differences of opinion and other small irritants, politicians generally are admirable people who deserve more respect in today's troubled times.

It's easy to be a backseat driver, much harder to drive. Politicians have to make sometimes very difficult decisions, knowing that millions of lives will be affected to varying degrees. We can say what we like about political matters knowing there's little consequence if we're wrong. Politicians, on the other hand, have to deal with the knowledge that the whole country could be harmed by their actions and their names forever black marked.

And as I say, our elected representatives put up with ceaseless criticism. With thousands of people constantly sharing mocking cartoons of them, writing about how much they dislike them, and criticizing their looks, their emotions or lack of emotions, and virtually everything else they do. Particularly in an age that is quick to take offence (on both the left and right), they put up with an endless stream of insults and that to me displays an admirable tenacity and thick skin.

The job of politician is also an insecure one where you can lose everything in an instant, and you have to face the humiliation of public rejection. In a nutshell, to be a politician requires a strength of character that deserves at least a token of our respect and admiration.

After all, politicians are only human beings, just a little masochistic by nature if you ask me.