Editorial

The view from the boondocks

Prime Minister Paul Martin has some explaining to do. He probably doesn’t pay much attention to weekly newspapers from out in the Alberta boondocks, but just in case he does, here’s some advice:
Martin should start by calling a spade a spade. The federal sponsorship program turned into a hog wallow because of the government’s policy of using taxpayer money to buy off Quebec. The Chretien government was scared stiff of losing Quebec and of being blamed for it. That fear clouded their judgment and led to huge amounts of cash flowing into Quebec for every harebrained national unity-promoting scheme any Liberal could come up with. According to Auditor General Sheila Fraser it was done with little or no accountability.
That may be an oversimplification. But that’s the way it looks from out here.
In any case, it’s obvious that the government in which Martin was Finance Minister behaved in a grossly irresponsible manner with public money. Taxpayer money. Our money.
Of course it can be argued that in the cause of keeping the country whole, extraordinary measures are justified. Rubbish. Reasonable efforts are justified. Extraordinary accountability is justified, not to mention required.
Doing the right thing includes a full, frank admission of what went on and what Martin knew about it. If he really didn’t know the details of the sponsorship program, he should explain why not, why it won’t happen again and how he’s going to make sure it doesn’t.
To his credit, Martin has done something. He’s suspended four or five people and launched an investigation, which may or may not produce satisfactory results. But his claims of personal ignorance, or innocence, in the matter ring false. They seem to be less than the whole story, and they are killing his credibility in the west, for one thing.
Martin may not enjoy that much credibility out west anyway. His party, after all, isn’t that popular out here. One reason it isn’t is because we tend to disapprove of people who say one thing and do another.
We also tend to dislike people who only pretend sincerity. That’s why it would be good for the PM, and good for the country, if he would come totally clean. It might not earn him any seats out here, but it would earn him a bit of respect.

Head start in Athabasca
Speaking of national politics, the Conservative Party of Canada is in the process of choosing a leader. Closer to home, it’s choosing a representative in the Athabasca Riding to replace long-serving MP Dave Chatters.
The day this paper hits the streets, paid-up party members will gather at the Elks Hall to vote for one of three candidates for the position. They’ll do the same thing in Grassland on Mar. 10 and in Ft. McMurray on Mar. 11.
The candidates are Brian Jean, the Ft. McMurray lawyer and businessman, Tom Griffin, an auditor with Syncrude and a Ft. McMurray city councillor, and Blake Robert, a student also from the oilsands city.
So grab your membership cards and get out to the meeting!
With the Paul Martin government embroiled in scandal, it seems unlikely that the anticipated spring election will happen. Pundits now say a fall vote is more likely, but Martin may wait until 2005 if it serves his purpose. Whenever it is, the Conservative candidate in Athabasca will have a big head start.
VJM