Feature ArticleNovember 21, 2001
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Commentary - Let us now praise our politicians!by John MeiselCanadians, more than other folk it seems, are awfully good at bad-mouthing people who achieve success. I cannot guess why this should be so. But one is constantly reminded of it by the criticism heaped by most media (and their letter writers) on people in public life, and anyone, for that matter, who has done herself (or himself) proud.
This sourpuss observation is prompted by the recent uproar over the scheme of raising the salaries of our Members of Parliament. Youll remember that this year, after a blue ribbon Commission recommended substantial increases, all hell broke loose. Our federal legislators were accused by armchair critics everywhere of not even deserving their existing pay, let alone an increase. They were the target of scathing attacks, listing incompetence, laziness, and wasting the taxpayers money, among their alleged failings.
Yet, compared to the income of parliamentarians in most countries similar to Canada, our federal politicians were receiving laughingly low compensation. And within the county, the compensation they receive, while now quite appropriate, amounts to peanuts compared to that of people with comparable responsibilities in business, medical and educational administration, and the public services. And think of the obscenely colossal pay received by CEOs of banks, and large corporations, not to mention hockey, basketball, and baseball players.
The commission looking into the matter noted that Parliamentarians face daunting pressures and exhausting schedules. They regularly work 60 to 80 hour weeks, travel incessantly and have little privacy. On top of their parliamentary duties, there are demands from constituents, interest groups and political parties, all of which make a normal life very difficult... Members of Parliament are on duty, day and night, seven days a week. One reason they receive so much criticism is that they are often judged on their performance in Question Period the tiny bit of Parliamentary life which is televised. This part of their business has degenerated into a farce and needs to be reformed. Their other work takes endlessly more time and effort, and the great majority perform it well.
Here is what the Commission noted: Our system depends on the contribution and vigilance of those who hold elected office. They combine personal, local, national and international perspectives. They embody the cooperation and competition that make the system work. They defend both individual and collective rights and freedoms and maintain a balance between state and private interests.... Canada has a stable system of government because of its ability to reconcile conflicting or competing points of view and bring them into harmony. The capacity to do this is, in no small part, due to the activities of Parliamentarians. To do these things, requires a lot of reading, consulting, thinking, and deciding while, at the same time, attending to the many community and ceremonial duties expected from MPs.
But federal politicos are only one kind of the breed. Members of the provincial legislative assemblies do similar work, although for the most part it is less demanding. And then there are the thousands upon thousands of local politicians. Our municipalities and school boards take care of increasingly numerous and important aspects of our lives. What they do is determined to a great extent by decisions of councillors and mayors who must inform themselves about numerous complicated matters, who must balance community needs, and decide what can be spent and how, at a time when the tax base is usually inadequate. In addition, because the municipal politicians live amid their constituents, they not only are ever subject to entreaties by electors, but are constantly exposed to their scrutiny and often their anger. For many reasons, these are not times when it is easy to meet community needs.
In thinking about elected representatives we should, in light of the above, hold them accountable for the way they perform their duties. But we should also recognize that most politicians more than earn their keep. They work extraordinarily hard and ensure that, taken all in all, the country is pretty well run. Their remuneration is insignificant in relation to the time they spend on public business, and to its importance. So lets give credit where it is due and salute them for doing for us, what we ourselves are not willing to do. I, for one, am grateful to them and am prepared to sing their praises (even when I receive my tax bill).
