Time for co-operation in Ottawa

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By Jim Dumville

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It took a global economic crisis to achieve it, but it appears most of Canada's elected officials are ready to put governing the nation ahead of getting re-elected.

In the lead up to Wednesday's Speech from the Throne, both the Stephen Harper government and the Liberal opposition displayed long-awaited signs of co-operation as Canada prepared to keep its head above the raging waters of global economic disaster.

While Canadians dig in for a new era of a shrinking economy, lost jobs, and individual and business bankruptcies, they hope to at least be able to look to Ottawa for hope. During the recent good times, voters saw little to be proud of in the actions of those for whom they cast their votes.

This time, Prime Minister Harper, to his credit, seems open to compromise. He has already met with opposition party leaders to discuss potential areas of agreement. Hopefully, that spirit of co-operation carries into the House of Commons as it gets down to business, beginning with the Throne Speech debate.

Liberal House leader Ralph Goodale and his Conservative counterpart, Government House leader Jay Hill, have already displayed a much more conciliatory tone during early debate in the wake of Wednesday's Throne Speech. Even dating back to the naming of Harper's new cabinet, Hill's appointment as the man who will promote the government agenda earned qualified praise from both the opposition and political pundits.

For most people, Hill will be a welcome relief from the partisan and often insulting tone displayed by his predecessor, Peter Van Loan. The change in style is a wise political move for Harper, but, more importantly – and it's good to see the prime minister may finally recognize this – the change is vital to dealing with the economic crisis and pending recession.

The Throne Speech debate and the makeup of the Parliamentary committees – where most government business is accomplished – will demonstrate if the new-found civility is real, or just politically motivated to attract new voters. Even as a strong critic of Harper's adversarial political style, I believe this time his spirit of co-operation is genuine.

The PM's decision to replace Van Loan with Hill and the installation of respected Conservative MP Jim Prentice as environment minister to replace the super partisan political attack dog John Baird, combined with a new media-friendlier PMO staff, reflect a more mature attitude. Perhaps Harper's sweater vests were more than a campaign prop.

Regardless of personal attitudes and temperament on either side of the political landscape in Ottawa, the economic crisis which awaits this new Parliament trumps any political gamesmanship. Canadians are scared – with reason – and are in no mood for the political shenanigans of the past. They want committee members to work together to find solutions. They want parties to share ideas. They want MPs to ignore party allegiance in favour of what is best for the country. They want action instead of gridlock.

Co-operation does not mean an absence of political debate. In fact, it should mean more debate, but intelligent debate posing strong opinions on the best course of action. Personal attacks and attempts to score political points must be set aside.

Most reporters who were in the Senate chambers Wednesday afternoon as Governor General Michaëlle Jean read the Speech from the Throne reported a subdued and sombre atmosphere. Canada's parliamentarians understand the tough decisions which lie ahead.

While Canada is in relatively good economic shape compared to some nations to handle a global recession, it cannot escape the fallout. Neither is Canada in as good a shape as it could have been. Bad policy decisions during good times has made it much more important to make good decisions during these bad times.

The Liberal opposition is eager to point to the Harper government's foolish decision to waste the surplus contingency the Martin government left in place for it. While they have a point, this is not the time to concentrate on blame. It is a time to concentrate on action. It is a time to invest in Canadian infrastructure to create jobs. It is a time to protect manufacturing, forestry and agriculture jobs. It is a time to save the Canadian auto industry. It is time to create a viable green-energy industry.

The time to lay blame will come during the next election and, hopefully, the new spirit of co-operation will ensure that won't be for several years.