Appointments vetted by Liberalist a tempest in a teapot

OTTAWA—The recent revelations in The Globe and Mail about the Prime Minister’s Office’s use of a list to compare party affiliation for nominations for judgeships is one of those great investigative stories that makes for great headlines, but really doesn’t amount to much. In short, it is a tempest in a teapot, and no “Teapot Dome” (a 1920s scandal involving oil reserves leased by a member of then-president Warren Harding’s cabinet in return for bribes). First, in the interest of transparency, I should disclose as a former Liberal candidate, I might be considered something of an “insider” by most observers. However, I see the use of the Liberalist of party donors and members as valuable, not to “vet” potential appointees, but rather to protect those in the appointments process when they are accused of patronage. While The Globe has cross-referenced contributors and appointments dating back to 2004, there may be a plethora of reasons for the donations, especially given the Liberals’ popularity after the 2015 election. As former Liberal cabinet minister Hélène Scherrer pointed out on a Radio-Canada panel last week, it is just good politics to know the answer to a journalist’s question in advance, especially on a topic as sensitive as appointments. Even her co-panellist, former Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe, had to admit she had a point. Paradoxically, had The Globe and Mail journalists spoken to any Liberal Party veterans, they would have heard rueful comments about Liberalist and political appointees. First of all, the list itself is rarely up to date. Second, there is a certain bitterness among the old “warhorses” who believe being a long-time partisan is a liability to obtaining an appointment. It used to be a running joke when politicos of a certain age would call each other “Senator,” suggesting some sort of reward might be in hand for being part of a political “family.” That disappeared with the corporate donations and smoke-filled backrooms, as new rules applied. As they should. The biggest problem of patronage in the past was it could be a “zero-sum game”—for the very few who received an appointment, there were many hard-working contributors and former candidates who were bitter at being passed over. And, if the candidate chosen was not the best available, it brought the process into disrepute. Pierre Trudeau once said it “was a coincidence the most competent lawyers happened to be Liberals.” But he was speaking with his tongue placed firmly in his cheek. I can think of three recent appointments that proved the merit of the new system, and promoted three exceptional Canadians into positions that might previously been determined on the basis of partisanship. Senator Peter Boehm (appointed in 2018) was one of the smartest people I ever met at Global Affairs Canada. An ambassador with a doctorate who spoke at least three languages fluently, he was brilliant, knowledgeable, to the point, and spoke truth to power. He was not afraid to criticize his own department’s failings when it came to dealing with families abroad. He closed out his career as the G7 sherpa, managing relations with heads of government and diplomats around the world. His intelligence and candour will be invaluable in the Upper Chamber. CBC chair Michael Goldbloom’s appointment in 2018 was inspired. The fluently bilingual president of Bishop’s University, he was the publisher of the Montreal Gazette and the Toronto Star, and was the head of community organizations in Montreal (Full disclosure: he is a friend). He offers a wealth of experience and wisdom few Canadians can. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Richard Wagner is the son of a long-time Conservative, Claude Wagner, who came within a hair’s breadth of being Conservative leader in 1976, against Joe Clark. Richard Wagner was appointed to the Quebec Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court by Stephen Harper. And yet, as an outstanding jurist, he was promoted to Chief Justice by a Liberal, Justin Trudeau, in 2017. To my knowledge, none of these outstanding Canadians has given a dime to the Liberal Party of Canada in decades. When exceptional people like these are promoted to positions of responsibility, it strikes this former “warhorse” as evidence the system works, and it makes me proud, not bitter. It is also proof partisanship has no place in the current appointments process. Andrew Caddell is retired from Global Affairs Canada, where he was a senior policy adviser. He previously worked as an adviser to Liberal governments. He is a fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute and a principal of QIT Canada. He can be reached at pipson52@hotmail.com. The Hill Times