Nice: The Most Useless Word in Politics

Politics is not for the gentle or the faint of heart. It’s a lot like baseball: a combination of strategy and action. And successful politics is not conducted under any Marquess of Queensbury rules. As the great baseball manager Lou Durocher once said, “Nice guys finish last.” So do nice politicians. John F. Kennedy once observed that “Every mother wants her son to be president, but doesn’t want him to be a politician.”

What’s all this about? Well, Carole James, leader of the NDP, is a very nice person. And she’s losing out big time to Gordon Campbell, who is not. I’m not saying that Mr. Campbell is a bad man -- though some think he is -- just that he plays a brutal game

I worked for Bill Bennett, whom I like and respect a great deal. Privately, he is a very nice man indeed, but in politics, he was tough as nails. Once when he had just become leader of the opposition, one NDP MLA taunted Bennett that he was a “daddy’s boy,” referring of course to his father, W.A.C. Bennett. Bill “At least I know who my father is,” Bennett shot back at his tormentor, who was a foundling. Another time, an NDP heckler, whom in his youth had gone to prison for robbery, taunted Bennett about his “record”. Bennett levelled him with “I’ll match my record against yours any time.”

Many recoil at such rapier shots, but fail to understand that the legislature is where the political blood of the province is figuratively spilt. Back in 1983, Jack Munro, then president of the IWA, and scarcely a shrinking violet, cooled what looked like a very ugly scene coming from an angered labour force about to come apart at the seams, by saying in no uncertain terms that we make our laws in parliament, not in the streets. In saying that, Munro showed that he understood the system; that no matter how bad things seem, throwing brickbats in the legislature is still vastly preferable to throwing bricks on the street. It also means, of course, that oral and often unpleasant brickbats will be thrown in the legislative chamber.

Legislature ‘serves no useful purpose’

It’s important to understand the game: to know how power is exercised under our system, assuming there is a majority government. The premier and his cabinet -- who are in synch with the premier or don’t stay there -- make the policy. They give it to the government caucus to chew on for a bit -- not always, mind you -- then caucus invariably rubber stamps it. In other words, before a bill or policy is debated in the legislature, it’s a done deal. The so-called “debates” take place after the fact, and in 99 percent of the cases don’t lead to so much as a changed comma in the bill being passed.

This is not to say that these “debates” don’t have a useful purpose, because they do. They allow MLAs, especially opposition ones, to attack the bill in question and the government with as much vehemence they wish, trusting that their indignation will capture media interest and reach the folks at home. The trappings of democracy -- controlled speech length, recognition of speakers, mandatory three readings, voting procedures -- are all there, of course, just as they were in iron curtain parliaments.

I must insist, however, in making this point again: apart from giving the opposition a chance to vent and attack the government, the legislature serves no useful purpose.

James lets Liberals off

Having made this point, I venture to argue that a majority of citizens would demand that our legislators (again an inappropriate term) behave themselves, such that when teachers and little toddlers attend the gallery, they will see civilized democracy at work. Members shouldn’t heckle, raise their voices, demand false motions and those sorts of things. Well, let me tell you someone else who would like to have a nice, peaceful chamber: the premier and the cabinet that have tabled the contentious legislation or policy in the house in the first place or are facing question period.

I know whereof I speak. I sat for five years on the government front benches, and can tell you that while I loved the rough and tumble of a day in the house, our government would have been delighted to face an opposition with a nice leader and nice opposition MLAs.

Teachers, instead of wringing their hands, ought to explain to their kids what the legislature is on paper and then explain its function in real life. For a legislative chamber that suits teachers and their wards suits the premier and his cabinet as well. In short, the declaration of peace by the super nice Carole James has served and helped Gordon Campbell and his government very well indeed. That is not what Ms. James was elected to do.

I close with this comment: several times I’ve been asked to be part of the BC Youth Parliament http://www.bcyp.org/, which, they say, shows young people how the legislature works. I have refused because, noble as this concept may be, it teaches that which is as unlike reality as chalk is to cheese and simply perpetuates a dangerous myth. All who would understand our system of governance would do well to look at what happens, not what they, without thinking it through, would like it to be.

Rafe Mair writes a Monday column for The Tyee. His website is www.rafeonline.com.

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