The Second Part of Chapter 21: The Public Forum

The debate had turned to job creation; although the recession was over and the economy in what economists called the recovery phase, unemployment was still stubbornly high, due to employers being reticent about rehiring people and due to structural changes in the economy that usually accompany recessions.

Cameron Duff said, “What we need to do is make it easier and cheaper for employers to hire; right now, when an employer hires someone, there is a seven percent gap between the cost incurred by the employer and the wages earned by an employee, and I believe we ought to give the seven percent back,”

“Then where will the revenue for Employment Insurance and the Canada Pension Plan come from?”

“Mr. Wakefield, there are plenty of better things to tax than people’s wages,”

“That would still deprive us of twenty billion dollars every year,” said Meach.

“Well then, there are other government programs to cut, and I can promise that unlike the Prime Minister, any government that I run will be squeaky clean,”

“Any implication that my administration is rife with corruption is entirely untrue; the incidents that you do hear about are entirely isolated, and––”

“Then why don’t you tell us why only one of those people that you appointed to consulting positions retired, and it was Angus Ross for health reasons? You have so far failed to answer, and it’s only by sheer luck that this issue isn’t ruining your personal reputation,”

“Actually, Georges, I think his reputation is a write-off by now,” said Abethey Mazli.

“Lady and gentlemen, that is enough, and with that we will move on to the next question, which is from Myron who lives in Sudbury,”

The question was a poorly phrased one about government accountability, and it was directed at all of the leaders. Duff answered first.

“Thank you Myron, for your very pertinent question. I promise that if I become Prime Minister, I will strengthen the role and the powers of the auditor-general, whose already ample powers played an integral role in throwing this government’s shady practices into the light of day. I also promise to resign if any of my cabinet becomes as corrupt as Meach’s is now. In fact, if any minister or other appointee is anything other than squeaky clean, with the best of puritan work ethics, I will ask him to resign.”

“You will ask him to resign?”

“In my opinion, a lot of women in politics are more trustworthy and open than men, in addition to being more competent, so it’s unlikely that I should ask any female cabinet member to resign, Abethey,”

Margaret turned to her husband. “What do you think of that promise?”

“It’s government; there’s bound to be waste somewhere in the system.”

“All the while other parts of government remain under-funded,”

“Hey, I read in the paper this morning that the President of France called the Prime Minister a pig,”

“The President of France? He reminds me of that drawing of Rumpelstilzkin in that kids’ book,” The President of France, in Hyram’s opinion, resembled the Lorax.

At this point Meach became whiny and apologetic, and in Hyram’s view, inexcusably so.

“It can only be said that trying to balance the demands of every sort of private interest group left right and centre, demanding this that and the other thing against the interest of the body public is a trying job, and I’d like to see you try it,”

“That’s why the Prime Minister has to be a particularly competent individual, and not be distracted by patronage appointments for his friends,”

“It can hardly be a winning rhetorical strategy to admit incompetence, Mr. Prime Minister,” said Wakefield.

“I would like to thank you, Mr. Duff, for implying that a woman would not make appointments on the basis of cronyism; as a woman, it is most edifying to hear that,”

Meach tried to come back to the fore: “As your Prime Minister––” Margaret plainly heard the capitals “––I promise to set up a bureau within the PMO for the purpose of accountability,”

“For the purpose of obfuscation,”

“I shall thank you not to interrupt me, M. Valence. As Prime Minister, I view it as essential that every dollar spent be spent justly and fairly. To this end, the Accountability Bureau shall be tasked with the duty, with the Auditor General, of performing surprise audits––”

“Do you plan to audit yourself?”

“Why are you going to set up a new office? Surely the Auditor-General’s Office would be able to handle this?”

Meach raised his voice above the volume of the snide comments by Duff and Wakefield. “––To ensure accountability in spending by government agencies, departments and Crown Corporations. Stop interrupting me!”

“You don’t look too prime ministerial right now; you look more like a whiny schoolchild,” Observed Mazli.

“I can see the Prime Minister’s getting testy,” said Margaret. “He’s sweating, look,” The high-quality digital video unmercifully picked up every detail of the leaders’ faces during the debate, and the Prime Minister was plainly uncomfortable. Hyram thought the Prime Minister was becoming puerile; Valence had a malicious grin on his face, Patrick Wakefield was drumming his fingers on the side of the lectern, while Duff and Abethey Mazli were calm and composed, even though Duff was sneering at Meach.

“Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. The next question comes from Fred, in Victoria, about the environment, and it is directed first at Ms. Mazli,”

The video feed showed a middle-aged man. “I would like to be environmentally responsible, but I find that I am over-dependent on my car. What do you plan to do to make the use of a car a choice rather than a necessity?”

“Thank you for your question, Fred. It is a truth that for many Canadians, the car is inextricably woven into modern life, and has become far more than a mode of transportation; it has become a place, a room, and a part of life. It is also true that the car is expensive, automobile transport is unsafe, very dirty in terms of emissions, oil leaks and such, and is inefficient in terms of land use. The Green Party promises to pass legislation to make communities more pedestrian-friendly and more cyclist-friendly, by placing work closer to home, by increasing funding for public transportation, particularly through our Crown Corporation, Via Rail, and through public transportation spending across the country.”

“It would all come down to people’s choices, though; if some people choose to drive a car, so be it.”

“That’s not the point, Mr. Duff; this man plainly wants to cut down on the use of his car, but finds he cannot, due, most likely, to his neighbourhood being built the wrong way: being built to serve the interests of the car, rather than the person,”

“How would you implement your policies, though? As you know, Ms. Mazli, land use planning is under provincial and municipal jurisdiction.”

“I am aware of that, M. Valence,”

“Another part of the issue is that the playing field has been tilted so far in favour of cars,” said Patrick Wakefield. “Every year, provincial governments devote enormous sums of money to highway infrastructure––I don’t have the figures on hand––and all the spending on highways in effect constitute a subsidy; we are providing a service for which we do not require upfront payment,”

“Yes, Patrick and I have discussed that issue many times, and we agree on the matter,”

“I think that the idea of not funding the highways is, frankly, scary. How would you get around?”

“We’re not talking about all highways, by any means, but simply the four-lane highways; they’re either clogged, empty, and in all cases, rail transport, both for freight and people is far better, economically, socially, and environmentally.”

“The highways, as was mentioned, are provincial jurisdiction, but what would you on the loony left propose to hypothetically do to them? Turn them into parks?”

At Duff’s snide remark, Margaret turned to Hyram and said, “What do you think of that? You’re in the Ministry,”

“Well, to some extent, Mazli’s right; there are certain highways that should not have been built, and I have said that tolls on highways would be a good money-generator,”

“But then there is another question: How would we visit Mary and Clarissa?”

“There’s the train,” said Hyram.

“The train’s stuffy and crowded; remember the last trip we took?” Margaret and Hyram had taken a second honeymoon one summer in a cross-country rail trip, and Margaret thought the crowds on the coaches were unbearable, and had spent the trip complaining about not enough elbowroom.

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