A series on issues that beg the question.
Jodi Bruhn | January 15, 2014
Toast to those who showed courage in public life.This article first appeared in the December 29, 2013 edition of the Ottawa Citizen.
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Former Senate staffer Chris Montgomery has it. So does Edmonton-St. Albert MP Brent Rathgeber. Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page has it in spades. It’s called courage, and there’s mounting evidence that Canadians crave it in their public officials.
The ancient Greeks prized fortitude, both on the battlefield and in the civic life of Athenian democracy. Whether you label it mettle, grit or tenacity in the face of hardship, its ultimate test is the ability to persevere in the face of death. But there are lesser tests too, including intimidation and threats to one’s livelihood or reputation. Consider the ethical muck Canadians have witnessed in 2013 at the federal level. Despite and even through it, we find some rare exemplars of courage this past year. Case One. March 22. Veteran public servant Kevin Page has spent the final day of his tenacious five-year term as Parliamentary Budget Officer in court, still trying to extract details of the government’s plan to balance the budget. Asked if he’s disappointed by the government’s treatment of him, he responds: “I have a steel plate inside my head. I’ve lost a son. I’m not scared. What am I going to be scared of?” In the same interview, Page noted an “enormous amount of fear” in the federal public service. Case Two. June 6. Edmonton-St. Albert MP Brent Rathgeber resigns from the Conservative caucus. His justification? While he appreciates the role of compromise in politics, “I can only compromise so much before I begin to not recognize myself.” Rathgeber wants to uphold his commitment to transparency. He wants to represent his constituents in Ottawa, not the political executive in Edmonton. He sees no choice but to serve as an independent. In normal times, as columnist Andrew Coyne pointed out last June, such decisions are politics as usual.... Full article: http://ottawacitizen.com/news/op-ed-toast-to-those-who-showed-courage-in-public-life |
Posts in the SeriesJune 2024
The arc of a viral panic: a book review May 2020 Indigenous women to the barricades: a book review September 2017 Indigenous rights are human rights: a reminder from Argentina March 2017 On surfing and strawberry tea: how your spring break could promote reconciliation September 2016 The right guy at the right time: Gord Downie's contribution to reconciliation Janvier 2016 Encore une Commission... June 2015 Munich, 1933: The good bureaucrat, Josef Hartinger November 2014 Addressing the language of the Aboriginal/settler relationship June 2014 From big to better data through indigenous data governance January 2014 Toast to those who showed courage in public life October 2013 Excellence is everywhere: Blueprint 2020 and the future of the public service April 2013 Time to investigate options for resource revenue sharing December 2012 Speaking of accountability: examining the relationship of First Nation voters to their governments About the AuthorJodi Bruhn (PhD, Notre Dame) is a former federal public servant. She is co-author of an anecdotal biography of Eric Voegelin, a political philosopher forced to flee Vienna in 1938.
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