REALPOLITIK COMES TO OTTAWA

One of the leading figures of the Renaissance was Niccolo Machiavelli. A brilliant intellectual, he was a writer, poet, advisor to the powerful and a thinker. His seminal work "The Prince" is considered to be the founding treatise of the discipline of "political science." In it, Machiavelli outlined the qualities of the ideal political ruler. In subsequent years, "The Prince" has been examined in minute detail, which has left Machiavelli himself the subject of much debate. Was he a cold-hearted, bloody-minded operative or a true theorist who  delved into the human psyche, holding a mirror to us all ? Did he, in fact, have a greater understanding of the human spirit than anyone else ?

Perhaps the main point of Machiavelli's work is the concept of "realpolitik." This is the belief that any type of decision in politics should be based on the concept of pragmatism: it should be based on the realities of the time, on the realities of the situation a person is facing, and on workable or "doable" outcomes or solutions to that situation. Realpolitik is "getting things done", ignoring ideological or philosophical frills that may encumber or even prevent real or successful solutions from ever occurring. A practitioner of realpolitik is often seen as an evil being, one without the softer aspects of humanity: compassion, empathy, charity or even love. The term "Machiavellian" has come to mean someone to be feared, avoided, and hated.

The events of the past few weeks in Canadian politics has, for me, been a fascinating study of Machiavellianism and realpolitik. The resignations of Jody Wilson-Reybould and Jane Philpott from the cabinet of Justin Trudeau has sent ripples throughout Canada, shaking the very foundations of Trudeau's government. Because of this, Wilson-Reybould and Philpott have been held up as shining examples of what political leaders should be: principled, altruistic and honest. They have been portrayed as everything, from victims of an overbearing male to crusading champions of women's rights and Indigenous purity. And, as a contrast, Trudeau has paid a heavy price in his reputation, his integrity and his ability to lead a government.

All of which is sheer poppycock, and complete balderdash. Consider the following:

In 1983, at the conclusion of some long-forgotten Constitutional conference, Bill Wilson, a chief of a British Columbia First Nation delivered some prophetic and significant remarks to then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. The video is widely available on youtube or in the CBC archives. Wilson told of his two children who were studying law and wanted to be Prime Minister some day. He revealed to the assembly that his kids were women and got suitable laughter and applause. Trudeau quipped that he'd "stick around until they were ready" to which Wilson hit back with (paraphrasing) they could be on a plane that evening. "A good exchange between two keen debaters," you might think. But I see more to it. If you look at the video ( and I urge you to do so ) you will notice that Wilson was not laughing, but instead fixed Trudeau in a death stare that would rival anything seen in a superhero movie. Wilson could barely disguise his dislike for Trudeau. And Trudeau would not look at Wilson after he made his "plane" response. There is palpable animus in this exchange.

My point ? The sins of the fathers have been visited on their children in the present day. Justin Trudeau has succeeded his father as PM and Wilson's daughter, Wilson-Reybould became Justice Minister and Attorney General in Justin's government. At first, the two seemed to work well together. Not now.

Wilson-Reybould has been described by some cabinet colleagues as being "difficult". Her sister described her, in an article in the Star, as the "go get 'em" one in the family, not at all quiet, but rather driven and ambitious. The sister used the "running of the bulls" in Pamplona, Spain, as an example of how much of an "action" person she was and is. Wilson-Reybould pulled the sister from the relative safety of their balcony onto the street to run with the bulls for a brief stretch. The sister had no intention of doing this, but Jody took charge and, well, it makes a good family story.These are all good qualities in anyone with designs on positions of responsibility and power. Machiavelli would have approved.

As a minister in Justin Trudeau's government, Wilson-Reybould was seen as a leader, occupying a senior portfolio. The fact that she was Indigenous didn't hurt her rising star status either. Trudeau earned praise for crafting a cabinet that was exactly half female, something not done in Canadian politics before, earning him praise as a male "feminist". This gave him a platform with which to tout several domestic and international initiatives benefiting women and girls around the world, raising Canada's international profile immensely. The praise went to Trudeau. His cabinet colleagues were seen as support only, doing his good work. Wilson-Reybould seemed to go into the shadows while other ministers, notable Chrystia Freeland and Jane Philpott ( more about her later ) took on tough tasks like foreign affairs and the "doctor-assisted death" initiatives. Wilson-Reybould could not have liked this.

This is where Machiavelli would fold his hands on his desk and lean forward closely to observe what happened next. Along came the SNC-Lavalin affair, wherein Trudeau, anxious to protect the company and keep jobs in his native Quebec, approached Justin Minister Wilson-Reybould several times about obtaining a "deferred prosecution agreement" ( perfectly legal ) in order for SNC-Lavalin to work its way out of potential criminal prosecution while co-operating with a federal investigation into prior activities concerning Libya and Ghadaffi's son. Wilson-Reybould, quite properly, refused to do so, citing conflict of interest with her position as Attorney-General. And this is where Machiavelli would've been most proud.

I maintain that Wilson-Reybould saw her chance to discredit Trudeau. When Trudeau moved her into another position, Minister of Veterans' Affairs, she saw this as a demotion. She published an unprecedented on-line essay on her experience and achievements as Justice Minister, instead of quietly accepting her new position, which is what she should've done. Then, scarcely a month after the new position change, she abruptly resigned. In the interim, the Globe and Mail published the story of possible political interference in the SNC-Lavalin affair, citing unnamed sources for the story. "Unnamed sources"? How far do we have to look?

As mentioned above, Wilson-Reybould's resignation, subsequent silence on the matter, only to be burst wide open with her damning testimony at the Justice Committee inquiry on the matter, have only served to raise her reputation, while putting Trudeau on the complete defensive. Mission accomplished? Not quite. Another two resignations followed: Gerald Butts, Trudeau's chief advisor and, strangely, Jane Philpott, a highly regarded cabinet minister, who had previously held the Indigenous Affairs portfolio. It must be pointed out that Philpott is not First Nations, but is considered to be a "good close friend" of Wilson-Reybould. Has the plot thickened yet?

As a final coda to all this, the CBC contacted Wilson-Reybould's father, the above-mentioned Bill Wilson, for his reaction. I urge all of you to look at this video on youtube or CBC archives. Mr. Wilson is getting on in years now, but has not lost any of his feistiness. Besides supporting and expressing pride in his daughter, as any good father would and should, Wilson launched on a slightly rambling and extremely emotional tirade against the "Trudeaus" ( note the plural ) and the shameful approach to Indigenous affairs by Canadians generally. It was based, of course, on truths and reality, but it was still slightly cringeworthy to watch and hear. And what did it have to do with the SNC-Lavalin affair? Or ethics in government ? Or altruism ? Absolutely nothing.

Which brings me to this. This entire sorry spectacle has nothing to do with principal, or ethics, or altruism, or honour. It has everything to do with power, influence and the attainment of both. Wilson-Reybould played every card in her hand. Her ethnicity played a huge role in this. She shares her father's frustration at the snail's pace with which improvements for Indigenous people moves. She has studied how to work within the "white man's" system ( Wilson's words, not mine) in order to bring about change. And then there's the issue of gender. Despite Trudeau's good words and deeds on the "feminist file", he has raised expectations among certain women very high. If he has not moved fast enough, then some women would like to see him removed and replaced with a woman at the top job in government. Would that be Wilson-Reybould herself ? Many on social media have suggested so. Certainly the Opposition ( led in a Machiavellian way by female Conservative members, largely Lisa Raitt ) have suggested that Trudeau has a "woman problem."

I counter by suggesting that some women in government have a "Trudeau" problem. History teaches us that most revolutions occur not when people are completely downtrodden, as is the common misconception, but rather when their expectations have been raised, even slightly: when things start to improve, people want more and they want the improvements to happen immediately. I submit to all readers that this is what has happened here.

There are many Machiavellian actors in this piece. Wilson-Reybould, her father and Jane Philpott have already been discussed. But Justin Trudeau exhibited Machiavellian traits as well. He sought to intervene in the SNC-Lavalin affair in order to placate the company, thus preserving Quebec jobs and, in doing so, raising his own profile. Imagine if he hadn't and SNC-Lavalin had made good on their threat ( they may yet do so ) to leave Canada for England, eliminating 9,000 jobs. Imagine the howls of protest from the nation and especially the Opposition for Trudeau not doing everything in his power to save Canadian jobs. So, he had to do this. Admittedly, it was inappropriate for him to put pressure on Wilson-Reybould to intervene, but it was not illegal. When Wilson-Reybould protested, Trudeau got her out of the hot seat portfolio and put her in Veterans' Affairs, which, as explained above, was seen by her as a demotion. And then there's the Opposition led by the vacuous and ineffective Andrew Scheer. Scheer must think that he'd died and gone to heaven with this gift from the political gods. He has been like a dog on a bone with this issue, which is his job as Leader of the Opposition. But the smirk on his face is obvious for all to see: he sees this as his opportunity, perhaps his one and only opportunity, to strike at Trudeau before the fall election. He has no policies, no traction with voters outside of Alberta or Saskatchewan, and, frankly, has the personality of wallpaper paste and the intellect of a cocker spaniel. And he could become Prime Minister of Canada because of Wilson-Reybould's ambition and drive.

Realpolitik. It's a tough game.

One final observation. In order to garner sympathy from all of us, Wilson-Reybould cited the enormous pressure she was under from the alpha male, Justin Trudeau, in this incident. It raised her anxiety and worry levels. Hmmm …. isn't that what realpolitik is all about ? Isn't that what being a leader, be it an Indigenous leader, a female leader, a political leader, or Prime Minister is all about ? Pressure? Perhaps the ends do, indeed, justify the means.

It's all so Machiavellian. It would make a great novel.