Three former CTF staffers are now working in the Prime Minister's office: Adam Taylor, Sara MacIntyre and John Williamson.  I hired each of them to work for the CTF and can say without reservation that they are incredibly bright, capable and importantly, committed to the ideals of limited government.  Part of me is flattered.  The PMO wouldn't be hiring people that weren't capable.  Much of the communications experience these three possess was gathered during their tenure at the CTF.  So from a professional point of view, it speaks volumes about our organization's ability to attract and develop outstanding communication professionals.  

I need to respect confidences here, but I've been reliably told that most senior Tories were "stunned" by the appointment of John Williamson as the Prime Minister's Director of Communications.  The PM has never had nice things to say about John or the CTF in the past -- and with good reason. Not since Pierre Trudeau has a prime minister led such a massive expansion of the federal government.  The CTF has -- and remains -- very critical of the direction this government is taking the country.  The Prime Minister clearly wanted to shake things up with John's appointment ... and hopefully for the better! 

As for the appointees, it's not entirely difficult to understand their motivation: opportunity, travel, ego, pay, influence, life experience (If Adam Taylor is reading this, he's chuckling).  But hopefully more than any other motivator is the idea that one can make a difference "on the inside."  I really hope that I am proven wrong one day; but I don't buy it.  If I have any observation about politics it is that politicians the world over are followers not leaders.

It matters not whether the Liberals or Conservatives are in government.  What matters are the dominant and most accepted policy prescriptions at any given time.  Chretien has a better fiscal record than Harper; not because Chretien believed in balancing budgets and controlling spending (I doubt he did); but because politicians who did not embrace those policies in the 90s -- with few exceptions -- would not be elected.  Ask former "socialist" premier Roy Romanow who was re-elected after closing 32 hospitals in Saskatchewan (I'll write more about this in future posts).  

The real battle for advocates of limited government is a public one.  And right now, it is an uphill battle.  Politicians are rational actors; they will predictably respond to public sentiment that garners votes.  I hope John, Sara and Adam can have some degree of influence ... I simply believe that talented and principled advocates like them have more influence on "the outside" than on "the inside."  Creating more of those "outside" opportunities is yet another discussion ...

By: Troy Lanigan
Posted: October 03, 2009
Topic: Federal

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