October 21, 2002
There was a time when John Manley, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance showed some promise. As Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister on and following Sept. 11, 2001, he had come a long way from his political beginnings when his big claim to fame was being known as figure skater Elizabeth Manley’s cousin. In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, Manley seemed to be one of the few (if not the only) top Liberals to appreciate the significance of the events of that day. John Manley appeared prime ministerial in dealing with the terrorist attacks while Jean Chrétien did his "deer in the headlights" imitation and other ministers such as David Collenette and Elinor Caplan insisted that Canada’s security was just hunky-dory. The attacks by al-Qaeda were an attack on our democracy and our way of life and not simply a tragedy for the United States.
What a difference a year makes. Manley recently hit the news when he told a group of Montreal reporters that Canada should get rid of the monarchy and have a uniquely Canadian head of state. He had expressed those views before and, as the prime minister said, is entitled to his opinion. What made Manley’s remarks newsworthy was that he stated them within an hour of Queen Elizabeth II landing in Canada as part of her Golden Jubilee celebrations. And, to make it worse, unlike many others who visit our shores, the Queen had been invited by the government.
Manley, along with Paul Martin, is associated with what is known as the right wing of the Liberal Party. There really is no such thing, the party is really divided into the left wing and the extreme left wing. Like the prime minister-in-waiting, Manley is perceived to be on the right because he can go to New York and mingle easily with brokers on Wall Street, something that Jean "Western-greed-and-arrogance-is-responsible-for-terrorism" Chrétien cannot do. A lack of strong anti-Americanism does not make a Liberal any less of a Liberal and Manley proved he is just another Grit.
Manley’s attempt to use humour in his quest to have the monarchy abolished in Canada made him look more ridiculous. He mused that Celine Dion should be the head of state; perhaps not a stretch considering that our present Governor-General is a former CBC info babe. But Manley forgot or didn’t care that Dion no longer lives in Canada. She’s part of that brain drain to the United States that we keep hearing about, assuming, of course, that she has a brain. And when Conservative leader Joe Clark referred to Manley as "King John" during Question Period, Manley shot back that when he thinks of a king, he thinks of Elvis. While Jean Chrétien can use humour quite effectively, all Manley accomplished was to show what a boor he really is. In the world of stand up comedians, Mike Bullard has nothing to worry about--other than his taxes going up to fund the boss’s legacy.
Chrétien, to no one’s surprise, stuck up for his deputy. The PM always defends members of the cabinet unless or until they become undefendable. Chrétien refused to replace Manley as the Queen’s official escort during her Ottawa portion of the trip showing that he places little importance where Her Majesty is concerned.
When his remarks caused an uproar, Manley moaned about not having the skills to avoid answering questions. Anyone who believed that, never saw him field questions for the prime minister in Question Period. When that spin didn’t work, he was forced to apologize.
Perhaps Manley’s behaviour illustrates why he’s trailing the pack in the leadership race to replace Chrétien. At least Paul Martin and Allan Rock can appear statesmen-like. Wanting to have the monarchy abolished in Canada is one thing--Manley’s rudeness and joking about the monarchy while the Queen was on Canadian soil, is another. Manley is too childish to ever become prime minister of Canada. Much like his beloved "king," although there will be rumours to the contrary, the notion of a Prime Minister Manley is quite dead.
Arthur Weinreb is a lawyer and author and Associate Editor of Canadafreepress.com, he can be reached at: aweinreb@interlog.com
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