October 10, 2003
As readers of this corner may have guessed, surprises coming my way from politicians usually fall under the unpleasant category. It’s a good thing when the pleasant surprises sometimes come along. It keeps cynicism at bay and even journalists must never be overwhelmed by cynicism.
When Liberal MP Dennis Mills invited me to join him for lunch on Friday, my antennae began inching up. I hadn’t seen the capricious DM since the Rolling Stones concert and was suspicious that the unprecedented success of it all might have permanently swelled his head.
Over lunch at the Pape Avenue Palace, Mills recalled how it seemed almost everybody had thrown cold water at the concert until the last two weeks. But he related the story with humour. "The same people who gave me the most attitude began in the last days to see themselves as the catalysts who made it all happen. But that’s human nature and I had already convinced everybody including myself to be a peace maker."
The be-a-peace-maker theme was something he picked up when things were getting too hectic during the painstaking organization required for Youth Day. A guy called Pope Paul John II has long inspired Dennis Mills.
That Mills is a dyed-in-the-wool Liberal and that I am stridently anti-Liberal makes our relationship all the more intriguing. In fact, he could be the only living political Liberal politician that I truly admire.
Dennis Mills idolized Pierre Elliot Trudeau, while I blame PET for being the first in striking a ruinous course for this country. The Toronto-Danforth MP looks forward to the debut of Paul Martin as prime minister, saying Martin is "sure to be his father’s son." I harbour strong suspicions about the former finance minister who I feel will be nothing more than a puppet for his long-time mentor UN Poster Boy Maurice Strong.
And so it goes.
To my way of thinking, Dennis Mills is the only politician–Liberal or otherwise–who accomplished something substantial in pulling Toronto out of the SARS drain.
Of the thousands of details involved in pulling the Stones concert off, he was most touched that so many physically challenged people could be brought in for the big night. But he credits Paul Raina and Steven Christianson of the Ontario March of Dimes for making it possible.
"They were as indefatigable as they were amazing," he said.
Long before Mill’s SARS chapter, I had touted him in a column as "the business brains of the Liberal Party", something I believe he proved with last summer’s concert.
At our lunch, Mills was gracious when I taunted him about the merging of the right being the merciful end of Canada’s one-party state.
He was gracious, too when I told him I was no fan of his friend Toronto mayoral candidate John Nunziata.
This politician and journalist have agreed to disagree on many topics.
Mills has some vexing sides to his personality, one of them causing me to dub him "Dennis-I’ll-get-back-to-you" Mills". Among those apparently waiting for return calls from him is Toronto Star columnist Joey Slinger.
All too human, Mills is not infallible like his hero, the Holy Father.
But if there is one thing where the Liberal MP and this journalist are in strong agreement it is regarding the stewardship of the riding called Toronto-Danforth.
Mills is devoted to the riding and has earned the unflagging respect of small business owners along the Danforth.
There is no way he is going to give the riding up to New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jack Layton.
"Hallelujah!" says the author of this column.
When Paul Martin drops the writ for the next federal election, which rumour says will be this May, I will be rooting for the new Canadian Conservative party--except in Toronto-Danforth, where I’ll be lining up behind Mills.
Dennis Mills has something over Jack Layton. A lot less ego.
It was at the end of our lunch, when I remembered I had never collected the Pope-blessed rosary beads he had promised me.
"Next time you think about it, leave them for me at your constituency office," I suggested.
"I thought I had already done that," Mills said, taking his own pair from his pocket and proffering them to me.
Naturally, I was touched, but not sure about taking them.
"He’s the real thing," he said when handing them over.
You too, Mr. Mills.
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
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