Liberal Ethics In Government

With Prime Minister Trudeau facing his third investigation by Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion, in addition to a possible criminal investigation by the RCMP, a casual observer might be forgiven for concluding that the governments days are numbered.  Whether sooner as the result of a vote of no-confidence, which so far hasn't happened, or later during the next election in 2023, surely Canadian voters have had enough of this corrupt government. A July 13^th poll by Angus Reid might surprise many. 

The Teflon Trudeau brand optics are becoming toxic

According to the poll, Trudeau's approval rating has dropped only 5 points since the WE Charity scandal broke. Astoundingly, half (50%) of Canadians still approve of the PM's performance. On the surface, the numbers suggest low respect for ethics and a high tolerance for corruption…especially in Liberals. In fact, there appears to be considerable difference in concern over corruption between Conservatives and Liberals. One-third of past Conservative voters (32%) identify ethics and corruption as a top issue, compared to only 4% of past Liberal voters. Almost all (91%) Liberal voters still approve of the PM. Women contribute largely to the Celebrity Prime Minister's popularity, being significantly more likely to approve of Trudeau (58%), compared to men (41%). A glimmer of hope for those wanting a change in government; there has been a dramatic increase in the intensity of positive versus negative appraisal, with twice as many Canadians now saying that they strongly disapprove (34%) of Trudeau's performance as strongly approve (16%). One interpretation is that a growing number of Canadians are tired of Trudeau, while conviction is eroding amongst Liberals in the face of the continuing indefensible corruption scandals that have plagued the PM. The Teflon Trudeau brand optics are becoming toxic. Celebratory drinks should be postponed however.  A poll conducted in June, 2019 for the Globe and Mail found that, "A solid majority of 73 per cent of Canadians polled by Nanos Research say that ethics in government will influence their vote in the fall election..." This came in the wake of Lavalin-Gate, the Mark Norman scandal, and the first Trudeau Report which found that, "Mr. Trudeau, as Prime Minister, contravened section 11 of the Act when he or his family accepted the gifts of hospitality from the Aga Khan and the use of his private island in March and December 2016."

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Why do Liberals seem so comfortable with corruption?

Pollster Nik Nanos was quoted as saying, "What this speaks to is Canadians want to hear from politicians about ethics, transparency and how our government should run as a top issue. Canadians' faith in Mr. Trudeau's government has been shaken."  A minor tremor only, evidently. To the disbelief of many (and thanks to an imbalanced electoral system), despite losing the popular vote to Andrew Scheer and the Conservatives (CP 6,155,662, LP 5,915,950 votes), the Trudeau government was re-elected – albeit with a minority. So much for polls. At a press conference on July 20^th, Scheer told reporters that if Liberal backbenchers don't call for Trudeau's departure, they will be complicit in the corruption. "If they allow him to continue, if they don't demand that he resign, then they are telling Canadians that they are comfortable with his corruption." Why do Liberals seem so comfortable with corruption? Moral Foundations Theory is a social psychological theory popularized by Dr. Jonathan Haidt in his 2012 book "The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion". According to the theory, individual moral concerns can be measured across five foundations:

• Care
• Fairness
• Loyalty
• Authority
• Sanctity.

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For change, Liberals must adjust their moral foundations

Studies have shown that people's sensitivities to the five foundations correlate with their political ideologies. While Conservatives are equally sensitive to all five foundations, Liberals are more sensitive to Care and Fairness. Harvard Psychology Professor Joshua Greene argued however that liberals tend to emphasise the Care, Fairness and Liberty dimensions; conservatives the Loyalty, Authority and Sanctity dimensions. Arising during our Paleolithic hunter-gatherer period, the three foundations emphasized more by Conservatives (Loyalty, Authority, Sanctity) bind groups together for greater strength, while the Liberal foundations of Care and Fairness promote concern for individuals. According to Haidt, these fundamental differences have significant impact upon political discourse. Since Conservatives and Liberals witness events from different viewing platforms, inherent differences in perspective result. Unfortunately, Moral Foundations Theory fails to explain continued Liberal support for Trudeau, Ethics being a core value of Fairness. It may however account for the sliding of strong Liberal support, and ultimately result in his downfall. Historical precedent suggests that simply another finding of guilty by the Ethics Commissioner will have little effect on either the PM's behaviour or election results. For change, Liberals must adjust their moral foundations.