by Ray Hudson
We’re in an election campaign that will run until October 19. Many will have run out of patience with the rhetoric that will erupt into our media, with the veracity of Mt. Etna, Mt. St. Helens and Krakatoa. But instead of tuning it out, if one listens carefully they may be rewarded with some of the most hilarious verbal gaffes. In order to condition you for the coming storm, here are some of the wonderful things that have issued from Canadian politicians over the years.
I’ll start with a comment from Allan Lamport, a former Mayor of Toronto in the fifties: “Canada is the greatest nation in this country.” Well, you can’t argue with that.
Stating the truth can get you into heaps of trouble as Kim Campbell found out when she said: “The election is not a time to discuss serious issues” …okay – when????
You mean like this? “My style of leadership, uh, and in my former role as well, was to state what my idea was but also to encourage, uh, you know, I know what I know and I know what I don’t know.” Conservative Leader Candidate Belinda Stronach. What did she say?!?
Speaking of not knowing everything (who does?) Stephen Harper offered this one: “I don’t know all the facts on Iraq, but I think we should work closely with the Americans.”
Whereas, Prime Minister Jean Chretien had no such problem with clarity in his message when he said: “As long as I am Prime Minister, I remain Prime Minister.” Amen for sure!
You have to remember that Chretien learned his early politics hanging around another master of absolute confidence, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who offered: “I was my best successor, but I decided not to succeed myself.”
And with even greater confidence Trudeau admitted: “Some things I never learned to like. I didn’t like to kiss babies, though I didn’t mind kissing their mothers.”
Another brilliant Canadian offered a highly insightful view of Canada: “Canada is like an old cow. The west feeds it, Ontario and Quebec milk it, and you can well imagine what it’s doing in the Maritimes.” Saskatchewan Premier Tommy Douglas
And speaking of insight, former PM John Turner announced his theory of navigation: “My strategy has always been to stay on course unless a change, of course, is announced. And if it is, of course, we will announce it.”
No course correction heeded here, Robert Thompson, leader of the Social Credit party offered his contribution: “If this thing starts to snowball, it will catch fire right across the country!” Maybe the boy is running hot and cold.
And finally, “All the evidence suggests that the Liberals want to look after impoverished Canadians – why else would they have created over four million of them? Brian Mulroney
So there’s your history lesson for this week. Offerings from our politicians over the decades. But be proud Canadians! The next time you apologize for ….. whatever, do it with conviction. Remember, when those wild Americans to our south are fervently living their national command to hold dear: life liberty and the pursuit of happiness, we Canucks can just as proudly stand strong for ours: peace order and good government! because we know who we are. We have figured out our national malaise and without apology explain to anyone who asks, that In Canada, apathy would be a great national problem! But nobody cares!
Doesn’t it just bring a tear to your eye?
For more, please see https://faitaucanada.wordpress.com/2009/04/19/top-canadian-political-gaffes/
