Selinger can take a lesson from Doer

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/06/2010 (5567 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Premier Greg Selinger must be getting pretty tired of hearing about how different he is than the last guy.

Gary Doer left quite a pair of shoes to fill. Even his enemies grudgingly acknowledged his political instincts.

When Doer resigned, some of those seeking his job suggested the NDP should become less centrally controlled. Doer held firm command and control over his cabinet and caucus, and not everyone appreciated it.

For more than a decade, there was no doubt who was in charge at the Manitoba legislature. Doer did not draft every utterance and policy, but everyone knew the government did not do or say anything without his approval. This is not unique to Manitoba. It is one of the ugly realities of parliamentary democracy that the first minister wields the most power. Moreover, that strong leadership is one of the keys to avoiding the kind of problems that shorten a government’s lifespan.

No government is 100 per cent scandal-free, but for a decade Doer and his cabinet generally avoided self-inflicted wounds of the magnitude that would give the opposition traction.

But it’s not the Doer government anymore. It’s the Selinger government. And although it’s still early in his tenure, several recent incidents suggest the new premier hasn’t quite established the command and control of his cabinet that his predecessor enjoyed.

The first has been the inexplicable utterances of Attorney General Andrew Swan. First, there was his mishandling of concern about provincial probation services. Then Swan’s horrendous overreaction when Vincent Li, found not criminally responsible for a brutal murder and mutilation, was approved for escorted walks on the grounds of the Selkirk Mental Health Centre.

In both instances, Swan displayed a lack of political acumen that, quite frankly, he probably wouldn’t have been allowed to display in a Doer cabinet.

The second incident involved Education Minister Nancy Allan and her bizarre decision to condemn a question on a language-comprehension exam that B’nai Brith Canada labelled anti-Semitic. The question, and the essay it was based on, were, by all reasonable measurements, appropriate. Allan’s decision to jump to B’nai Brith’s side was awkward and ill-advised.

The Doer government definitely saw its share of problems. But it seemed Doer rarely allowed ministers to engage in such poor political judgment. What exactly is going on in the NDP camp? A variety of scenarios comes to mind.

Selinger may have adopted a kinder, gentler approach to managing his cabinet. This may have, against all of the best advice on such matters, allowed Swan and Allan to dabble in some poor judgment.

Or it could be mutiny. Swan was an early contender for the NDP leadership and Allan, a longtime Doer loyalist, was a high-profile Swan supporter. Perhaps they will not acknowledge that Selinger now commands and controls.

Either way, this is a problem that likely stems from last year’s leadership contest. It should come as no surprise there is some residual awkwardness out of that race. However, it appears the grudge in this instance is not being carried by the losers; it is being carried by Selinger supporters.

The Selinger camp has always believed that prior to Doer’s decision last year to resign and accept appointment as Canada’s ambassador to the United States, he tipped off Swan, giving him a head start.

There was never any clear evidence to support this conspiracy theory, but even after Selinger won, his closest supporters still carried a grudge.

Leadership campaign hangovers are not unique to Manitoba. Nor is the fact that winners are, in an ironic twist, often the source of the resentment.

In 2004, then-prime minister Paul Martin trounced his opponents to capture the federal Liberal leadership. Despite his overwhelming victory, his advisers never forgave those who dared challenge him. This carried over into the Prime Minister’s Office and ultimately left the Liberals divided and vulnerable to defeat.

Indiscretions by Allan and Swan do not, on their own, make a prima facie case for a party in turmoil. But it’s hard to escape the fact the former premier rarely allowed his ministers to wade into the trouble that Swan and Allan have recently found. Some may have resented the short leash Doer gave his ministers, but over the long haul it saved them a lot of grief.

Selinger, a politician of some acumen himself, may have grown weary of being compared to his predecessor. But that doesn’t mean he can’t learn from Doer some of the finer points of command and control.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca