Pundits say the Conservatives have set a record for the shortest political honeymoon in Canadian history. (globeandmail.com: The curse of the Conservatives: Not again!) It is a record unlikely to be broken since it is a negative 25 minutes! That’s the time between when erstwhile Liberal David Emerson arrived at Rideau Hall and his swearing in as a Conservative cabinet member. A surprise that confounded the expectations of the Canadian public for a more honest and open government.

Many attribute the defeat of the Liberal government to the loss of the moral authority to govern. (CBC - Canada Votes 2006 - Reality Check) The revelations coming from the Gomery Commission eroded the public’s confidence in Liberals in particular and government in general. Canadians chose the Conservatives because they promised more honest and open government. 

Now that the new government has been sworn in, Canadians are once again disappointed. Emerson, elected as a Liberal only two weeks prior, chose to cross the floor for a cabinet post. Michael Fortier a non elected business person from Montreal, was appointed to the Senate so he could represent Montreal in cabinet. This is government by pragmatism not by principle.

To earn the public’s trust, government’s must commit themselves not only to greater accountability, but they must follow through on that accountability. Proving it by demonstrating it so they can recommend their government with integrity.

Failure to respect people’s electoral choices constitutes a manipulation of the system, a form of “lording it over” the electorate. Emerson’s attitude of “I know what’s best for BC” fails to respect the people who elected him as a Liberal. This is the perception that Stephen Harper generated when he referred to people’s criticism of his deal with Emerson as “superficial” (Harper shrugs off critics). It’s not superficial to expect integrity from politicians.

In fact, if politicians understood the concept of moral authority better and were willing to demonstrate that understanding by earning the public’s confidence we would not need all the rules, oversight and new laws guaranteeing integrity in politics.  David Emerson could do this by resigning his seat and standing as a Conservative Candidate in a by-election. Harper has said that both Emerson and Fortier can wait until the next election to stand as Conservatives.

The question of moral authority in politics is as old as human society. Jesus counseled his disciples seeking a position of authority "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. (Mark 10:42-44)

It is from biblical references like this that we derive such virtues as public service and servant leadership.  Don’t we all wish politicians followed Jesus’ advice, but all too often whether they have a faith profession or not they seem to be more about the business of “lording it over” others than serving others.

Moral authority is earned through sincere service, not through a ‘leader knows best’ attitude. Moral authority is earned by identifying with the ordinary concerns and issues of people. Moral authority is earned by experiencing the truth of people’s lives as one of them, not as one who “lords it over them.”

Once earned, moral authority is exercised by speaking truth to power, so that power serves the truth rather than the other way around. This in a nutshell sums up the lives of great leaders who earned the moral authority to govern. People like Mahatma Gandhi , Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela.  

Gandhi once said “Moral authority is never retained by any attempt to hold on to it. It comes without seeking and is retained without effort.”

The defeat of the Liberal government demonstrates the truth of this statement.

Gandhi also said that one of the seven great blunders of the world is “politics without principle.”

The Conservatives had a great opportunity handed to them to earn the public’s confidence by demonstrating moral authority through principled political decision making. They have begun by squandering that opportunity by allowing political pragmatism to trump democratic principle.