The speech the PM should have given
Contrition, responsibility ought to have been the key messages
What follow are notes to a speech delivered by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on May 26, before a mainly Conservative audience — in a hypothetical, alternative universe in which the PM is capable of expressing personal contrition. Dear Friends; Well, it has been a rough week. In fact, during the time we’ve been in government, I cannot remember a more difficult one.
You want to understand how this situation could have arisen. I am referring of course to the issue of my former chief of staff Nigel Wright, and our former colleague in the Senate, Mike Duffy. How did it come to this?
Before I get to that I want to say something again: I am sorry. I am sorry this occurred. I am sorry it happened on my watch. A few days ago I said I was angry. I am angry at Mr. Wright and Mr. Duffy. But I am also angry at myself. As my senior administrator, Nigel Wright should have known better than to believe, even for a second, that it was acceptable for him to repay Mr. Duffy’s expense claims.
And Mike Duffy, it is now quite clear to me, should never have been appointed to the Senate. That is on no one else. It is on me.
Many have asked whether I knew in advance of the payment by Mr. Wright, or even approved of it. I can assure you I did not. Would I like to have known sooner? Of course. Had I, this would not have happened. But hindsight is 20/20. Contrary to the belief that government always runs efficiently, mistakes do occur. This was a huge mistake, and one for which we are paying a heavy price. Though I did not know, I should have known. For that, I accept responsibility.
Now let me address some of the more specific questions. Why the appearance that we “went easy” on Mr. Duffy? I can tell you first that the premise of the question is incorrect. I personally insisted to Mr. Duffy last February that he had to repay what he owed. Serving the people of Canada is a privilege. Abuses should never be rewarded. They should always be confronted, redressed and, when the facts warrant, punished.
But I will say this: If I was too slow to bring this to a head, and it is clear to me now that I was, it may have been because many of us, myself included, considered Mr. Duffy to be a valued, trusted member of the team. More than this, he was our friend. I believe the party was taken advantage of — just as Canadians were. Still, that is no excuse for what has occurred.
Another question: Why did I wait four days, after I learned of the payment, to accept Nigel Wright’s resignation? Here again, I will tell you the simple truth: Though Nigel had a terrible lapse in judgment, one for which he is now justly paying the price, I have always previously known him to be an honest and capable man. Until this occurred, he was an excellent chief of staff. So I was initially reluctant to let him go. It is as simple as that. Should I have acted sooner? As I suggested last week, it now seems clear I should have. For that delay, I take full responsibility.
That brings me to my final point: We have taken our fair share of knocks for the way in which we run government. We are by no means perfect. I am not perfect, and there is always room for improvement, as this incident shows. But I will say this: No one is more focused on addressing the challenges facing Canadians, than the Conservative Party of Canada. The opposition parties are doing a good job right now, quite frankly, of opposing. That is their role and it is a necessary one.
That being said, we are aware, and I have never been more acutely aware, that the way of life Canadians have long enjoyed, cannot be taken for granted. This country faces imminent, grave challenges – including the skills shortage, trade protectionism worldwide, and the need to ship our precious natural resources to market. People sometimes say we are too focused on these issues. I say we need to focus on them still more. This is the mark we wish to make and the legacy we wish to leave — of a modern, flexible, resilient and creative economy, able to meet the challenges of this century, with stable, sustainable growth. If we can help bring that about, my friends, then we will have done something truly worthwhile.
Winston Churchill said this: “To improve is to change. To be perfect is to change often.” He was no stranger to the vicissitudes of politics. Another personal hero of mine, Margaret Thatcher, said this: “Pennies don’t fall from heaven — they have to be earned here on earth.”
My friends, let us rededicate ourselves today to the work we came to Ottawa to do; to service, to earning the public trust each and every day, to doing the right thing even when that is hard. Let us learn from the things we’ve done wrong. And let us press forward with even greater resolve to complete the things we’ve done right.
If we can do that, I assure, you, tomorrow will be a better day.
May God bless you, and may God bless Canada.