All the federal party leaders agree that they shouldn’t be playing politics with the humanitarian crisis in the middle east and Europe.
Unfortunately, they just can’t help themselves. Stephen Harper does not miss an opportunity to try to sell his air war on ISIS, condemn his opponents for being soft on terror and spread fear of terrorists in refugee clothing.
Thomas Mulcair talks about how proud he is of Canada’s record, then sneaks in a back door jab along the lines of “before Harper became prime minister.
Justin Trudeau also made a strong pitch for cooperation, but he did it by publicly shaming the prime minister.
To be fair, we are in the middle of an election and there is no time when politics is about, well, politics as much as during a writ period.
Nevertheless, none of this behaviour is very statesmanlike and, make no mistake, if ever there was a situation that required statesmanship in is the refugee crisis currently unfolding in Europe.
The calling card of a great statesman is an ability to inspire people to put aside their partisanship and work together for the greater good.
That leadership does exist in Canada right now, but it is not coming from our federal leaders. It is coming churches and service groups and families and municipal councils and individuals doing what they can to sponsor a refugee child or family.
On the politics side of the equation, it has become a game of one-upmanship.
The Conservatives say they were well ahead of the curve even before that now infamous photo of a drowned child on a beach showed up, but they are going to take their time because only they care about the security of Canadians.
The NDP will keep the Conservative numbers, but they will get the queue moving and have them all resettled this year.
The Liberals have much bigger numbers in mind.
So far, it’s all just talk. Meanwhile, from Inuvik to Halifax and right here in Yorkton, Canadians have the desire and the will to help now. Let us hope that inspiration makes it back to the leaders on their respective campaign planes and they get down to actually doing something.
