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With each passing day, the long goodbye seems to get longer.
While many claim the Prime Minister is a 'lame duck,' the term hardly begins to do justice to our elected leadership. The more apt moniker ought to be something more along the lines of 'invisible duck.' With apologies to Joe Clark for appropriating his former nickname, the most prominent question swirling around parliamentary circles must surely be "Jean who?" When Prime Minister Chretien announced his retirement last summer, the logical fear that arose, as is often the worry when a long-term employee is leaving, was how much damage the Prime Minister might do on the way out. Of course, the worry was not so much the Prime Minister would smash windows or pilfer paper clips as he headed for the door but what cost would be incurred by Chretien's attempt to leave a lasting legacy. Turns out, the fears were for naught. Resting comfortably on the knowledge he need not fear facing the wrath of the electorate again, one might assume a parting politician would use the self appointed opportunity to flex as much legislative muscle as possible in the waning days of political power. Indeed, it is one of the criticisms oft raised of fixed election dates and, more specifically, political term limits: knowing his time in office is drawing to a close with no need to please the public, a term limited leader potentially becomes an unstoppable political power, destined to implement the agenda unopposed. Chretien, on the other hand, could be such a system's poster boy. Since announcing his retirement, the extraordinary dearth of items on the Liberals' parliamentary agenda has reached ever-newer lows. It is difficult to imagine the country has been in such an amazingly successful state that little, if any, significant meaningful legislation is required. Critics claim his likely penultimate budget and throne speech contained vast initiatives for which his successor - or successors - will be trying to pay for generations. Chretien himself, however, maintained a remarkably low profile, allowing Finance Minister John Manley to take the heat - and conversely the praise - for new government spending and programs. It's hard to even pin a scandal directly on him nowadays, largely because he seems to be a public no-show. This time last year we were all still scathing over Chretien's defense of Human Resources Development Ministry money losses and tripping over our tongues on the correct pronunciation of 'Shawinigate.'
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