Blogging Tories Challenge: Should Helena Guergis Stay In Cabinet?
It’s a perfectly serious question. I’ve seen arguments for her to leave from Russ Campbell, Joanne, and Renegade Tory, while Christian Conservative and BC Blue seem at least to be reserving judgment. (And of course not a few commenters from the above blogs are in support of her.)
Myself, it boils down to this one question: is Ms. Guergis competent enough to manage her own image?
And unfortunately, the answer I came up with is “no.”
Flying into a temper is one thing, but how you handle an apology is quite another. A personal apology is of course fine, but ministers are public figures, and because of that fact Ms. Guergis owed an apology to the rest of us for behaving like a jerk, something a public figure isn’t supposed to do.
Problem was, she didn’t exactly deliver one. Let me quote from a news story:
on Feb. 19, I was rushing to catch a flight at the Charlottetown Airport and spoke emotionally to some staff members. Regardless of my workload and personal circumstances, it was not appropriate and I apologize to airport and Air Canada staff. It was certainly not my intention to create any additional stress for airport or Air Canada employees who already have a very difficult job.
The problem with this apology is that it’s exactly how her critics described it: tepid. Describing that behaviour as “speaking emotionally” isn’t just mere understatement; it was playing down the incident, trying to make it seem less serious. That’s not the sort of thing you want to do, to make people accept your apology as heartfelt.
Now, having had some bad experiences with airports myself, and knowing how public figures tend to apologize in a non-apologetic way these days, I was perfectly willing to let this go. So were a lot of other Tories, I presume.
And then rumours started flying around that Ms. Guergis was thinking about a lawsuit.
Here again, bad management rears its head. Although the rumour was denied, it was done so by cabinet colleague John Baird, and not followed up on by Ms. Guergis herself.
The problem with this approach is that it gives the impression of a minister about to be stopped from hurting herself by the rest of Cabinet: “of course she’s not going to sue, Cabinet won’t let her.”
Given all of this, it’s pretty easy to argue that, as a minister, Ms. Guergis has gone has far as she can go. If this is what happens when she has a junior portfolio (which is what Status of Women is), how would she do if she were given a bigger one — say, Health?
At the same time, however, I can’t help but remember a man named John Ford. He was a film director who won four Academy Awards, more than anyone else — and yet, he was famous for throwing tantrums and abusing personnel, behaviour far more eccentric, much worse, and more often than Ms. Guergis has ever displayed. There are those who would argue that the bad behaviour had a direct influence on the quality of his films.
And so, I’ve set up this poll. It’s quite possible that the Guergis airport incident was an isolated one, or that the “prima donna” behaviour might be a price to pay for a level of political talent. I’d like to see what everyone else thinks.
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March 16th, 2010 at 16:42
When I went to church on Sunday the sermon was on the difference between merely ‘apologizing’ and ‘asking for forgiveness’.
I think that can be applied here.
March 16th, 2010 at 17:28
Why do you suppose I have this uncomfortable feeling that the e-mail (I think it was) to Wayne Easter was another Liebrano “gotcha moment?
I seem to recall a similar incident with Tecquila Sheila some time back on an aircraft and I don’t think she resigned from anything, in fact didn’t she become Deputy Prime Minister after that?
I suspect that “Mr. Doorknob” has tourqed this incident, like Wafergate, with the assistance of his MSM buddies.
While I don’t condone improper behaviour by anyone, I smell a bad stench coming from the left side.
March 16th, 2010 at 17:35
The decision is Prime Minister Harper’s, and no one else’s.
March 16th, 2010 at 17:43
Well I for one think she exhibits the symptoms of a culture of entitlement that is unhealthy and not to be condoned. Both she and her husband are bad news, politically, and neither belongs in government. I hope she’s dropped from cabinet in the next rotation.
March 16th, 2010 at 17:57
Unfortunately, the holder of her specific portfolio can not get away with this behaviour, even though she and her husband have been egregiously used and smeared for political purposes. There is indeed a bad stench. Her work to date has been fine, so the PM has no cause to fire her; but this will not help the government and she should think about that and resign to a “time-out” of the spotlight, I think. Her apology was simply insufficient to allow her to retain credibility as Minister.
March 16th, 2010 at 17:59
If she resigns, the leftists win.
March 16th, 2010 at 18:12
We’ve only heard one side of the story. So it’s hard to judge whether “spoke emotionally” was the appropriate phrase, or not.
I say don’t give the Opps another inch on this. Leave her where she is, and give her a chance to redeem herself.
March 16th, 2010 at 18:14
Guergis apologized to those she was in contact with at the airport. Those same people who are hiding behind Easter, right now!
The more this gets dragged out, the more I am switching to supporting Guergis!
There cannot be apologies for everything in politics! Her voters will let her know if she satisfied them.
Many probably hoped there would be apologies from Mark Holland and Jennings for keeping *and photocopying*, papers left behind in the Conservative’s office.
Did the Conservatives even get an apology? Heck no!
Did Canadians get an apology from Charest for smearing Alberta’s oil industry?
Heck no!
Did Ruby Dhalla apologize for causing grief for women in her family’s employ? Heck no!
But did those women at least have the courage to come out to the public eye, and give testimony! Heck yes! They did!
Now, until we hear from those on *both sides* of this event- since the accusers have gone into hiding-, we have the acid-refluxing Wayne Easter, a bunch of jackels from all sides, and one woman who DID issue an apology!
Frankly Guergis’ behavior is starting to look tame in the whole big scheme of things in this story!
March 16th, 2010 at 18:24
I think she should go because not only was her behaviour out of line for a Cabinet Minister she is now an embarrassment to the conservatives
March 16th, 2010 at 18:42
I certainly hate how the media is going berserk over this like some tabloid magazine. I think it’s sensationalized because she’s a Conservative woman. Look how Lisa Raitt and Rona Ambrose were treated.
Let me clear: Guergis’ actions were inexcusable. If it was this one incident, then there is room for forgiveness. However, she’s not a great minister. Some colleagues have hinted that she is difficult to work with, and some have reported that there is a high turnover rate in her ministry. Clearly, she’s not the most constructive or effective communicator.
A good cabinet minister is humble, and willing to communicate respectfully. Guergis to me comes off somewhat shrill and belligerent. There are certainly capable backbenchers who should get a chance at Cabinet also.
I’d say keep Guergis in this position until the next major cabinet shuffle. That way, the hype will have died down and it won’t be such a “victory” for the leftists.
Actually, if you want get the leftists to lose, replace Guergis with CHERYL GALLANT. That ought to get them raging… just kidding.
March 16th, 2010 at 19:00
I spoke with Helena about the matter, she replied “Why have the security tapes not been released? This will prove the incident has been blown out of proportion.”
Valid point
March 19th, 2010 at 14:26
“Why have the security tapes not been released? This will prove the incident has been blown out of proportion.”
Very good question indeed.