After the latest fiasco with Alberta Health Services, where one employee charged every personal expense to the Alberta government while earning more in salary and benefits than Warren Buffet, we heard a now common refrain from the Progressive Conservative leadership. As usual, they talked about the need for the government to be transparent in all its dealings. I have three main concerns with this now worn and exhausted word.
You have to do more than just talk: Comments about transparent government have been continuous over the last 25 years. Unfortunately, saying you are going to be transparent isn’t enough. You have to actually develop and implement the policies and procedures to make this happen.
Over the years, we’ve seen mission statements, statements of principles – or values, or beliefs – vision statements, charters of purpose and countless other gimmicks, all of which have vanished from the marketplace. Why? Because despite mountains of evidence, companies and government continue to follow a fantasy that all you have to do is talk, and it will happen. History has proven otherwise: You have to do the work.
Secondly, I’m wondering if the Conservatives have confused the meaning of the word transparent. Its classic definition is of something that allows you to see through the item, to whatever is behind or beyond. A wall is not transparent. However, if we put a window into this same wall, the glass in the window is transparent – it allows us to see what is behind the wall.
Are the Conservatives really anxious to have transparency? After the public learned about this extravagant waste of money, I didn’t find the cabinet ministers who began talking about this showing any degree of transparency. In fact, their comments were incorrect, confused, incoherent, and in a few cases, total lies. There was no attempt to help people see what was beyond, rather there was a concerted effort to hide what had happened.
I recommend the Tories check into a different word: Translucent. Translucent sounds nice – and brings to mind such thoughts as light, open, glimmering, shining, beautiful, and a host of other positive images. Of course, translucent means that the material in question allows light to enter, but diffuses and bends this light so much that we just see shadows of the objects behind. Translucent, for this government, works so well: it gives the impression of being open and honest, but in reality, it continues to hide the reality the government wants hidden. Come on, Tories, think translucent.
Finally, this government really needs to apply a little intelligence and common sense to this situation (fortunately, this government has as little common sense or intelligence as any on Earth). Do the people of Alberta really want transparency? Are they demanding that we be able to see all the ugly details of every government screw-up, disaster, illegality and bone-headed decision? Is this what the people want?
Despite the government’s claimed desire to be close to the people, I continue to find them divorced from the population (and equally divorced from reality as well). The people are not interested in transparency. They have no desire to see the latest government disaster. Instead, they are interested in good government, and not having these continuous screw-ups on a daily basis. This is a government that is famous for fixing the blame, but the people are tired and angry, they want someone to fix the problem.
To Conservatives everywhere, forget transparency and start focusing on representing the best interests of the people – openly, honestly, intelligently, and completely.
Brian has sent his expense list for toothpaste, hair colouring, toilet paper and dress socks to the government, and expects a cheque shortly.
