Bidding Brown A Welcome Goodbye

Convivium, 25 January 2018

Convivium’s Father Raymond de Souza says Patrick Brown’s departure as Ontario Conservative leader is cause for huzzahs from all who care about political integrity in our common life.

Patrick Brown is gone. Soon he will be forgotten. But before he is, a few observations are in order.

Just over a year ago, apropos of Brown’s fiasco of attempting to block Sam Oosterhoff from winning the Progressive Conservative nomination in Niagara, I wrote in Convivium: “So while it was awkward to see Brown embarrass himself, there was something satisfying in watching a man so unprincipled and duplicitous get his hat handed to him by Oosterhoff.”

The PC Party, having heard the sexual misconduct allegations against him last night, handed Brown more than his hat. His coat, his bag, his job, his reputation and his legacy all followed him out the door as he fled Queen’s Park last night.
When I wrote about Brown in 2016, I had no knowledge about the alleged sexual misconduct that led to his resignation as PC leader last night. His lack of principles and duplicitousness were manifest in his public conduct. I was not referring to any private scandal.

It is always regrettable when leaders do wicked things; it besmirches our common life. It isn’t yet known which, if any, of the accusations he faces are true. He emphatically denies them all. Until they are validated, Brown’s forced and humiliating resignation can be charitably considered a regrettable circumstance.

But that he has now resigned is most emphatically not regrettable for anyone who treasures intellectual integrity in public life. On the contrary, we should be pleased he is gone, and not forget why it is such a good thing that he is.

Newman House ManagerJanuary 25, 2018Convivium, Canada, Politics