Who’s Your Daddy?
Convivium, 08 November 2019
Father Raymond de Souza shakes some political family trees to observe the fallout of dynastic ambition on democratic life.
Peter MacKay is apparently making an early play to weaken the leadership of Andrew Scheer, presumably with the goal of contending for it himself. It may be understandable that he might consider himself uniquely qualified for the premiership. Like the current prime minister, he is a handsome, athletic man of nondescript achievement before entering politics, but has managed to rise, wafting upwards on the tailwinds of his political father.
Like Justin Trudeau, Peter MacKay is not at all the measure of his father Elmer, and save for the surname would have found his talents inadequate for prominent political leadership. But the surname is there, and it is powerful. Maxime Bernier would also attest to that, inheritor as he was of his father’s seat in the House of Commons.
Is Canadian politics becoming dynastic? Well, it was “reported” that “some” Conservative MPs and party officials were discussing the possibility of Ben Mulroney being an attractive candidate to replace Scheer, should it come to that. That’s a bit insulting to actual Conservative Party office holders, starting with Ben’s sister, Caroline Mulroney, who currently sits in the Ontario cabinet.
But perhaps Mulroney fils has something compelling to offer, at least as compelling as Trudeau fils had in 2013 and Mackay fils had in 2002 when they ran for party leadership? Not being familiar Ben’s oeuvre I fired up the search engine and discovered that as of yesterday, Ben’s principal interest was the identity of Grace’s baby daddy on the sitcom Will & Grace which, like Joe Biden, had gone off the air some time ago but is apparently back. Given the fictional nature of the character – Grace, that is, not Biden – Ben’s interest may have less public salience than first thought.
Which is not to discount Ben’s preparation for high office. Rising to the top of Canadian gossip television is still a rise, something that neither Trudeau or MacKay managed before entering politics. The prospect of a post-Scheer campaign including Ben, Peter and Max – any chance that Catherine Clark might be available? – might suggest that the Conservatives would be foolish to push Scheer out.
But let the Conservatives reflect upon that. What about the general dynastic impulse in democracies? If you were to ask people which democracies favoured the hereditary principle, I expect most would answer India and then the United Kingdom. But is Canada catching up?
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