Share this Story: Rising to the occasion
Rising to the occasion
It took a devastating natural disaster in Haiti to uncover the human face of the Harper government, but so far there is mostly praise for the speed and compassion with which Canada has responded.
Susan Riley
In her tearful and affecting press conference this week, Haitian-born Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean made a point of expressing "deep gratitude" to the prime minister "for all the emergency measures set into place." She also singled out Defence Minister Peter MacKay, with whom she monitored the unfolding catastrophe into the small hours of Wednesday.
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Jean's remarks were clearly heartfelt and a marked departure from the cooly correct tone that normally characterizes exchanges between her office and the PMO.
Former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna, a senior Liberal who has done humanitarian work in Haiti, also noted the government's swift response and professed himself "very proud of my country." There are also accounts from survivors of the selfless response of Canada's embassy staff in Port-au-Prince.
Opposition parties, while stopping short of praise, wisely did not take issue with the government's early initiatives.
Indeed, they acknowledged that while the initial $5 million promised by government wasn't enough, it was a preliminary offering. (The government has since pledged to match donations from Canadians up to $50 million.)
As well, in these early days at least, government ministers are providing briefings for journalists and avoiding the self-congratulatory tone, and snide partisan shots, that usually mark such events.
And while Prime Minister Stephen Harper is said to be directing operations behind the scenes -- and impressing upon everyone the urgency of the situation -- he hasn't become the public face of the aid effort, the way Barack Obama has in the United States. (Harper and his wife, Laureen, made a low-key public donation to the Red Cross on Thursday.)
Many Canadians will appreciate the prime minister's reluctance to make political hay out of a tragedy -- if that, indeed, is his motivation -- and would, conversely, resent any gratuitous grandstanding. There is a fine line between manifesting official concern and capitalizing on a crisis -- a line the Conservatives have, so far, respected.
This week's speedy response also partly vindicates the government's emphasis on re-equipping the military, notably the purchase of C-17 transport planes being used to carry goods and personnel to the earthquake zone.
The absence of this capacity in 2004 handicapped Canadian response to the Sri Lanka tsunami -- partly delaying deployment of Canada's emergency DART team for a week. This time the DART crew, which specializes in providing mobile medical services and clean water, left for Haiti on Thursday, preceded by a reconnaissance team the day before.
It is unseemly, in the face of such appalling tragedy, to even think about political gains and the longer the current mood of non-partisan concern persists, the better. But it won't last forever.
George W. Bush paid a price for his administration's apparently callous response to Hurricane Katrina. The Canadian government was criticized for its slow response to the tsunami and to Katrina, when it took five days to dispatch four navy ships. The sluggish rescue of Lebanese-Canadians from Lebanon after the Israeli bombardment of 2006 also didn't inspire confidence.
If, by contrast, the Harper government gains support for its relatively quick response to this disaster -- particularly in Quebec, where most of Canada's 100,000 Haitian-born immigrants live -- it only underscores the serendipitous nature of politics.
The disaster hit at a moment when the Conservatives are tied with Liberals in recent polls -- forfeiting a lead of up to 15 points that had persisted for months. Dogged by the prorogation crisis, pollster Frank Graves says the Tories are on "the razor's edge of losing government altogether."
Arguably, Harper faces an even graver challenge in coming months: restoring economic balance. Lost in non-stop news of the humanitarian disaster was the latest report from Kevin Page, the Parliamentary budget officer, who predicts an $18.9 billion deficit by 2013 and dwindling government revenues.
Compared to the misery afflicting Haiti, of course, this is a trivial problem -- or, at least, a crisis for another day.
So, too, are questions about the effectiveness of our efforts, the continuing, crushing poverty in a country that receives the second largest portion of Canadian aid, after Afghanistan. Some will hold their applause for the Harper team, noting that Canada's long history with Haiti, our shared language and hemisphere, explains the much-improved response time. Others will note that Canada's contribution, however large, is dwarfed by the U.S. response.
But for now, let's give credit where credit is due: to the Harper government for trying its best and to the opposition for holding fire.
Susan Riley writes on national politics. E-mail sriley.work@gmail.com