{"id":63139,"date":"2019-03-10T17:47:17","date_gmt":"2019-03-10T21:47:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/huntsville.dopperonline.ca\/?p=63139"},"modified":"2019-03-10T17:47:17","modified_gmt":"2019-03-10T21:47:17","slug":"listen-up-some-advice-i-would-give-trudeau-if-by-some-act-of-god-i-was-working-for-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/listen-up-some-advice-i-would-give-trudeau-if-by-some-act-of-god-i-was-working-for-him\/","title":{"rendered":"Listen Up! Some advice I would give Trudeau if, by some act of God, I was working for him"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

\"\"

Hugh Mackenzie
Huntsville Doppler<\/p><\/div>\n

There hasn\u2019t been much in the news this week other than the so called SNC Scandal. I was going to avoid it, but I have a viewpoint which is somewhat different than those that have been expressed, including those who have written on Doppler. I don\u2019t see this as a black or white issue and I think it should be much more about lessons learned, than seeing (with one exception) how many heads can roll.<\/p>\n

At the outset, I must disclose that many years ago, as a Government Relations and Communications Consultant, SNC-Lavalin was a client of mine. All of the senior people at SNC, that my firm worked with at the time, are gone now and have been for some years. They were honorable people with whom I enjoyed working and there was never a time when what they asked from us was inappropriate. Sometimes it was a way out of the box, but never out of line. Had that happened, they would not have been a client.<\/p>\n

So I have decided to look at this whole schmozzle from the viewpoint of someone who spent much of his career in Government Relations which often ends up as crisis management, sometimes for the client and sometimes for the Government. As an overview, I think this one is a complete screw-up, for both SNC and the Government. If there was Communications Strategy in place, it was a terrible one. If there wasn\u2019t, they were all simply sitting on a time bomb.<\/p>\n

<\/broadstreet-zone><\/strong><\/div>\n

Let\u2019s deal first with SNC-Lavalin. I remember years ago, when Joe Clarke was running against Brian Mulroney for the leadership of the Federal Conservative Party. It was the one he did not win. Both were fighting desperately for delegates from Quebec to the Tory Leadership Convention. Mulroney supporters were caught red-handed lining busses up at legions and suchlike, buying the guys a beer, maybe a little cash changing hands and putting them on the bus to go and nominate Mulroney delegates. The Media thought the Clarke Camp would go nuts over this, but this was Joe Clarke\u2019s response. \u201cTwo things\u201d, he said, \u201cthis is a leadership race and not a tea party, and second, this is Quebec.”<\/p>\n

The point being that Quebec industries and institutions often see things differently and do things differently from a cultural perspective. This applies to how they do business, how they treat government and how they approach politics. It\u2019s just the way it is. You have to know that when you deal with them. This does not mean that they act illegally or engage in corruption. It does however result in a more aggressive approach to both business, politics and Government. When this crosses the line of acceptable behaviour in a country where the rule of law is sacrosanct, prosecution is not only warranted, it is necessary.<\/p>\n

It is too late for SNC-Lavalin to get an agreement to defer prosecution and under current circumstances they should not get it. To do that the Government would have to intervene again and that would, in my view, be the straw that breaks the camel\u2019s back. Whether or not the Prosecutor involved made the right decision, it is now a moot point and the Attorney General could only overturn the decision subject to certain conditions, which in her view, did not exist. SNC will have to go to Court and if convicted of corruption, under current law, will not be allowed to bid on government contracts in Canada for ten years. Now therein lies the rub.<\/p>\n

<\/broadstreet-zone><\/strong><\/div>\n

I have some sympathy for the quandary SNC finds itself in. They do play a significant role in Canada\u2019s economy. I am not sure that it is in the public interest that they be crippled to a point that they cannot continue to do so. The Government in my view, has a right to be concerned.<\/p>\n

The answer, I think, is to change the law. Governments and Parliaments create law but they cannot and should not administer it and that is what has caused the problem here. Instead of trying to influence the legal process the Government is right to consider amending the law restricting companies convicted of a criminal offence from bidding on Government contracts under any circumstances. Guidelines and oversight need to be strict, but punishments should fit the crime and not unduly weaken a market-driven economy.<\/p>\n

And now some advice I would give Prime Minister Trudeau if, by some act of God, I was working for him. He would fire me of course. I am well out of the game now, but when I was in it, I always believed my job was to tell clients what I believe they needed to hear and not necessarily what they wanted to hear. This is what I would say.<\/p>\n