Documents
in Quebec History
Last
revised: 23 August 2000 | Documents
on Public Immorality in Quebec in the Duplessis Era / Documents sur l'immoralité
publique sous Duplessis [1956]
CORRUPTION
IN POLITICS Editorial, Ottawa Citizen, August 8, 1956 A
team of Roman Catholic clergymen-professors at Laval University has given leadership
of a high order in urging a greater degree of political morality on the part of
both the public and politicians. Though the clergymen have examined Quebec politics
alone, their strictures could be applied at least in some measure to Canada as
a whole. While some fraudulent practices of which the clergymen speak - false
oaths, impersonation, bribery of election officials and corruption of voters -
are not common across Canada, other wholly unethical actions do occur widely. Indirect
bribery, in the sense of promising the voters of certain public works or tax cuts
out of their own money at election time is accepted as normal. Efforts by politicians
to blacken their opponents' reputations by false innuendoes are common, not only
in the provinces but in the Federal Parliament. Misrepresentation of the real
issues by myths is, of course, almost universal. A politician without a straw
man to knock down would feel himself virtually condemned to silence. But as the
electorate has grown more mature, bluntly corrupt practices have tended to disappear.
Election campaigns today in most of Canada are undoubtedly more temperate, honest
and fair than they were even 40 years ago. Certainly, there is in most parts of
the country nothing as crude as the methods revealed by the two Laval men. They
point out that votes were bought outright, roofs repaired free of charge, hospital
bills paid, and there was at the last Quebec election "a parade of gifts such
as refrigerators and television sets". In one case a local curé advised his parishioners
to vote for the party in power, on the grounds that "if you don't we'll get nothing". It
is for the electorate itself to reform these practices, with the churches, homes
and schools exercising a strong influence. The leadership given by the Laval professors
should prove inspiring, and deserves the public's thanks. Corrupt election practices
in a democracy are not new; they represent a continuing challenge to be met by
public vigilance and education. In courageously taking up the challenge, the Laval
men have served the public well. |