If I were ever elected premier of this province, the first thing I would do is create a brand-new portfolio. It would almost be like a super board of all other portfolios. Don't get too confused with this right-of-centre wannabe politician, with a strong populist bent, creating more (and not less) government bureaucracy. Let me clarify my idea.
This new creation would be the watchdog of every other portfolio, making sure that budgets were kept, ministers towed the line, and most of all, that common sense prevailed.
You're thinking "big brother," but I'm thinking "big mother."
You see, I would call it the Ministry of Common Sense, and it would be run by a woman—and not just any woman, mind you. The woman would have to be a mother—but not any mother, just so you know. Not a new mother, and not a young mother, either. No sirree, she would be a veteran mother, one that has weathered the storms of life, and survived to tell about them.
She would likely be a woman like my mother (or maybe even my wife); maybe even your mother, depending on your age.
You must remember that there was once a generation of mothers who ruled the roost with a load of love, a pantry of patience, and (pertinent to this column) a closet full of common sense. They were part of the post-WW II set of women who knew the value of proper diets, spending money they actually had, making sure the kids had plenty of sleep and fresh air, and administering the appropriate discipline.
I suggest to you that if our governments were run like this, unemployment, debt crises, out-of-control crime rates, and health issues would be next to non-existent. I'm convinced that educational, moral, and psychological challenges would be minimalized.
Mothers who made their kids clean up after them would make great Ministers of the Environment. Mothers who were in charge of the family budget would make great Ministers of Finance. Mothers who made sure their kids did their homework before they played on the computer would make great Ministers of Education. Restraint and control, coupled with reward and privilege, would be the order of the day.
The Ministry of the Attorney General would do well with a woman who knew how to dispense balanced justice. The Ministry of Health and Welfare would cut costs, recovery time, wait lines, and patient deaths considerably, if an experienced mother was in charge.
What I appreciate about veteran mothers (as opposed to inexperienced politicians) is the high level of common sense that they live by. Not sure? I am and I'm thinking they would be asking the following question of any cabinet minister under them:
Can we afford it? Does it have a good track record? Is there another way we can try this? Will it be good for the people? What are the long-term consequences? Are the strong pulling their weight, and the weak following suit? Is this age-appropriate? Is this leading to healthy autonomy or selfish independence?
There are many more questions, and as you can see, they could go either way—that is, in the running of a home or the running of a province. Likewise, it's not lost on me that our province is only as strong as the homes that comprise it, whether it is the role of the parent(s) or that of the children.
The trouble is, most of those mothers who would be qualified to run the Ministry of Common Sense would, of course, be too busy doing something far more important: They would be running their own homes and raising their own families. Granted, after they have raised their kids, they might have more time, and many qualified women have done precisely that.
I'm not sure if Morton or Horner or Redford would be interested in my suggestions here (or even Danielle Smith, for that matter), but they are welcome to them. And if they like the concept of the Ministry of Common Sense, but not the name, I'm sure someone could come up with something different.
Either way, I would still consider it, uh, the "mother" of all cabinet posts.
No comments:
Post a Comment