The Public Policy Forum's Annual Gordon Osbaldeston Lecture was delivered in November 2011 by Allan R. Gregg on the topic of authenticity as a means of restoring faith in politics and government. Gregg makes his point resonate by referring to Rob Ford and Naheed Nenshi, two radically different mayors, who equally galvanized the public with their "what you see is what you get" approach.
Given that one of my earlier blog posts A Lesson in Deceit: Admit, Thank, Boast, Repent, Move On spoke to the lack of honest dialogue in Canadian federal politics, I decided to come back with a more positive piece on how naked truth can make good politics.
The entire lecture by Gregg can be read here.
Pages 21-22 hold some bluntly honest policies (excerpt below).
What if someone stood up and said:
"We must invest in new environmental technologies and alternative energy but no one should expect this to be a panacea or wholesale replacement for fossil fuels. This is the reality of our economy and a major part of a lifestyle that we have come to enjoy and expect. But if we are to take our responsibility - seriously as stewards of the planet and parents to our children - we must commit to reducing our carbon emissions. For the foreseeable future, there is only one way to do that and that is to monetize and tax carbon."
Bottom line, honesty is not political suicide, people desire politicians they can believe. This thinking even dates back to Sun Tzu.
I'd also go a step further and say that honesty is the best catalyst for forming meaningful connections in relationships, regardless of their nature.
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