OTTAWA -- The country鈥檚 former Clerk of the Privy Council says the last several years have shown that the price of entering into the political ring is 鈥済oing up.鈥�
Michael Wernick, who made headlines during the SNC-Lavalin controversy in part for explosive testimony about the vile state of political discourse in Canada, said that while he is no longer privy to internal threats against politicians, public discourse suggests it鈥檚 only gotten worse.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not unique to Canada, it鈥檚 happened in the U.K., Germany and France 鈥� it鈥檚 simply a feature of modern politics. The question is not whether we have that virus of polarization, it鈥檚 do we have the antibodies to do something about it,鈥� he said during an interview on 麻豆影视 Channel鈥檚 Power Play on Tuesday.
鈥淎s we continue to have elections, we鈥檝e had eight in the last 21 years, I would be worried that it鈥檚 going to be harder to attract good people to come and serve the country.鈥�
Wernick has penned a new book titled Governing Canada: A Guide to the Tradecraft of Politics, a guidebook for cabinet ministers and prime ministers.
鈥淭he thrust of the 200-page book is about how cabinet government works in this country. We have a unique Canadian model,鈥� he said.
Wernick added that he hopes to shed light on what exactly prime ministers and ministers do on a day-to-day basis, having intimately witnessed cabinet dealings.
The former civil servant resigned from his post in 2019, citing 鈥渞ecent events鈥� that led him to conclude that he would not be able to serve as the Privy Council clerk during the next election campaign.
In the open letter to the prime minister, he said there "is no path for me to have a relationship of mutual trust and respect with the leaders of the Opposition parties," after both the Conservatives and New Democrats called for his resignation because of his role in the SNC-Lavalin controversy.
Former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould had named Wernick as one of the senior officials who she alleges was involved in a "sustained effort" to pressure her in the case of SNC-Lavalin.
In an appearance before the House justice committee on the matter, Wernick veered off course, stating his fears about the then-upcoming election.
鈥淚 worry about the rising tides of incitements to violence, when people use terms like treason and traitor in open discourse. Those are the words that lead to assassination. I鈥檓 worried that somebody is going to be shot in this country this year, during the federal campaign,鈥� he said in his opening statement.
Asked on Tuesday what is most misunderstood about the caricatures inside the bureaucracy, Wernick said there鈥檚 a 鈥渄ynamic鈥� relationship between ministers and senior public servants.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a tendency to see the public service as some kind of independent cadre鈥he public service is there to help an elected government with a democratic mandate to deliver and implement the things that it has the mandate to do,鈥� he said.
鈥淎 lot of the conversations are not about whether to, I don鈥檛 know, legalize cannabis or bring in carbon pricing or raise the GST, they鈥檙e about how to get there.鈥�
With files from 麻豆影视' Rachel Aiello
