After months of inquiry, testimony and committee meetings, the issue of the sponsorship scandal has almost been resolved. Key figures who blatantly misspent the money of Canadians have been singled out and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police will now look at the evidence and begin laying charges. Everyone breathe a sigh of relief for all is well again in the political world…

Everything, that is, unless you’re a Conservative Canadian or your name is John Gomery. Canadians Conservatives wanted Justice Gomery to reach one conclusion and one conclusion only, that the Liberals as a federal party were guilty and that Paul Martin should take the blame for the gross mishandling of money. Only one answer would have satisfied them and it was the one answer they didn’t get. Of course, since Conservatives know as fact that Paul Martin should be held more responsible than that means that the corruption within our government extends even into the judicial branch and to Canada’s Supreme Court Judges. Obviously Gomery was bribed (I heard that either his family was held hostage or they threatened to remove him from the bench.), it’s the only thing that explains how Martin could escape the commissions summoning finger.

But what if we put more faith into our impartial Supreme Court Judges and believe for just a moment, even though it might be hard, that Gomery might be telling the truth. If so then Paul Martin is innocent of this mismanagement and did what we would want any honorable Prime Minister to do, he ordered a thorough investigation to take place and promised to let Canadians vote on the outcome of that investigation 30 days later.
Now I, like many of you I’m sure, find it difficult to believe that Paul Martin knew nothing of missing money as the country’s then Minister of Finance, but obviously Justice Gomery did not find evidence to support that he was directly involved. Personally, I would rather view our political system through a glass that is half-full and believe Gomery’s report, however convenient it might have been for our current party in power. If we begin seeing conspiracy theories everywhere on the Hill, what hope does this country have of any real change?

Politicians are people, they’re human, and they make mistakes and choices they regret. We did not elect them to be perfect, but rather to do a job that we would rather not. Don’t get me wrong, what happened during the sponsorship scandal was horrendous and those involved should be brought to justice, but don’t blame them that money went missing just because they are Liberal or politicians. Corruption exists everywhere in this world and at every level of society; who hasn’t been ripped off at a car repair shop?

Ultimately we want accountability of our elected leaders. Gomery gave us that, people have been named and money is being retrieved. Let’s move on and govern this country instead of running in circles and pointing fingers at grade two bullies.