A Timely Admission

He was a man who brought out a strong sense of anger in me some 20 years ago. Back then, Thomas d'Aquino was the head of the Business Council on National Issues and a clear force to be reckoned with. He helped to steer the deliberations in favor of the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, along with NAFTA. I spoke with him in that time concerning the lack of support programs for those who would surely face the fallout of the new trade arrangement and the decline of the civil service, once implemented. He was supremely calm and confident, fending me off by asking what a firefighter was doing talking economics and concluding that I would just have to wait to discover the blessings the agreements would bring to Canada. "Talk to me in a few years and you'll see what I mean," he offered as he walked away.Well, last Wednesday I had that opportunity. Mr. d'Aquino was our chief witness at the Foreign Affairs Committee and was extremely accomplished and persuasive. I could see the experience in him and was impressed. He looked at me without any memory of our last discussion - time had moved on. He and Bob Rae cajoled a bit during Mr. Rae's question and you could sense the respect.My time came shortly thereafter. I wondered as to what he thought about the politics of the moment, not so much the economic side. I wondered how he saw a way ahead when the Americans have fixed elections but up here in Canada we see to have one every year or two. How could we coordinate our efforts with the U.S. when our two political systems were so disjointed? What were those institutions we should be investing in that would assist us in harmonizing our two disjointed political systems?He smiled at that, admitting that the issue had caused he and his cohorts much concern. Then he shocked me. Offering three areas that we should support to help with the disconnect, his first was the enhancement of the public service. I wasn't the only one surprised. Acknowledging that we in Canada had let our public service shrink to alarming rates, he pressed us to reinvest and empower that professional class before we lose our way completely.I was impressed by his delivery and knowledge, but I was struck by how the both of us had grown over the years. He was right on much of NAFTA and my concern about the shrinkage of our professional ability as a country appears to have been borne out. Regardless, this important insight from one of this country's most influential leaders must be taken seriously - though it appears at present that it is being ignored. I tip my hat to this man, who can not only lead but display a personal growth over the years. It was an impressive performance and made us better as a committee.