Does premier’s early exit during pandemic signal he wasn’t cut out for the job?

We’re weeks away from a federal election and the party leaders are focused on criss-crossing the country and bashing each other, while in Manitoba the premier is quitting his job as another surge of a deadly virus hits the province.

Makes you feel confident in the various levels of government right now, doesn’t it?

I’ve always viewed a job in politics as a contract job. Meaning that you don’t just quit and give two week’s notice and walk away. You agree to the four-year commitment or however long it might be and you fulfil your obligation to your constituents. If, after your term, you decide you don’t want the job anymore, that’s when you walk away.

To me, there’s something cowardly about the elected officials who leave their post earlier than expected. Depending on where they are and what’s happening in their community, it’s as if they’re abandoning the ship while it’s sinking (such as during a pandemic).

Of course, there are exceptions in the case of medical situations or personal issues, sure. I’m talking about someone who lobbied hard to get the job and when push comes to shove suddenly decides they don’t want the task anymore and bows out. That’s cowardly.

Let me be clear, if they step aside and admit that they’re unable to lead and feel the community would be better served with someone else in charge, then I feel that should be respected. But you know the egos of most politicians, so rarely will they admit defeat or failure while in power.

Would Brian Pallister be more respected if he said, “Look, this job is too much for me to handle and I’m handing over the duties to someone who’s more capable”? Perhaps. Though, given his scandal-plagued time in office, I’m not sure anything he does could salvage his reputation.

It makes you wonder who takes the job for the sake of serving the people and who just did it for the money, fame, pension or whatever the secondary focus should be.