Mr. Pearson's Troubles

"We all need a holiday, I guess," sighed Canada's Prime Minister last week. Mike Pearson had reason to feel weary. Since taking office early last year, his minority Liberal government has weathered no fewer than 25 votes of confidence; its defenses are often weak and clumsy in the uncontrolled parliamentary debates, its legislative program is making only the slowest progress. And like Pearson, Canada's politicians, its press and public are beginning to get tired of the game.

The one man who seems to enjoy it all immensely is old John Diefenbaker, the ex-Prime Minister who suffered the same wasp-stinging from Pearson and now leads the Conservative opposition. When Diefenbaker was under attack, there were major issues at stake such as Canada's nuclear commitment to the U.S. Now the rough and tumble in the House of Commons often sounds more like a schoolyard squabble. Diefenbaker makes the most of it to be devil Pearson and ridicule him before the splinter parties on which he depends for support.

Kites & Flags. When Pearson's government recently hinted that "the realities of the situation" might force Canada to depart from its policy of nonrecognition of Red China, Diefenbaker rose in Commons to demand "whether this was just a case of kite flying, or does it represent a change of viewpoint on the part of the government?" Replied Pearson: "It does not represent a change of viewpoint." "So it is kite flying," snapped Diefenbaker. When Pearson revealed in the House that the government is making a study of the growing secessionist pressures in French Quebec and how secession would affect Canada economically, Diefenbaker all but accused him of plotting secession and forced embarrassed attempts to "clarify." The loudest and longest hassle erupted last May when Pearson proposed a new maple leaf national flag to replace the Red Ensign. "Flags," roared Diefenbaker, "cannot be imposed on the Canadian people by the simple, capricious personal choice of the Prime Minister! His personal choice will divide the nation." And with help from Diefenbaker, it did.

Even so seemingly minor a matter as a Canadian Broadcasting Co. TV film of a day in the life of the Prime Minister threw Parliament into a tizzy. Conservatives charged that Pearson had first tried to censor the film, then persuaded CBC to kill it altogether--meanwhile sarily hesitant replies (he had seen an early version but not the final version) left Canadians with the vaguely uneasy feeling that perhaps there was something to the fuss after all. Said an exasperated member of the Pearson-supporting New Democrats: "Here we have a situation that could have been cleared up right off by a candid, complete statement of about 200 words by the Prime Minister. But instead he backed away and backed away. Ever since they got in, the Liberals have flubbed on point after point."

"Grey, Quiet Failure." After more than 90 working days this year, Parliament has passed only five relatively minor bills. Completely neglected in the leaderless confusion were such ma jor items as a new pension plan for Canada, armed forces unification, a federal student aid program, and a twelve-mile fishing limit. In Ottawa's press gallery, newsmen long endeared to Pearson are starting to make the same acid wisecracks they once leveled at Diefenbaker ("Well, fellows, we've got a government to overthrow"). Wrote Diefenbaker Biographer Peter Newman (Renegade in Power: The Diefenbaker Years) in the current issue of Maclean's magazine: "Although there have been almost none of the brass-band disasters of the Diefenbaker years, the domestic policies of the Liberals have been a grey, quiet failure."

One way for Pearson to cut the parliamentary Gordian knot and reassert his flagging leadership would be to call an election, in hopes of producing a clear Liberal majority. But the polls are discouraging; the Liberals would probably win, yet only enough to form another fragile minority government. "Canadians do not want another election," said Pearson. "I do not want an election. The Cabinet and caucus do not want an election. Though it is getting harder and harder, we remain determined to carry on as if we had a clear majority."

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