The recent passing of former Nova Scotia premier John Hamm brought a flood of well-earned remembrances of his character. Even his political adversaries were nearly unanimous in praising his civility and gentlemanly conduct, even as he pursued some measures with which they disagreed. Notably, Dr. Hamm led a successful minority government with the cooperation of his principal political rival and opponent, Darrell Dexter. In paying tribute to Hamm, Dexter described the warm, cordial and respectful relationship they maintained inside and outside the political arena. Those are words heard less and less often about politics and political leaders these days: warm, cordial, respectful. Similar words have been used to characterize longtime CTV National News anchor Lloyd Robertson, who passed away last week. Like Hamm, Lloyd was a gentleman, who manifested the genteel qualities of a bygone era, even while maintaining a steely commitment to his values. In recent years, amplified by social media, politics and political reporting have become increasingly and corrosively personal. For many, it is no longer enough to disagree passionately, it’s necessary to call them names – to insult their character and impugn their motives. To those who will correctly point out that there have always been such voices, I will simply observe there seem to be many more of them today – and in higher and even the highest of offices. Another word used to honour both Lloyd and the late premier Hamm, and one I’d like to use now, is decency. Oxford Online defines it as “honest, polite behaviour that follows accepted moral standards and shows respect for others.” Decency. Surely that should be the rule, not the exception in politics and the media. And in all of dealings with each other.
