What would Brian do?

In all the avalanche of well-deserved scorn heaped upon the Martin government, the strangest and least-deserved came from the Montreal Gazette's L. Ian MacDonald, speechwriter for and biographer to M. Brian Mulroney. MacDonald's complaint is not that Canada refused to take part in ballistic missile defence -- after all, the great man himself declined participation in its Star Wars precursor -- but rather the way we refused. Specifically, he faults Martin for being overly solicitous of caucus concerns, and not solicitous enough of the Americans'. Too democratic at home, not nearly obsequious enough abroad. What he should have done, in MacDonald's view, is, well, what Mulroney did:

In 1985, Brian Mulroney called his caucus together in the Centre Block on a Saturday morning, and informed them that Canada would not join Ronald Reagan's cherished Strategic Defence Initiative, known as Star Wars. He then went upstairs to his office and called President Reagan at Camp David. "Ron," Mulroney began, "I'm sorry to say we can't be with you on a big project, but Canada will not be joining in SDI. It's not in our interest, though it may well be in yours as the leader of the free world. I wanted to tell you, Ron, personally, before you read about it." "Brian," Reagan replied, "I'm very sorry to hear that, but I appreciate you informing me yourself." That was the end of it. There were no divisions in the governing party; the policy was determined by its leader. The caucus was informed, not consulted. There was no debate in the House. And there was no harm done to Canada-U.S. relations.

This is classic Toryism: The same policy as the Liberals, only more polite about it. Obsessed with process, oblivious to substance. And appallingly anti-democratic in the bargain: "caucus was informed, not consulted... no debate in the House." Well, at least Martin got that last part right.