Finance Minister Bill Morneau is on the defensive this week about his failure to put his extensive financial assets into a blind trust when he assumed the role of federal finance minister.
What must be frustrating for the rookie minister is that, on the surface, it appears he did all the right stuff.
ANALYSIS: Could Bill Morneau benefit from his decisions on overseas tax treaties?
He did ask the ethics commissioner if he should use the blind trust and she said it wasn’t necessary, so, that should be the end of the discussion right?
Not so fast!
Politicians are also judged in the court of public opinion, and as Morneau is discovering, that can be a much more daunting experience.
In the court of public opinion, perception often outweighs the facts; that may not be fair, but scores of former politicians will attest to that cruel reality.
Anyone entering today’s political arena should be aware that any flaw, or perceived flaw, will be exploited by your adversaries and the consequences could be politically fatal.
Morneau should have erred on the side of caution and employed the blind trust, if only to cover his political backside.
Morneau isn’t the first politician or the last, to be judged in the court of public opinion; whether he becomes a victim or a survivor of that trial by fire, only time will tell.
Bill Kelly is the host of Bill Kelly Show on AM 900 CHML and a commentator for Global News.
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