Did you just say… integrity?

Written by Bernard Brault on 08/08/2012

Let’s stay away from the students’ crisis for a while. The quest for Integrity seems to be the subject of the day at the beginning of the 2012 election campaign in Quebec. Do you think it will last until September 4? From the very start, the CAQ leader guarantees his candidates’ integrity starting with August 3, which ranks him as the champion of the anticorruption fight. The former investigator and policeman, Mr. Duchesneau’s debut on the political stage will be the high point.

As far as Jean Charest is concerned, he seems very comfortable talking about integrity. “We deserve 8 out of 10. Just make the inventory of all the laws we passed and all the measures we took. It would be hard to conclude that we didn’t do all the efforts to succeed. So, we don’t need anybody’s lessons,” said the Quebec Liberal leader (Le Devoir, August 3, 2012.)

As for Ms Marois, the integrity subject was already part of her pre-election speech. Beware; these are just some overused terms!

What’s the connection that everybody makes between these terms: corruption, collusion, embezzlement, and integrity?

What does “integrity” mean?

Does it have a precise meaning? Used to describe the righteousness of an honest person, integrity seems to be more like a catchall, or a simple subject of a verbal sparring match.

Unfortunately, Webster’s definition isn’t very clear, but it gives an idea: “the quality or state of being complete (…) of an unpaired condition.”

Nevertheless, the integrity preached by the government leaders shouldn’t be partial or incomplete. There is no such thing as “a little honest” or “almost honest.” There is a price to pay. Therefore, how can these leaders make proof of integrity when 2 years ago they didn’t even consider it necessary?

Use your imagination, dear future leaders of Quebec! We, the poor people, we don’t know how you could assume this integrity. Electoral promises or a personal ethic code? For us to understand you better, your candidates should be more committed.

Doesn’t this remind you of our well-intentioned politicians’ philosophical debate on ethics, just before the announcement of the investigation in the construction field? In 2009 and 2010, the municipal ethics represented the challenge of several municipal elections. Nevertheless, it seems that not even by implementing a code of ethics, Quebec government hasn’t succeeded to stop the human nature and its vices: the thirst for profit and the fear of losing the power.

This anticorruption approach consisting in a code of ethics, as honorable as it may seem, made us joke about it: What if we replaced the highway code by a code of ethics…just for laughs?

Bad management, exponential vector for growth

Corruption is like weed: it spreads when you don’t take care of your lawn. The source of corruption and embezzlement is in the human nature. Its exponential vectors of growth are: the bad management, the managerial laxity, the bureaucracy, the decision-makers’ irresponsibility of their acts, and the chronic lack of a sound management.

In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king

Good start for this campaign, but the leaders of parties will lack the ammunition. Once we make sure of their integrity, they’ll need to better define the concept of integrity.

There’ll be of course some other scandalous events kept aside to capture the attention and break the opposite party’s confidence and integrity.

Integrity needs to be better exemplified!

In order to be useful, the code of ethics has to find its philosophical source in the managerial values that should be imposed to a manager holding the positions of a mandatary and an asset and resource fiduciary.

The mandataries and public servants need to make proof of certain values in order to solve the managerial problems in the Health Department, Education, (the sound management of universities), daycares, Hydro- Québec, or the Caisse de dépôt.

The ISG urges you to talk about Abnegation and Balance, a sound Efficiency of the resources, and a Transparent accountability of yours acts. It would be nice to believe you when you promise a Continuity of your acts beyond your mandates and in respect with the Fairness principle.

For the professional managers: Remember, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link!