Good politicians must have a thick skin as they are often subject to harsh criticism no matter how hard they work or how much they care for their community and constituents.
Very few will argue Genia Leskiw, MLA for Cold Lake – Bonnyville and longtime Town of Bonnyville Mayor Ernie Isley (a longtime MLA who held the same position as Leskiw for many years) are outstanding politicians and very good people.
So it comes across as a little shocking and somewhat sad that Leskiw and Isley shed a layer of their respective thick skin last week when debating over the ongoing process of tax reassessment being carried out on the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range.
Isley has argued for many months the Town of Bonnyville has been left out of negotiations, but deserves some assessment from the bombing range as many workers there come from Bonnyville and the town provides health care, ambulance and fire service protection without receiving any compensation.
Whether or not the Town of Bonnyville deserves assessment from the bombing range is a separate matter from the fact Leskiw and Isley don't seem to be getting along as well as they should.
Leskiw commented last week following a meeting hosted by the Town that “it would be nice if the council would on a regular basis communicate with me, and many times not be so antagonistic when they're talking to me. It's a lot easier to work with people when you're working together instead of working against one another.
“Many times, my conversations with the Town have been very antagonistic, therefore, it makes it very hard to deal with them or to speak with them.”
The next day, Isley commented to his fellow councillors on Town council he believed Leskiw's comments were directed at him as the result of him switching from the Progressive Conservative Party to the Wildrose Alliance back in 2009.
Isley said he “may have some serious thinking to do” if his extracurricular political activities had a negative affect on ratepayers of this community.
“I left the Conservative Party and joined the Wildrose and that's made some of my former colleagues a little unhappy,” he later told the Nouvelle.
“I haven't reached any decisions but at times I get the feeling that Bonnyville concerns are not being responded to when I was the same colour as everybody.”
Leskiw denied Isley's switch in political affiliation had anything to do with her comments, adding, “It doesn't matter to me what party he may choose or choose not to belong, that's one issue. But we are the government in hand, if you're going to work with the government, you've got to play nicely in the sandbox. That hasn't always occurred.”
Here's hoping Leskiw and Isley take some sober time of reflection and not make any rash decisions and tone down the rhetoric.
They can agree to disagree, but both are doing an outstanding job representing their constituents and that's really what matters here.
No one has to step down or reconsider anything as a result of a few words said at one meeting.
Leskiw and Isley have been in politics long enough to know you're not going to agree on every important issue.
There's no need for any public apology to be issued and there's certainly no need for Isley or Leskiw to do anything but continue to do great work representing the people who elected them.
