Trudeau Sets The Example

On Monday, staffers in the offices of Liberal MPs across the country started tracking their bosses' travel and hospitality expenses, preparing to post them online this time next month.

For the first time, voters will be able to see how much their representatives spend on each plane trip, taxi ride and dinner.

But voters in ridings represented by MPs from other parties will continue to be in the dark.

Team Harper has talked a good game about transparency.  In fact, they've shilled out a lot of public dollars to promote how transparent they are.  Meanwhile, they have in practice been anything but.

Now, here comes Trudeau, walking the walk and setting the bar by which is opponents will be judged.

Leading by example, as it were.

It's now up to the other Parties to prove to Canadians that they're as committed to transparency in deed as they have been in word - and as Trudeau is being in practice.  Instead of owning up, so far all they've done is point to previous, unsatisfactory efforts or tried to belittle Trudeau's efforts by calling it a "stunt."

They'll have a hell of a time selling that one to their voters, especially as those constituents eye with envy the real political transparency enjoyed by their neighbours.

There is, of course, a lesson in this:

When you aren't weighing the pros and cons of doing something you know is wrong, or of not thinking an action through, you're spending more time doing what you know to be right and making sure you've thought through the consequences.

While I still think it's a bit cynical not to roll out some more detailed policy now, allowing for good ideas to be debated, I am increasingly impressed with how Team Trudeau is playing the political side of the equation.

Who doesn't love it when a plan comes together?

UPDATE: So, on the policy front?  It looks like we're getting there.  While Harper continues to criticize like an Opposition Leader, Trudeau is starting to pivot into a statesman.  Punching above his weight, indeed...