4. Make your first 100 days really count A common measure of how aggressively leaders start their
term is to benchmark the effectiveness of their “first 100 days” in office. Much as it takes a few pitches for a baseball player to
become accustomed to the opposing pitcher’s offerings, the first 100 days is an excellent time to take advantage of your political opponents’ lack of knowledge of your own govern- ing style. Your style is tabula rasa to your opponents; you’re in control. After getting your sea legs and finding your way around
10 Downing, you should quickly make progress on your campaign commitments. A proactive agenda keeps your op- position guessing. They will not have time to field polls, for instance, in order to find out the best way to oppose your ideas. If they do, you’ll be on to your next one before they get their lines straight. Advance multiple lines of your agenda simultaneously,
and call upon your opponents for cooperation. The public will enjoy seeing a real agenda is being implemented, and your opponents will be loathe to oppose you for the sake of opposing you -- you have brought a substantial mandate especially for a new type of politics. In early 2006 Harper floored his critics and the media alike by pushing his “five priorities” through with a convert’s zeal. He took advantage of a stunned and weakened Liberal party with a compromise-choice leader, and of a Quebec that was awakening to his own party’s brand of federalism. Harper’s singular focus of proceeding with his “five priorities” de- fined his first term in office.
Stephen Harper’s 5 priorities 1. Passing the Federal Accountability Act 2. Cutting the GST from 7, to 6, to 5 percent.
3. Cracking down on crime (Seeking mandatory minimum sentencing for gun crimes)
4. Scrapping the big-government childcare program and replacing it with a credit
5. Working with the provinces to establish a wait-times guarantee for patients
The introduction (and eventually realization) of these pri-
orities later gave Harper permission to seek a second term in office which resulted in a stronger minority. A political leader’s reputation as a “thinker” or a “doer” is
forged early in their term. Journalists, since Lyndon John- son’s presidency, have set one crucial measure as “the first 100 days.” In a coalition environment, you must be seen as a doer. After thirteen years of Labour rule there is an appetite for a “doer” with fresh new ideas at 10 Downing. The clock is ticking, so make a big impression early.
5. Respect the Fourth Estate This bit of advice may seem out of place. After all, even before becoming PM, Stephen Harper was known for rela-
June 2010 | Campaigns & Elections 35
tions with the media that could be described as “standoff- ish” at the best of times, and downright frosty at others. But that is not the Stephen Harper of the last few years.
His office has realigned its strategy for dealing with the me- dia and has begun to embrace a more proactive agenda of media relations. Recent Communications directors like Kory Teneycke and John Williamson are both known for being fair dealers with a press corps hungry for greater in- teraction. While “Dimitri’s List” is still in use, the PMO has opened itself significantly from its earliest days. Even though you have had a difficult relationship with
your country’s press (remember all those nasty caricatures of you as a petulant child), look to mimic Harper’s more recent model, not his earlier days. Also, try to embrace the same electronic outreach tools the CPC uses with great success: YouTube video messages, an effective direct mail program, mid-term TV advertising, and great control of the govern- ment’s nonpartisan promotion of its own work. Finally, resist the temptation to pick petty fights with
the media and instead embrace them – they’re not going to go away. Include them on trips abroad, give occasional exclusives, give unparalleled access at events, and generally treat them like the part of the political process that they are. Anything less is petty and could result in coverage so nasty (remember, this is the UK) that will make those early carica- tures look like a stroll in the park.
Conclusion Few thought Stephen Harper could so successfully hold
a minority parliament together after his 124-seat win in February 2006. Using the approaches mentioned above he has brokered, cajoled, and sometimes steamrolled his way through four years in office. Harper is a clever leader, and despite some inevitable bumps along the way has laid out a very good manual for minority PMs. While your situation is somewhat different (a formal co-
alition exists, for instance) many of these tools will still be helpful as you set your agenda and begin to build a track record as PM. As odd as it seems for Britain’s PM to look abroad for advice on how to navigate a parliament, David Cameron could do well to take a few moments to read about Stephen Harper’s efforts over here in the loyal former colony of Canada.
Jaime Watt is Chair of the Firm and Senior Partner of the pub- lic affairs consultancy, Navigator Ltd. Joseph Lavoie and Lanny Cardow are Navigator consultants.
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