A “Machiavellian” politician is one who believes the end justifies the means. This politician would act as if he were all things to all people while accomplishing his own ambitious purposes and plans. The appearance of the act is just as important to him as the act itself.
A perfect example of a current day Machiavellian politician was that of Joseph Volpe, who was in the role of Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Mr Volpe in a meeting at the Canada Christian College prior to a federal election promised the audience that if elected he would vote against legalizing same sex marriages. After Mr. Volpe was elected and received a cabinet post, he promptly forgot the promise he made and voted for legalizing same sex marriage.
Another example of a current day Machiavellian politician is former Premier Dalton McGuinty. Mr. McGuinty campaigned on a platform that promised he would not raise taxes, but when he came to power, his first order of business was to create the new health premium as a health care tax. As Arthur Weinreb said in a Canada Free Press article,
“…every Ontarian knows by now, any similarity between what McGuinty promised during the election campaign and what he did after coming to power is strictly coincidental. He loves to justify his broken promises by saying, “it’s the right thing to do”. He is a self-centred little man who shows more concern for how his lies and deceptions make him look than the effect they have on the people of the province. He has shown practically no concern for the many Ontarians who will not only have to go without the medical services that his government has delisted but to whom the payment of the health care premium will be noticeably felt.”
Weinreb’s comments on McGuinty’s political actions, decisions and behaviour exemplify what a Machiavellian leader is like. Machiavellian politicians such as Volpe and McGuinty use their charisma to appear sincere when making promises and act innocent when voters realize they have been lied to. Inevitably, these politicians have manipulated their constituents into believing that they, the voters, are the ones who are being unreasonable. Furthermore, Machiavellian politicians are more than willing to use any trick in the book, whether it be legal or illegal, fair or foul, to accomplish their agendas and goals.
Work Cited Weinreb, Arthur. “Dalton’s Health Care Pennies.” Canada Free Press 23 June 2004: 1-5. 12 April 2005