My New Year’s resolution this year was to try to be more charitable towards my friends and adversaries. Summed up –it means for me to stop calling liars “liars.” After all to ‘lie’ is to break one of the Ten Commandments and that is a very serious charge. And there’s always the distinct possibly that I could be wrong. Or even worse –I could be sued.

The word ‘liar’ sounds so uncharitable that they won’t even allow Members of Parliament to call each other that. You can call the member all kinds of horrible names –but you mustn’t use the word ‘liar.’

What we need is a new word that doesn’t quite sound so vicious but means exactly the same thing. Ladies and gentlemen –I give you: Truth-Withholder.’

Now I admit that it is a bit of a mouthful and doesn’t have the same pithy bite as the previously used word ‘liar.’ Like in ‘Liar-liar-pants on fire!’

I don’t believe in using the expression ‘white lie’ –like in response to “When did you get in last night?”

“It must have been 12 o’clock, dear.” “It was more like four o’clock!” “How would I know, dear? I don’t spend the whole evening looking at my watch. It’s possible that you may be right.” This is what I used to refer to as a ‘little lie’ as opposed to a ‘big lie.’

I will give you an example of the previously used term: a ‘big lie’ –which I now refer to as a MAJOR ‘Truth-Withholding Occurrence.’

Now the culprit who was guilty of this offence –along with some well known helpers –eliminated the federal Conservative party in Canada in the previous election –except for two lonely souls. This gentleman said publicly that he would kill the GST if his party was elected. At the same time what the Liberal Red Book (the party bible) said about the GST was something totally different.

Easily recognizable

That man is a MAJOR ‘Truth-Withholder.’ Readers must be able to recognize MAJOR ‘Truth –Withholders’ otherwise they will multiply like mink –especially in public life.

This man –we are referring to –also stopped the advance of the Reform party at the Manitoba/ Ontario border –except for a lonely Ontario reform member who sneaked in. This resulted in the Parti-Quebecois whose central goal is the destruction of Canada becoming Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. Yes, dear readers, only in Canada.

If you haven’t guessed who the mystery man is –you are undoubtedly a Liberal party hack.

The poor Tories at the time had brought in the GST so they could hardly denounce it during the election. So any party promising to get rid of a 17 billion dollar tax load was riding a very fast horse.

This is a quick quiz for all of our readers. Number One: Which gentleman talks to street people and gets advice from them? A) Saddam Hussien, b) Conrad Black, c) Jean Chretien. Number Two: Which leader of a prominent country tried to choke a heckler (while being filmed doing it) into a state of unconsciousness? A) Bill Clinton, b) Margaret Thatcher, c) Jean Chretien. Number Three: Which leader of a prominent country gets advice from an American astrologer on how to run the country? A) John Major, b) Saddam Hussien, c) Jean Chretien. Number Four: What prominent politician almost obliterated his political opponents in the last Canadian federal election by being guiltily of a MAJOR ‘Truth-Withholding Occurrence’? Well if you picked ‘Jean Chretien’ for all the answers –don’t pound yourself on the back too hard –they were pretty easy.

If you got any of these questions wrong –then you have definitely surrendered your brain to the federal Liberal party. And you know what John Nunziata thinks about that. I wonder what Sheila Copps thinks.

Surely the apology that Jean Chretien gave to the public regarding the statements that he made in connection with his position on the GST ranks right up there with President Nixon’s famous statement: “Your president is not a crook.”

Chretien said in May of 1994: “We hate it (GST) and we will kill it.” And now he is saying: “If I and others left the impression with anyone that we will be able to do away with the GST without a replacement, I want to tell them I am sorry.”

That was like making off with a case of Crown Royal whisky and offering to bring back the empty bottles.