On September 20th I was guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Halifax's regular meeting. Rotarians are committed to public service through many means. One of their objectives is to promote "high ethical standards in business and professions". They have a 'Four-Way Test' which should govern what we "say, think or do". The first test is "Is it the truth?"
My topic was my transition from a career in journalism to politics. High ethical standards and the truth play an important part in both. I said,
"Journalists seek to find the truth about a situation or issue. Not a version of the truth, the truth. Because I believe truth is absolute.
I believe a politician has an obligation to the truth."
"A journalist's credibility is their most valuable commodity.
Once it is gone, you never get it back.
I believe it’s the same for a politician.
That is why I believe honesty, transparency and accountability
are just as important to me as a politician as they were to me as a journalist."
I applaud the Rotary Club of Halifax's many endeavours including work at the IWK Hospital for Children, promoting citizenship and their current project of planting trees as part of an urban reforestation project.
