In Search of a Prime Minister

If I am unable to find a worthy local candidate, perhaps I could look to the party heads.

Let’s assume that each of the party heads is a former Star Trek captain. Leaving out Captains Pike and Data, the remaining candidates are:

Jonathan Archer, chronologically the first Star Trek captain. His mission was clearly defined, and he was the first human captain to set out in a starship. He had no examples to follow and his greatest legacy was his log of lessons learned. He benefited greatly from the experience of his closest advisors. Probably a good choice in a new country or within a world of changing alliances. I see Lester Pearson here – but not another Nobel Peace Prize.

James T Kirk, an energetic, hands-on captain. He took risks – in particular by participating in every away team – and in so doing, exposed his crew to the potential loss of their commander. His practice of making every decision heightened the consequence that could follow his premature demise. His singular talent was his ability to endure pain. Was he a youthful Teddy Roosevelt?

Jean-Luc Picard, a stoic, tempered by occasional humour and compassion, he was not a Kirk. He did not go on away teams, he let technically skilled people do their technical work, and he expected them to keep him informed. His contribution to the success of the mission was based upon his ability to aggregate data and information from multiple sources and to make informed decisions. Unfortunately, he often withheld information from his crew. Like Trudeau Sr for a number of reasons, but especially intellect and charisma.

Benjamin Sisko, thrust into the middle of transition and conflict he was forced to bring together markedly different individuals with significantly different experiences, skills, and biases. His greatest weakness was his inexperience, but he could communicate, motivate, and solve problems. He relied upon his staff and was open to new approaches. Something like Barrack Obama but with a chip on his shoulder and a baseball on his desk.

Kathryn Janeway, who faced a unique circumstance and was constrained to a singular objective. The situation forced her to be at the centre of all decisions and to rely upon the technical abilities of her crew to implement those decisions. This style works for small groups. Can it scale to larger groups and more complex situations? Reminds me of Kim Campbell.

Can you choose from among the Star Trek captains the best one to be Prime Minister?
I can, but only by eliminating those I cannot accept until I am left with one that I must accept.
How unfortunate it would be if the same constraint applies to the available choices for PM.

Stuart Syme