By Lloyd Mackey

"THE PRIME Minister is in danger of losing his tough-a__ image."

That sentence came from one of my press gallery colleagues, on Monday of this week. He was commenting on Stephen Harper's moving and compassionate eulogy, offered at the funeral of former Saskatchewan MP David Batters, last Saturday in Regina.

My colleague is a crusty and good-natured fellow. And he reflected the feelings of a lot of Canadians, in agreeing with Harper, that depression needs to be talked about more, and hidden away less.

Batters took his own life. Before retiring from politics prior to the 2008 election, the former MP for the Palliser riding had issued a statement revealing that he was taking medical leave. He wanted to deal with longstanding issues of depression and addiction to prescription drugs.

Indeed, the d-word is raised every once in a while. A few years ago, Rafe Mair, a British Columbia talk show host and former provincial cabinet minister, spoke of his own battle with depression and urged his listeners not to ignore its signs in their own lives.

The fact that Harper made this speech -- and the contents of the talk itself -- reveal a compassionate and understanding side to the prime minister that is not often admitted by his critics, both in politics and the media.

Some of his comments went as follows:

Dave was a very human politician. He opened himself to others. It strengthened his hand in representing his constituents, but it rendered him vulnerable to depression, as it can to any of us.

Depression can strike the sturdiest of souls. It cares not how much you have achieved or how much you have to live for.

In Dave's name, to all Canadians who struggle with depression, and to all families who have lost loved ones to depression and suicide, I say that you are not alone. And I commend Dave's legacy of distinction, courage and resolve both in Parliament and in life.

That the Globe and Mail would run Harper's comments uncut is a credit to the newspaper's editors.

Having said that, there was a disturbing element at the bottom of the piece which needs at least a bit of exploration.

Instead of having opportunity for reader comments, as do most Globe stories, there is the following caveat:

Editor's Note: Comments have been closed on this story because an overwhelming number of readers were making offensive statements about other commenters and/or the individual or individuals mentioned in the story. That kind of behaviour is a breach of our commenting policy, and so the comment function has been turned off. We appreciate your understanding.

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That such a disclaimer should be necessary speaks to the fact that being willing to speak about depression contains its own risks.

* * *

One of the recent posters to OttawaWatch is a clergyman -- whether that makes a difference or not.

As I took it, he was of the view that my references to Harper are much too sympathetic. At the end of one of my OttawaWatch pieces, he posted the comment that perhaps I should "ease back on the meds" because what I was saying did not make much sense.

His note gave me some pause because, indeed, I take several kinds of heart medicine which control such things as blood pressure, blood thinning and cholesterol. My cardiologist assures me that such medication will not make me any more or less quirky than I already am.

But the clergyman's comment provides an opportunity to suggest, ever so gently, that one should be careful about how sarcasm and other forms of humour are used, in case they have unintended harmful effects on otherwise good people whose minds the rest of the population might not fully understand.

* * *

How about attack ads, in the above context?

At first blush, I am inclined to suggest that attack ads, no matter which party initiates them, are legitimate tools in the world of partisan politics.

But, I would repeat a useful bit of advice. It goes something like this: "Be careful of the words you use. You may have to eat them later."

There may be times when political foes need to work together. That task becomes easier, if not too many earlier words need to be eaten.

* * *

Lloyd Mackey is a member of the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery in Ottawa and author of Stephen Harper: The Case for Collaborative Governance (ECW Press, 2006), More Faithful Than We Think: Stories and Insights on Canadian Leaders Doing Politics Christianly (BayRidge Books, 2005) and Like Father, Like Son: Ernest Manning and Preston Manning (ECW Press, 1997). Lloyd can be reached at lmackey@canadianchristianity.com.

Related stories:

A family tragedy that Stephen Harper has not forgotten
That eulogy got me thinking about a little-reported episode in the Prime Minister's family history. One day in 1950, Mr. Harper's grandfather, Harris Harper, a high-school principal in Moncton, disappeared, never to be found. The circumstances have remained obscure. It received a brief mention in William Johnson's biography of the Prime Minister, but little follow-up.
Lawrence Martin, Globe and Mail, July 9

July 9/2009