In THREE days’ time the body of our sixth Prime minister will be laid to rest in the parish of St John which he so zealously represented in Parliament for the past 23 years.
Much has been said of Mr Thompson’s career and his kindly human nature by people from all echelons of society, but there is one feature of his life that which so profoundly touches the very fabric of our democratic society that it will rank high in any assessment of his legacy.
It is Mr Thompson’s commitment to a life of public service.
It is a commitment which he shares with other public spirited members of the society but in his case, his dedication of his life to that ideal was almost complete. His entire adult life was spent in public service
In all societies, democracy requires the voluntary undertaking by men and women of public service. Some may serve their local communities while pursuing their other domestic interests, and so help to keep the wheels of the country running by undertaking roles in disaster management and other similar activities.
At the national level some citizens consider the question posed by President Kennedy, and ask themselves what they can do for their country. Mr Thompson answered that question when he was barely out of law school and when his feet were hardly immersed in the water of his law practice, by turning his back on what was a potentially very lucrative career and committed himself at the tender age of 26 to public service.
None among us should underestimate the sacrifice involved in committing to public service in small communities. Men and women who are professionals in their own right often have to interrupt the development of their careers as independent professionals or in some cases as academics, very often at the expense of their financial well being, with no job security, and at the risk of exposure to the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune.
But it to these brave men and women that we entrust the management of our country’s affairs, and to whom we commit the development of policies which we hope will safeguard the exchange rate of the dollars we have in our pockets and the value of our homes, for government would not be possible without their commitment to public service at the national level. Thompson’s life exemplified that commitment.
In larger countries such as the United States and Britain, the universities and large corporations reduce the risks of these brave souls, by engaging the experience of past public service, which is highly regarded as stepping stones to professorial careers, and indeed the doors are left open to those who wish to return to academic life after a stint of public service. It is not the case in smaller countries, and a change of government may mean financial hardships for many of those who lose their seats.
When one considers the long periods sometimes spent in opposition, the commitment of public spirited politicians is better placed in perspective. This country needs to bestir itself to consider how it regards those who offer themselves for public service.
In mature democracies, the special value of the spousal contribution is reflected in the bestowal of national honours. In others, a redundancy payment is paid to politicians who lose their seats, but in our country the grant of a pension after 2 terms was greeted with controversy.
Mr Thompson like many others, committed himself to public service without regard to personal welfare, but he did it at an earlier age and for all of his life. This country is fortunate to have had such committed and skilled citizens offering themselves for public service, but the untimely death at a very early age of our sixth Prime minister should galvanise us into seriously reflecting on how we regard those who render such invaluable public service.