Politics comes to be regarded as, well, a grab for the spoils of power. Patronage corrupts both rulers and ruled. Let's start with definitions. This is bad. In contrast, political appointments involve attention to both the merits of candidates and to their political orientation.
Patronage is embedded in our history.
Today, Canadians are increasingly intolerant of the practice. Experts Colwell and Thomas recognized that it is legitimate for a government to put certain people who share its broad philosophy into specific positions. For example, the prime minister is perfectly within his rights to appoint his chief of staff based on political qualifications. Things should be different, however, when it comes to appointments to, say, the Immigration and Refugee Appeals Board. What you want in that job is someone with knowledge of immigration processes, not of party intricacies.