If there’s one business where succession planning is an unmitigated disaster, it’s politics. And often, unavoidably so.

The voting public is big on sweeping out the old and replacing the tired known quantity for the seemingly fresh unknown. That often means swapping the trained body we’re divorcing, for the untrained one that at least offers hope of a different outcome.

Being premier, or prime minister, or president, or MPP or MP, or councillor is a very complex job and not one that’s easy to apprentice for.

While incumbents are fond of telling us these are not “entry level jobs,” the system too often says otherwise.

We see nothing wrong with sending a raw rookie in to quarterback the provincial or national offence with next to zero practical prior experience with the playbook or the field — with often disastrous results in transition and lots of fumbles shown on the rotating news “lowlight” shows.

You’d think it would be easier to train candidates at the municipal level where blind loyalty to party is eliminated and there’s a lot more rowing in the same general direction.

That’s too rarely the case.

Which is why it is so refreshing to hear Coun. Pat Saito, announce that she’ll help anyone interested in becoming Ward 9 councillor four years hence.

“I wanted to make it public that this will be my last term,” says Saito, elected in 1991 and now the city’s most senior councillor. “I’m hoping people will come forward and really take an interest in Mississauga and Peel Region.

“People have asked me if I’m willing to mentor them and I’ve said yes to each request.”