Stephen Harper’s government is starting to show its age.

The Prime Minister has led the country for six years. He has outlasted 11 of his predecessors, including John Diefenbaker, Lester Pearson, R.B. Bennett, Alexander Mackenzie and Paul Martin.

He is still going strong; passing legislation, reshaping national institutions and firmly controlling the political agenda. But a telltale sloppiness is creeping in.

This is the point at which the Prime Minister either renews his government or lets the small mistakes — the ethical lapses, the hyperpartisanship, the unilateral pronouncements, the dubious accounting, the displays of arrogance — turn into costly, corrosive habits.

The problem is correctable. But Harper has taken no action to correct it.

Four of his cabinet ministers have violated the public trust so brazenly that they should be demoted or dismissed.

• Defence Minister Peter Mackay used a $32,000-an-hour search-and-rescue helicopter to ferry him home from a remote fishing lodge in Newfoundland. He was missing inaction as the price of a government purchase of state-of-the art fighter jets ballooned. He is still fudging the cost.

• Industry Minister Christian Paradis has been investigated three times by Parliament’s ethics commissioner. He was found guilty of conflict of interest in one case. Two rulings involving government construction contracts are pending.

• International Development Minister Bev Oda has been caught three times reaching into the public purse to indulge her taste for luxury hotels, limousines and other expensive perks.

• Treasury Board President Tony Clement used an infrastructure fund earmarked for border improvements to scatter goodies across his riding: a gazebo here, a monument there, a bandshell in the next town.

Two ministers are liabilities for nonethical reasons. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews doesn’t recognize the line between defending law and order and throwing around irresponsible allegations. (He accused critics of his online surveillance bill of being child pornographers.) And Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan is unfit for his job. He was embarrassingly inept during last winter’s housing crisis in Attawapiskat.

That adds up to six incompetent/ethically challenged/unreliable performers on Harper’s front bench. Very few corporate CEOs would countenance that level of unprofessionalism on their executive teams.

Harper’s refusal to fire subpar ministers isn’t the only trouble signal.

The Prime Minister blindsided Canadians by announcing his intention to reduce old age benefits at a conference in Switzerland. Then he left the nation in the dark for two months, wondering when the axe would fall and how deeply it would cut.

There was no need to alarm citizens who had conscientiously planned for their retirement. He could have waited until he came home, explained the need for reform, followed up with legislation and given Parliament time to debate it.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty rectified the damage, to some extent, in his spring budget, announcing that the change wouldn’t take effect until 2023. After that, Canadians would have to wait until they were 67 to collect old age security. But it was too late to erase the sense of betrayal many voters felt.

Harper displayed a similar absence of forethought when environmentalists succeeded — temporarily at least — in blocking the Keystone XL pipeline. His temper got the better of him. His language became surly.

Then he arbitrarily truncated environmental hearings, gave his cabinet the power to override the National Energy Board and hired a squad of officials to penalize environmental groups caught spending more than 10 per cent of their funds on political advocacy.

This raw display of power left many Canadians — not just environmentalists — nervous.

Then there are the costly policy failures. His war on drugs isn’t working. His scheme to reduce carbon emissions by capturing them in the smokestack and sinking them underground appears doomed. One project (of three) has already been abandoned. And his decision to spend $25 billion — and counting — on stealthy F-35 fighter jets is setting off alarm bells in Parliament and beyond.

A smart boss would cut his losses. Harper is pressing ahead.

He is not in serious trouble. His administration is largely corruption-free. His party is united. He is firmly in control. And since he commands a parliamentary majority, he can safely anticipate another three years in office.

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But his middle-aged government is overdue for a housecleaning. He has overlooked the slips, ignored the misjudgments and protected the underperformers past the point of prudence.

Next: A good economic manager?

Carol Goar's column appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

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