Elected officials love when people say “politics is a blood sport." As a group we tend to be soft and unathletic and this description makes us sound rugged and mysterious.Politics can be mean, but is it truly a “blood sport?" Although partisanship has increased of late, most political attacks tend to be more theatre than anything else; behind closed doors, there is a certain level of civility between members of different parties.I remember, for example, my Queen's Park seating arrangements when I first arrived in 2003. Because of the large Liberal majority, I sat on the opposition side beside then-MPP John Baird. The two of us would pass the hours chatting pleasantly until he got up to address the Legislature. Once he had finished his vitriol-filled attack on the government, he would resume his seat to continue our friendly conversation. It reminded me of the wolf and the sheepdog in that old Warner Brothers cartoon. The one where the two fight and scheme until their shift ends and they head home as good friends.Then, the police became involved.I am not sure of the exact moment when opposition parties discovered how easy it was to call the police. I began to notice a pattern developing when I worked for Prime Minister Jean Chrétien in the late 1990s. When any issue arose that even had a hint of impropriety, the opposition would write the RCMP and tip off a friendly journalist. The reporter would dutifully contact the Mounties who would confirm that they had received the letter and would look into the matter.Despite the routine nature of the police response, the journalist had what they needed. “Police begin probe into government” would scream the headline the next day. And a scandal was born.We better start being careful. Yes, having the police investigate a political transgression raises its profile by casting it as sinister and criminal. But by involving law enforcement you also risk doing extraordinary damage to personal reputations. This is especially true when political staff is involved – those behind-the-scenes hardworking people who have little ability to publicly defend themselves.This would be fine if the police actually found something. Most investigations go nowhere and the tiny fraction that do go before the courts tend to be thrown out because 99 per cent of the time the case simply revolves around politics as usual.Which brings us to the Sudbury byelection and the investigation of Premier Kathleen Wynne's former deputy chief of staff, Pat Sorbara, and other Liberals. An investigation triggered by hastily written letters from opposition MPPs to police and Elections Ontario - the political equivalent of throwing spaghetti at a wall and hoping something will stick.And over what?What happened in Sudbury is not complicated. Under the rules, the Liberal Leader had the right to appoint anyone she wanted to be the candidate. The 2014 Liberal candidate, Andrew Olivier, had been unable to hold the seat despite a Liberal sweep. Instead of letting Olivier try again, Wynne decided to appoint a star candidate, the NDP federal member for the area.So what is all the fuss about? It centres on the alleged efforts by the Premier, her staff and other party operatives to encourage the star candidate to run while keeping the former candidate on side in the name of party unity. This apparently included the mention of potential opportunities within the party and government.Sure it's fodder for the opposition, but for police or Elections Ontario? As the Toronto Star's Martin Regg Cohn pointed out in recent columns, the police failed to find enough evidence to lay criminal charges. All that remains is an accusation of a lesser provincial offence for activities that appear similar to ones undertaken by every other party in the Legislature.All this will undoubtedly blow over and the opposition will move on. But where does that leave Sorbara? I have known Pat for more than 30 years. She is tough, loyal and very smart. But, above all, she is a person of integrity who has always conducted herself to the highest ethical standards. Although our paths have not crossed recently, I imagine that she is devastated.To the opposition, she is a pawn in a political fight designed to score a few points. They need to realize that we are talking about someone's professional life and reputation here.And it's not just the opposition. The next time an NDP or Tory member or candidate makes way for a new leader or star candidate, I am sure that the Liberals will waste no time in firing off letters to the police.It has to stop.I spent 11 years at Queen's Park and actually think there is something honourable about being a Member. Do we truly want politics to be a “blood sport?" John Milloy is a former MPP and Ontario Liberal cabinet minister currently serving as the co-director of the Centre for Public Ethics and assistant professor of public ethics at Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, and the inaugural practitioner in residence in Wilfrid Laurier University's Political Science department. He is also a lecturer in the University of Waterloo's Master of Public Service Program.  John can be reached at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @John_Milloy.This column was originally published in the online publication QP Briefing.