Interest in the fall from grace of a once prominent and popular broadcaster is understandable. But it is unfortunate that the media and the public don’t pay more attention to the continuing decline in Canadian democracy—a subject of far greater importance to all of us than the eventual fate of Senator Duffy. The Senate farce has become an unfortunate distraction, directing attention away from the real, substantial problems with the House of Commons and the health of Canadian democracy.
[This blog was first posted at Samara Canada on April 22, 2015.]
The House of Commons is the central body in our democratic system. It is comprised of Members of Parliament who have been elected to represent the Canadian public and hold accountable whatever party is in power. The Commons fails miserably in both of these roles. The MPs who make up the House of Commons are an increasingly dispirited and disparaged lot. The frustration arising from their growing impotence may be one reason for the increasingly partisan discourse in the Commons and the general lack of civility and good manners.
Even MPs of the governing party find themselves increasingly subjugated to the dictates of staff in the Prime Minister’s Office. We know that MPs are unhappy with their greatly diminished roles as a result of the extensive interviews carried out by Samara Canada and published in the book Tragedy in the Commons by Samara co-founders Alison Loat and Michael MacMillan. The former MPs interviewed tended to cast themselves as outsiders, people who had never meant to get involved in politics but somehow found themselves in the House of Commons. If the MPs themselves are ashamed of their profession, things have reached a sorry state.
The Omnipotence of the Executive
As the Senate grows more farcical and the Commons more impotent, the power in our governmental system has become increasingly concentrated in the position of Prime Minister and in the staff supporting that position in the PMO. A Prime Minister backed by a majority of party members in the Commons has far more power than an American President and can govern almost with impunity. In Canada, strict party discipline ensures that government measures are enacted. Opposition views and concerns are increasingly swept aside or ignored. The current government has made it almost impossible for opposition parties to carry out their legitimate watchdog role by frequently imposing closure (to terminate debate) and cobbling together many different pieces of legislation—that often aren’t particularly related to each other—within omnibus bills.
Outside of Parliament meanwhile, the traditional role of the civil service—to provide objective information, advice and recommendations—has also been devalued and curtailed under the present government. Scientific advice, especially, is not welcomed if it fails to support the ideological bent of the governing party. Outrageous as it sounds, public sector scientists can’t even speak about their own published papers unless they do so by using “talking points” provided by the PMO.
The Absence of the Public
What makes the accelerating erosion of democracy so troubling is that it is taking place at a time when Canadians are withdrawing more and more from the political process. This is especially true of young Canadians. Samara’s Democracy 360 report card on Canada’s democracy documents this worrying trend. It awards a grade of only C– to citizen participation, as reflected in such things as limited contact with politicians, limited trust in politicians, a growing view that politics is irrelevant, and a low voting turnout (with Canada ranking in the bottom fifth of democracies according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development).
The CBC Asks: Is Politics Broken debate, in which Samara participated, resulted in a strong majority of audience members supporting the proposition that the political process is no longer the most effective way to enact real change. Public frustration with the political process is understandable. It is also appreciated that some people, especially young Canadians, prefer to work for change through other avenues, particularly social media. But it should never be a choice of either/or. Use whatever means you feel are most effective for the issues that concern you, but also continue to participate in the political process. The more people disconnect from government, the easier it is for those in power to take steps that undermine democracy, and the downward spiral continues.
The challenges facing Canadian democracy, the reforms that need to be introduced and the ways in which Canadians can become more actively involved, are all addressed in my latest book, Reviving Canadian Democracy. I encourage people to read it before they vote—or before they decide not to—in the upcoming federal election. No matter how disillusioned you may be with politics and politicians, nothing will ever improve if you decide to sit on the sidelines. Now is the time to demand, from all parties, a commitment to the restoration of democratic practices. Please be part of this movement.