I refer to the behaviour witnessed by tourists in India who came upon large elephants tethered with very slim ropes to tiny stakes in the ground. They asked why the elephants didn’t just flex their muscles and snap the ropes or yank out the stakes. The answer was that the elephants had been staked that way ever since they were very young. They had always been confined that way and didn’t realize that they had outgrown their meagre restraints. Canadian MPs, especially members of the governing party, have long been treated in a similar manner, bound by the yoke of party discipline. Even with the new powers potentially available to them, will MPs break free of their decades of dependency and begin to assert themselves.
The Reform Act 2014 provides a mechanism for the members of each party to remove the party leader, or the chair of the caucus (comprising all elected members of that party) or to expel any member from the caucus. If 20% of the party members call for one of these actions, a second, secret vote is held. If there is support from 50% (or more) of the members, the removal or expulsion takes place. The legislation also removes the power of a party leader (under the Canada Elections Act) to approve (or reject) those chosen as party candidates. It has been difficult for MPs who might wish to exert any independence, knowing that their future in the party could be terminated by a leader’s refusal to sign their nomination papers.
The Barrier facing these New Powers
But – and it is very big but – the changes in the legislation will only take effect if MPs within a party see fit to activate them. Michael Chong accepted a number of amendments to his bill during the year-long process of building support (especially from his own party) to ensure its passage. The watered down result is a bill that includes a potentially massive stumbling block. Party members must decide, in their first caucus meeting following an election, whether they wish to take on the new powers of removal or expulsion. In addition, each party is to determine how candidates will be approved to run under the party label. A party could decide to leave this approval power with the party leader.
What can we do?
If we want members of Parliament to embrace their traditional role of representing the interests of their constituents and not just following the dictates of their party leaders, they need to know that this is an important issue for us. With a federal election in the wings, Canadians should ask their local candidates whether they intend to invoke the new powers available to them under the Reform Act 2014. We should accept nothing less.