Category: Feature

The “Administrator of Everything”: Parliamentary Support Staff in Smaller Jurisdictions – An Interview with Helen Fitzsimmons

This entry is part 4 of 12 in the series Vol 46 No. 3 (Autumn)

The “Administrator of Everything”: Parliamentary Support Staff in Smaller Jurisdictions – An Interview with Helen Fitzsimmons

With a career spanning 46 years as an employee of the Government of Yukon, including the past 21 years serving the Yukon Legislative Assembly, Helen Fitzsimmons was feted by MLAs, colleagues and peers on April 27, the last sitting day of the 2023 Spring Sitting. With unanimous consent, the Assembly delivered tributes to Helen at the end of the sitting day. Extraordinarily, also with unanimous consent, Helen then addressed the Assembly. (The last time that the rare honour of addressing the Assembly had been conferred by the Yukon Legislative Assembly upon someone had been in 2011 when the House recessed to receive an address by Governor General David Johnston). Although normally only the first hour of the sitting day is videotaped, the tributes and address were recorded and posted on the Assembly’s Facebook page. The gallery, which had been empty minutes earlier, filled to capacity for this tribute. Visitors present included Yukon’s current senator, Yukon’s former senator, a former Yukon Premier, a former Commissioner, a former Speaker, former Ministers and MLAs, former party leaders, former Chiefs of Staff and Principal Secretaries, former Clerks, current and past Legislative Assembly Office staff and caucus staff, as well as some of Helen’s friends and family. Everyone present showed great admiration and love for Helen and was eager to hear her say a few words about what her career and time at the Assembly meant to her. In this interview conducted before her summer retirement, Helen shares more insight into her life as a long-serving parliamentary support staff employee in a smaller jurisdiction.

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“Beyond a Frequent Flyer”: How an Ontario MPP Uses Parliamentary Support Services – An Interview With Peter Tabuns

This entry is part 5 of 12 in the series Vol 46 No. 3 (Autumn)

“Beyond a Frequent Flyer”: How an Ontario MPP Uses Parliamentary Support Services – An Interview With Peter Tabuns

First elected in 2006, Ontario MPP Peter Tabuns (Toronto—Danforth) knows his way around Queen’s Park and has become well acquainted with the staff who keep it running. In this interview, he explains how he relies on Assembly employees as he fulfills his duties as a representative and why he admires their professionalism.

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Behind the Scenes: The Assemblée nationale’s Team of Translation Professionals

This entry is part 7 of 12 in the series Vol 46 No. 3 (Autumn)

Behind the Scenes: The Assemblée nationale’s Team of Translation Professionals

Quebec’s history of legislative translation dates back to the beginning of the British regime. In this article, the author examines how this service has evolved and explains the process for ensuring legislative texts are translated, revised and proofed to a standard that befits a province whose language and unique Civil Code are fundamental components of its identity.

Elizabeth Reeve

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“Other Duties as Required”: Conference Planning and Hosting in a Small Jurisdiction

This entry is part 8 of 12 in the series Vol 46 No. 3 (Autumn)

“Other Duties as Required”: Conference Planning and Hosting in a Small Jurisdiction

Parliamentary service offers support and guidance to elected and appointed officials in their workplaces so they can fulfill their role in our parliamentary democracies. In small legislatures, this mandate is often executed with a fraction of the staff found in larger jurisdictions. Yet, parliamentarians in small jurisdictions have the same duties and responsibilities as their counterparts in larger jurisdictions and these officials deserve the same support and guidance. In this article, the author provides the Prince Edward Island perspective on parliamentary service, with a focus on conference planning and hosting operations. Specifically, she explains how the jurisdiction facilitated the 58th Annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Canadian Regional Conference from July 16 – 22, 2022 – one of the first in-person parliamentary conferences hosted in Canada following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emily Doiron

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Elected with Experience: From Local Councils to the Provincial Legislature

This entry is part 2 of 11 in the series Vol 46 No. 2 (Summer)

Elected with Experience: From Local Councils to the Provincial Legislature

The frequency with which municipal politicians seek elected office at the provincial level is notable. Although each prospective candidate will have their own reasons for wanting to run, their experience on local councils or school boards are often mentioned as prompting them to run for higher office. In this article, the author uses interviews with MPPs who previously held municipal office to explore why these representatives made the switch to provincial politics, how their time on local council helped them to prepare for their new roles, and what differences they’ve identified between serving as elected representatives in these two levels of government. *This article is a revised version of a 2017 Ontario Legislative Internship Programme (OLIP) research paper.

Rachel Nauta

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The Historical Relationship Between Parliamentarians and Public Servants in Canada

This entry is part 3 of 11 in the series Vol 46 No. 2 (Summer)

The Historical Relationship Between Parliamentarians and Public Servants in Canada

Has the role and the work of public servants become politicized? Noting the greater frequency at which public servants are losing their anonymity and seemingly being pressured to support – rather than simply implement – politicians’ priorities, the authors review more than a century’s worth of debates of full parliament to determine whether there is evidence of outright politicization of the public service and whether such politicization (if present) has occurred more regularly over time. The authors conclude that public servants are rarely mentioned in full parliamentary debates and have only become a partisan issue within these debates on two occasions. The authors found that contrary to their expectations, parliamentarians belonging to the governing party were less likely than opposition MPs to discuss the public service and that MPs belonging to conservative parties were no more likely to discuss the public service than MPs belonging to parties elsewhere on the political spectrum.

Brendan Boyd and Barry Atkin

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Reforming the Vote of Confidence: A Role for the Speaker in the Standing Orders

This entry is part 4 of 11 in the series Vol 46 No. 2 (Summer)

Reforming the Vote of Confidence: A Role for the Speaker in the Standing Orders

The confidence convention is a fundamental characteristic of parliamentary government, yet its definition is vague and general. Disappointment in its utility to hold a government to account, its misuse purely for political gain, and the absence of a fair playing field for its use have led to calls for reforms. In this article, the author explores the nature of the vote of confidence, outlines some reasons warranting its reform, reviews some past proposals for reform in Canada and the United Kingdom, and finally proposes his own idea for how to address criticism of its historic and current use in the House of Commons. The author suggests parliamentarians create a standing order which carves out a specific role for the Speaker to rule on the appropriateness of considering an upcoming vote as a matter of confidence. Given that the Speaker’s rulings on the vote of confidence could be challenged, they would be advisory in nature and would not interfere with other confidence conventions such as the Crown’s power of dissolution. However, its use for pure political gain would be weakened; public guidelines developed by the Speaker could better textualize the meaning of the vote of confidence and contribute to civic literacy; order and decorum would be restored when confidence issues arise, and there would be no danger of possible justiciability of the courts. He concludes by suggesting this reform would go a long way in strengthening the Commons over the Executive.

Gary William O’Brien

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The Leadership Intelligence – Human leadership from the Speaker of the House of Commons

This entry is part 5 of 11 in the series Vol 46 No. 2 (Summer)

The Leadership Intelligence – Human leadership from the Speaker of the House of Commons

This article explores the concept of human leadership, which requires more than just technical competencies to deal with modern day challenges. The authors propose a model of leadership intelligence (LQ) that encompasses emotional intelligence (EQ), cultural intelligence (CQ), and technical intelligence (IQ). The Speaker of the House of Commons serves as an example of a leader who demonstrates an equal proportion of use of the LQ variables. The authors emphasize the importance of a flexible and adaptive leadership style that depends on the context and timing of the situation. The deployment of each intelligence requires a strong instinct from leaders, which can be nurtured through development and lived experiences. Effective leaders draw on the strengths of their surrounding advisors and practice self-leadership to address gaps in their individual leadership. The authors highlight Speaker Anthony Rota’s re-election for a second term as evidence of his successful human leadership style, characterized by calmness, fairness, and respect for all Members of Parliament (MPs), and the ability to lead with humility, judgment, accountability, empathy, and adaptability.

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A Question of Privilege: The Speaker as Guardian of the House of Commons

This entry is part 6 of 11 in the series Vol 46 No. 2 (Summer)

A Question of Privilege: The Speaker as Guardian of the House of Commons

The Speaker of the House of Commons has a special role in defending the authority of MPs to hold the government to account. Despite the Speaker’s theoretical power to uphold the rights of MPs, the ability to exercise these powers in practice is constrained by factors both internal and external to the position. Specifically, the federal government is able to sidestep the Speaker’s authority and the Speaker’s commitment to impartiality, while central to his role, prevents him from making timely rulings. Combined, these factors create a significant impediment on the ability of the House to exercise its constitutional duties. In this article, the author reviews the powers and role of the Speaker. Then, using the battle between the government and the House over the firing of two scientists from the National Microbiology Laboratory in early 2021 as a case study, she suggests possible reforms that could increase the Speaker’s power and improve the transparency of government, as well as its accountability to the House of Commons. *This article is a slightly modified version of the winning entry in the 2022 Canadian Study of Parliament Group Koester Essay Competition.

Cynthia Huo

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