In our democracy, a parliamentarian has a duty to represent the interests of all people in a particular constituency or district. But parliamentarians who belong to communities that extend beyond their electoral district often find they assume a secondary responsibility to bring attention to community interests and/or share some common experiences with other parliamentarians who are part of these communities. In this roundtable, Canadian Parliamentary Review Intern Kaitlin Gallant spoke with three Black parliamentarians to discuss their experiences campaigning, as members of legislatures and political parties, and about the value of Blacks caucuses and multiparty organizations such as the Canadian Congress of Black Parliamentarians. *Responses from two separate telephone conversations were compiled into a transcript which was then reviewed and revised by all participants.

Participants: Patrice Barnes, MPP, Tony Ince, MLA, David Shepherd, MLA Moderated by Kaitlin Gallant

Continue reading “Reaching a Critical Mass: A Roundtable with Black Parliamentarians”

The Independents: A Roundtable Discussion with Independent and Independently-Minded Parliamentarians

Article 3 / 8 , Vol. 47 No. 2 (Summer)

The Independents: A Roundtable Discussion with Independent and Independently-Minded Parliamentarians

On January 18, 2024, the Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy welcomed three parliamentarians to discuss the experience of Independent parliamentarians and independently-minded partisan parliamentarians in Canada. Moderated by Professor Alex Marland, roundtable participants included Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin, an MLA who won re-election as an Independent after previously being elected with a party, Bobbi Ann Brady, an MPP who was elected as an Independent without previously being elected with a party, and Scott Simms, a backbench MP who spent time on both the government and opposition sides of the House. Topics included the pros and cons of sitting as an Independent or as a party member, the constraints of party whips and “messaging,” and how these parliamentarians carved out a degree of freedom while either inside or outside of a party during their time in office. The session was dedicated to the memory of Peter Russell, author of Two Cheers for Minority Government: The Evolution of Canadian Parliamentary Democracy and other works, who passed away shortly before the event. *This transcript has been edited for length and clarity. The original recording of the event is available on the Churchill Society’s YouTube Channel.

Continue reading “The Independents: A Roundtable Discussion with Independent and Independently-Minded Parliamentarians”

Canadian Network Created to Promote High Standards of Trust and Political Leadership

Article 6 / 11 , Vol 46 No. 4 (Winter)

Canadian Network Created to Promote High Standards of Trust and Political Leadership

A unique partnership among five universities, funded in part by Montreal philanthropist Stephen Jarislowsky, has created what’s believed to be a first-of-its-kind network in Canada to promote ethics and high standards of ethics, trust, and political leadership. In this article, the authors describe the program’s aims and outline past and planned events and activities. The authors conclude with a call to parliamentarians, political staff, and non-partisan parliamentary employees to share ideas with and make requests to the program’s chairs.

Continue reading “Canadian Network Created to Promote High Standards of Trust and Political Leadership”

The State of Civic Education: A Roundtable

Article 7 / 11 , Vol 46 No. 4 (Winter)

The State of Civic Education: A Roundtable

If the children are our future, will a healthy participatory democracy be a part of that future? How are schools and non-governmental organizations doing in terms of teaching young people (and, for that matter, all people) to understand their society and the various ways we seek to answer the fundamental civic question: how we live together as a public? In this roundtable, the Canadian Parliamentary Review asked five individuals involved in various aspects of civic education to offer their thoughts on where we’ve come from, where we are, and, ideally, where we want to go when it comes to teaching and engaging the public.

*This is an edited and revised transcript compiled from three discussions with participants.

Continue reading “The State of Civic Education: A Roundtable”

Building Connections and Sharing Best Practices: Parliamentary Service Organizations

Article 3 / 12 , Vol 46 No. 3 (Autumn)

Building Connections and Sharing Best Practices: Parliamentary Service Organizations

Parliaments do not operate as silos. Parliamentarians are keenly aware of debates occurring among their colleagues across the country and internationally. Legislation adopted in one jurisdiction is often studied and consulted when another parliament is considering a similar issue. And, every year, parliamentarians attend meetings and conferences, such as the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s gatherings, to meet their counterparts, discuss their roles and systems of governance, and forge important networks to exchange information. Many parliamentary service staff have developed their own organizations for similar reasons. In this roundtable, the Canadian Parliamentary Review invited representatives of some of these groups to discuss the work their membership does and how their membership benefits from participating in groups that facilitate networking and information sharing.

Participants: Gerry Burla, Andrew Henry, Deanna Wilson, and Bruce C. Young

Continue reading “Building Connections and Sharing Best Practices: Parliamentary Service Organizations”

Parliamentary Professional Development: Participants Discuss Their Experiences

Article 6 / 11 , Vol 45 No. 1 (Spring)

Parliamentary Professional Development: Participants Discuss Their Experiences

New Frontiers in Committees – Using Videoconferencing Technology

Article 7 / 14 , Vol 43 No 3 (Autumn)

New Frontiers in Committees – Using Videoconferencing Technology

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, many workplaces shut down. Some parliamentary committees didn’t or couldn’t. With physical distancing measures in place, some committees opted to use videoconferencing platforms to help continue operations. In this roundtable discussion, parliamentarians and committee clerks explain how the system has worked, where there have been issues that needed to be addressed, and what this technology may mean for the future of their work.

Participants: Richard Gotfried, MLA, Laura Mae Lindo, MPP, Valerie Quioc Lim, Shannon Philips, MLA, Aaron Roth

Continue reading “New Frontiers in Committees – Using Videoconferencing Technology”

Parliamentarians Discuss Parliamentary Libraries

Article 7 / 15 , Vol 43 No 1 (Spring)

Parliamentarians Discuss Parliamentary Libraries

As one of the principal clients of Parliamentary Libraries, many parliamentarians see the inherent value in these institutions – even if their own jurisdiction doesn’t have one. In this modified roundtable discussion, the Canadian Parliamentary Review has compiled interviews with four parliamentarians discussing how and why they use their Parliamentary Library, or what they do when they don’t have access to one.

Participants: Shane Getson, MLA, Liz Hanson, MLA, Nathan Neudorf, MLA and Kevin O’Reilly, MLA
Continue reading “Parliamentarians Discuss Parliamentary Libraries”

CSPG Conference – Parliament and the Courts

Article 7 / 13 , Vol 42 No. 4 (Winter)

CSPG Conference – Parliament and the Courts

The Canadian Study of Parliament Group’s annual conference explored the important, intricate and evolving relationship between Parliament and the Courts. Increasingly, Courts turn to the parliamentary record to inform
their decisions, while parliamentarians cite judicial pronouncements as the reason for action or inaction. Four panels were organized to examine when and how Parliament seeks to inform the Courts, how the Courts understand
Parliament, the role each institution plays within Canada’s constitutional architecture, and the many facets of this relationship – from reference powers to the notwithstanding clause.

Will Stos Continue reading “CSPG Conference – Parliament and the Courts”

CSPG Seminar: The Legislative Role of Parliamentarians

Article 8 / 13 , Vol 42 No. 4 (Winter)

CSPG Seminar: The Legislative Role of Parliamentarians

In their legislative role, parliamentarians propose and amend laws, and review regulations. This seminar discussed the practical realities of law-making within the parliamentary context and provided an overview of shifts in Parliament’s legislative practices as a result of developments that have seen, among other things, an increase in Senate-initiated legislation and amendments, and the increased consideration of messages in the House of Commons. Whether parliamentarians are experienced
lawyers or persons with no legal background, they all participate in the legislative process; this seminar aimed to analyze how they go about that task and what it means for our democracy.

Will Stos Continue reading “CSPG Seminar: The Legislative Role of Parliamentarians”