“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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The Canadian Scene

This entry is part 9 of 12 in the series Vol 46 No. 3 (Autumn)

The Canadian Scene

59th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Canadian Regional Conference

From July 22-29, 2023, 61 delegates and a dozen other accompanying persons attended the 59th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Canadian Regional Conference in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Conference

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New and Notable Titles

This entry is part 10 of 12 in the series Vol 46 No. 3 (Autumn)

New and Notable Titles

A selection of recent publications relating to parliamentary studies prepared with the assistance of the Library of Parliament (June 2023 – August 2023).

Bélanger, Daniele, Laurence Simard-Gagnon, Adele Garnier, and Gabriel Bergevin-Estable. “Immigration Emergency Rooms – Constituency Offices and Assistants as the front line of immigration to Canada.” World Migration Dynamics, 1-41 (May 2023).

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Some Assembly Required: PEI Democracy Turns 250

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

Some Assembly Required: PEI Democracy Turns 250

Two hundred and fifty years ago, the Governor of St. John’s Island (present day Prince Edward Island) scraped together the only 18 men in the colony he deemed potentially “respectable representatives” for its first elected Assembly. Over the course of two days, they passed 13 pieces of legislation – including retroactively approving actions the Governor had taken over the past three years and an act that required getting the Governor’s approval before anyone could leave the island. It was an inauspicious start to PEI’s democracy, but it did pave the way for what would become a thriving province. In this article, the author traces the earliest days of democracy in PEI.

Sean McQuaid

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Parliamentary Relatives: A Northern Family’s Tradition of Service

This entry is part 1 of 11 in the series Vol 46 No. 2 (Summer)

Parliamentary Relatives: A Northern Family’s Tradition of Service

On March 3, 2023, history was made in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut when Iqaluit-Tasiluk MLA and Deputy Speaker George Hickes took the Chair for a day in the absence of the Speaker.

Iqaluit-Sinaa MLA Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster noted the historic nature of the occasion during her Member’s Statement, in which she drew the attention of the House to the likelihood that a former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, also named George Hickes, would be watching the day’s livestreamed proceedings from his home in Winnipeg.

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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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