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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Implications and Challenges of AI for Parliamentary Ombuds Work in Canada

This entry is part 7 of 11 in the series Vol 46 No. 2 (Summer)

Implications and Challenges of AI for Parliamentary Ombuds Work in Canada

Within a few short years, public interest in and concern about artificial intelligence (AI) has ballooned. The rapid pace of development within the field and the emergence of AI tools which seem to poke at the heart of what it means to be human have opened the floodgates of public discourse on the potential for a disruptive change to society that may be on par with or that may surpass the Industrial Revolution. Discussions among Ombudspersons, Information and Privacy Commissioners, and others involved with or impacted by parliamentary governance oversight and accountability bodies have identified some of the implications and challenges of emerging AI technology. In this article, the author explores some of the concerns of these stakeholders when grappling with regulating the use of AI in public sector service design. He cites lack of transparency, the potential for bias and ethics violations, insufficient data collection and management rules, privacy issues, and fairness in terms of AI-influenced eligibility criteria for public programs as areas that require investigation and action by parliamentary decision-making bodies. He concludes by warning governments to act expeditiously to protect people from AI’s potential to do harm as they consider how to harness its potential benefits.

Jay Chalke

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The Canadian Scene

This entry is part 8 of 11 in the series Vol 46 No. 2 (Summer)

The Canadian Scene

New PEI Speaker

On May 12, 2023, Darlene Compton, MLA for Belfast – Murray River, was elected as the new Speaker for P.E.I.’s legislative assembly. The 69th Speaker in the province’s history (pre- and post-Confederation), she is also the sixth woman to hold the position. Speaker Compton replaces Colin LaVie, former MLA for Souris-Elmira, who did not reoffer in the recent general election.

PEI Premier Dennis King said the new Speaker “has a strong rapport with all members of the house, is a strong supporter of good governance and respects the role of the legislative branch of government.” Premier Dennis King said in a statement.

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New and Notable Titles

This entry is part 9 of 11 in the series Vol 46 No. 2 (Summer)

New and Notable Titles

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

Bélanger, Danièle, Laurence Simard-Gagnon, Adèle Garnier, and Gabriel Bergevin-Estable. “Immigration Emergency Rooms – Constituency Offices and Staff as the front line of immigration to Canada. » World Migration Dynamics 22p, April 2023.

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A Most Engaging Legislative Proposal

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

A Most Engaging Legislative Proposal

Although a hard-working parliamentarian might be said to be “married to their job,” they may hope to enter a more romantic form of union during their time in office – and indeed, maybe even in the Chamber! But, is such a proposal in order according to Bourinot? Can there be a new Act of Union? Will a parliamentary page be the ring bearer? Of course, none of this really matters to the two people who, for a brief moment, become the sole focus of every eye in the Chamber. Unlike the normal Question Period (which we are reminded again and again is not called Answer Period), when a parliamentarian pops the question to their partner from the floor of the Assembly, they will be waiting with bated breath to hear a definitive response. In this article, the author outlines some occasions when everlasting love was a standing order.

Charlie Feldman

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Parliamentary Relatives: The Langs of Yukon, Alberta and Ontario

This entry is part 1 of 9 in the series Vol 46 No. 1 (Spring)

Parliamentary Relatives: The Langs of Yukon, Alberta and Ontario

Twin brothers Archibald Donald Lang and Hector Daniel Lang, known as Archie and Dan, were well-known fixtures of Yukon territorial politics for decades. And, when Dan made the switch to federal politics upon his appointment to the Senate in 2009, he was not the first member of his family to serve in the Upper Chamber. In fact, he wasn’t even the first member of his family who bore the name Daniel Lang to serve as a senator. The twins, their grandfather, their great uncle, and their first cousin once removed, were part of a family with a long history of public service. As Dan notes, “Public affairs was always the first topic discussed at the dinner table.”

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Alternative Dispute Processes in a Parliamentary Setting

This entry is part 3 of 9 in the series Vol 46 No. 1 (Spring)

Alternative Dispute Processes in a Parliamentary Setting

Following news of the discovery of 215 unmarked graves on the grounds of a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia, members of a family placed children’s shoes at the entrance of Ontario’s legislature as a memorial to commemorate the victims. The memorial impeded access to the legislature’s entrance. Unaware of the unfolding news of the gravesite discovery and the establishment of similar memorials at legislatures across the country, members of Ontario’s Legislative Protective Service (LPS) approached the family as they prepared to conduct a smudging ceremony to request the shoes be moved to a more appropriate location. When they declined to move the memorial, the discussion escalated to a verbal impasse that was resolved when the Sergeant-at-Arms, who spoke with the family’s Member of Parliament, agreed to temporarily allow it to remain in place. Concerned that the interaction demonstrated a lack of empathy on the part of the LPS in light of events across the country, some MPPs submitted a written complaint to the Sergeant-at-Arms. Following a meeting with the family, the LPS agreed to participate in a restorative justice process. In this article, the authors explain how the LPS, by stepping outside its standard operating procedures and participating in this process, recognized the value in exploring alternative complaint resolution strategies and thereby adopted a new alternative dispute mechanism. The article concludes by noting the Assembly has created a new Indigenous Liaison position and is in the process of installing a permanent Indigenous Shoe Memorial inside the legislature.

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Experiments in Co-Leadership in Canada

This entry is part 4 of 9 in the series Vol 46 No. 1 (Spring)

Experiments in Co-Leadership in Canada

Two political parties with elected members in Canadian parliaments have or appear to be in the process of adopting co-leadership models. Although the co-leadership option has become well-established among some parties in other countries, this type of structure is still somewhat of a novelty in Canada. In this article, the authors illuminate examples of co-leadership in international contexts, outline the pros and cons of this type of arrangement according to existing political science literature, and explore how co-leadership has worked or may work among its Canadian adherents. The authors conclude that while the co-leadership model has multiple democratic and practical benefits, leadership arrangements where there is centralization in a heroic leader have clear advantages in an era of brand-based politics and that it remains unlikely that parties in government or on the cusp of forming government will adopt this system in the near future.

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