Roundup: Bemoaning members’ statements

Posted on by

Over in the National Post, Tristin Hopper despairs at how much of Hansard is taken up by ridiculous and ultimately meaningless members’ statements, not to mention the plethora of petitions. And while the notion of members’ statements used to be kind of sweet and noble, it’s largely degenerated into a daily dumpster fire in the Commons, with a handful of feel-good statements followed by a number of increasingly nasty partisan attacks. Petitions, however ridiculous many may be, is a measure of political engagement so we shouldn’t discount them just yet – and we’re about to see a whole bunch more of them now that they’re going to all electronic petitions. Hopper suggests we follow the European example and put Members’ Statements at the end of the day. I tweeted some thoughts on that.

Bottom line: Pretty much all of Parliament is terrible right now with speeches because we’re electing a cohort who has largely lost the ability to think for themselves on their feet, whose greatest skill now is reciting the lines that are given to them. (Not all are like this, but most are, and I will note that the Liberals seem to be the least scripted from the leaders’ office these days). While I can sympathise with Hopper, it’s not the rules that are the problem – it’s the fact that we have apparently stopped valuing MPs who can speak or think for themselves in favour of ciphers for the leader.

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau continues to hammer away at Mulcair and the Sherbrooke Declaration, wondering why they feel they’re above the Supreme Court. Mulcair responds largely with “optimism!”
  • The Senate Speaker took a public shot at Public Works in an open letter responding to last month’s rumours/mischief making about office relocation expenses.
  • Kady O’Malley explains why Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative-branded golf shirt didn’t break the rules, and why the NDP’s November 2013 mailings in advance of a by-election didn’t either.
  • Here’s a look at the mounting evidence of success that Vancouver’s Insite is having.
  • Here’s a look at the demographics of voters, and how it affects parties targeting them. (Sorry singletons and urbanites – you’re not very valuable, apparently).
  • Stephen Gordon argues that more government spending is simply attacking the wrong problem with the economic downturn.

Odds and ends:

Thomas Mulcair is apparently trying to court Olivia Chow to come run again federally.

More than a dozen PMO staffers disappeared from the staff directory yesterday. Could mean the campaign team is coming together.

NDP press people with nothing better to do photoshopped and tweeted out a fake Conservative 404 webpage featuring Mulcair. If they’re looking for something to do, they can respond to my outstanding media requests.

https://twitter.com/mikepmoffatt/status/623631872858263552

https://twitter.com/mikepmoffatt/status/623632982394273792