Roundup: Backbenchers already have jobs

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There were a couple of competing tweet storms that went out yesterday – one from Alex Usher, who seems to think that maybe backbench MPs should consider their jobs to be part-time and take on a second job, and Emmett Macfarlane, who (correctly) thinks that idea is a bunch of bunkum.

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/843847448137252864

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/843847937264357376

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/843848254743891969

As Kady O’Malley points out, it’s not actually against the rules.

And hey, there’s even an academic study that shows that the public (at least in the UK) isn’t too keen on backbenchers taking on second jobs.

I’m going to assume that much of Usher’s position comes from ignorance, because let’s face it – most people, including most MPs, don’t know what an MP’s job description is supposed to be. (Hint: It’s holding the government to account). But because most MPs don’t know that’s their main job, many of them spend their days burning their time and energy doing things like writing up and promoting a dozen private members’ bills that will never see the light of day, or crusading for causes that are as much about getting their own face in the news than they are about helping those in need (or maybe I’m just cynical). The point, however, is that if Usher thinks MPs are bored and in need of something to do, I would suggest that those MPs should actually be doing their jobs, and if they’re actually doing it right, then they shouldn’t be bored. They especially shouldn’t be bored if they’re doing their jobs correctly and not just reading scripts into the record prepared by the leader’s office (and to be fair, there are a few MPs who don’t, even though they’ll still rely on prepared speeches). If we carry on with this path of making MPs obsolete by turning them into drones then sure, I can see Usher’s point, but the answer is not to let them take on outside work. The answer is for them to actually learn their own jobs and do them. Parliament would be vastly improved if that were actually the case.

Good reads:

  • Bill Morneau bought “NAFTA” dress shoes for his budget – designed in Canada, but “ethically made” in Mexico. He also says no decision on privatizing airports.
  • The Status of Women committee tabled a report on gender-based violence which includes discussion around rape culture and calls for better training.
  • The Anglican Church put out a strongly worded letter condemning Senator Beyak’s position that “good” came from residential schools, pointing to their own abuses.
  • Senator Don Meredith’s lawyer, who did the media rounds last Friday (and was grilled mercilessly by Rosemary Barton) is no longer on retainer.
  • Apparently is scandalous that the government is still required to print new statutes in book form every year, as though we don’t care about archives in this country.
  • John Geddes has a great profile of Bill Morneau, and gets a bit of a peek inside his head and the ways in which he is an effective finance minister.
  • The EU’s trade chief is praising Canada’s openness, while blasting the “America first” sentiments of the Trumpocalypse.
  • Here’s a look back at what the “Yellow Peril” racism of over a century ago can tell us about the anti-immigrant backlash we’re seeing again today.
  • Michael Chong thinks free party memberships will solve the whole “vote buying” issue. *headdesk* No, this is the opposite of what needs to happen.
  • Lisa Raitt thinks Kevin O’Leary would be a disaster for her party…but would still serve under him if he won the race. (Cripes, just return to caucus selection already).
  • Colby Cosh bids good-bye and good riddance to Alberta’s Progressive Conservative party now that Jason Kenney is at the helm.
  • Martin Patriquin dissects Senator Meredith’s cries of victimhood in place of remorse.
  • Stephen Gordon susses out the reality from the messaging around the Liberal pledges to help the middle class.
  • Andrew Coyne addresses the anxiety of robots taking all of our jobs.

Odds and ends:

Stephen Harper’s former spokesperson has settled a lawsuit over his claim that a Muslim organisation had terrorist ties.

Global Affairs is banning the use of life-sized cardboard cut-outs of Trudeau.