Conservative MP Michael Chong took to Policy Options yesterday to decry that the unilateral expulsions of Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott from the Liberal caucus was indicative of a “deeper rot” in our parliamentary culture. His solution? Just make some amendments to his garbage legislation Reform Act to better enforce the called-for votes to implement at the beginning of each parliament, or to do away with the voting entirely (which was a compromise to make the bill palatable), and ensure that the measures in the bill are fully enforceable regardless. And I just can’t even.

Chong keeps insisting that his garbage bill was going to “rebalance” the power between MPs and party leaders, but it does nothing of the sort – much like this omnibus motion that Liberal MP Frank Bayliss is proposing to amend the Standing Orders (which Chong is a co-sponsor of). These kinds of measures don’t actually attack the root of the problems facing our parliament, and in the creation of new rules, they simply create avenues for unintended consequences that make things worse. (For more on the Bayliss motion and why it’s a problem, see my weekend column). The solution is not, and will never be, more rules. The solution is to do away with the rules that have made things progressively worse, and to start rolling back the changes that our MPs keep making in the vain hopes of improving their lot when all they need to do is assert the powers that they already have.

I fear I am getting repetitive about this point, but until people start listening, I will keep saying it – the biggest root cause of the problems in our system, particularly where it concerns the “balancing” of powers of MPs vis-à-vis the party leader, is the party leadership selection system. Unless caucus members can select the leader, any attempt made by them to remove the leader, garbage Reform Act or no, will be seen as illegitimate precisely because the current selection system insulates leaders with a false notion of “democratic legitimacy.” And Chong knows this, but keeps trying to burnish his garbage bill in the hopes that it will somehow shine. It’s not going to happen, and MPs telling themselves that the solution is more rules are simply deluding themselves. More rules got us in this situation. More rules keeps taking power away from MPs under the guise of “rebalancing” or “restoring” that power, and this cycle keeps repeating. It needs to stop, and it means MPs (and the pundit class of this country) need to stop believing this mythology. The only solution is caucus selection of leaders. Anything else is a mirage.

Good reads:

• US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the Canadian claim over the Northwest Passage is “illegitimate,” and oh no she betta don’t!
• Ralph Goodale is tabling a bill to extend the RCMP’s civilian oversight board to also cover CBSA – but there is no chance it’ll pass before the election.
• The government unveiled the details on the plan mentioned in the budget to create a college of immigration consultants to crack down on fraudulent ones.
• Service Canada’s computer systems overpaid 15,000 people’s supplemental EI benefits, and now they have to negotiate repayment terms with them.
• Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz says the housing market should resume growth later this year, and wants more imagination in the mortgage market.
• A Black lawyers group told a Senate committee that the pot pardons bill is a token gesture and wants records to be expunged (but that’s not going to happen).
• The government seems to be negotiating with Irving shipyards to build two additional Arctic offshore patrol ships – but for the Coast Guard and not the navy.
• American officials are complaining that the proposed fighter jet procurement process is structured to exclude the F-35 vis-à-vis benefit agreements.
• Andrew Scheer is kicking off a series of speeches laying down policy markers, and included in his foreign policy speech is an endorsement of US missile defence.
• Maclean’s has a lengthy look at the problem in Conservative circles of associations with racism and white nationalism, and how they are trying to head it off.
• Former Liberal MP Darshan Kang apologised for sexual harassment against staff – but then says his intentions and actions were proper and honourable. Erm…
• In Alberta, some municipalities are being forced to raise taxes because the revenues they were expecting from oil and gas companies aren’t being paid.
• Kady O’Malley’s Process Nerd column looks at what private members’ business has a chance to make it before the end of this parliament.
• Colby Cosh takes a closer look at the SKCA decision on carbon pricing, and finds where the federal government’s arguments failed, and BC’s saved the day.

Odds and ends:

Here are the speeches from Saturday’s Press Gallery Dinner.

Want more Routine Proceedings? Become a patron and get exclusive new content.