Tragedy In The Commons: What Our Members of Parliament Tell Us about Our Democracy - Hardcover

Loat, Alison

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0307361292 ISBN 13: 9780307361295

Publisher: Random House Canada, 2014

Synopsis

In "Tragedy in the Commons," Alison Loat and Michael MacMillan, founders of the non-partisan think tank Samara, draw on an astonishing eighty exit interviews with former Members of Parliament from across the political spectrum to unearth surprising observations about the practice of politics in Canada. Though Canada is at the top of international rankings of democracies, Canadians themselves increasingly don't see politics as a way to solve society's problems. Small wonder. In the news, they see grandstanding in the House of Commons and MPs pursuing agendas that don't always make sense to the people who elected them. But elected officials make critical choices about how this wildly diverse country functions today and how it will thrive in the future. They direct billions of dollars in public funding and craft the laws that have allowed Canada to lead the way internationally. Even with so much at stake, citizens--"voters"--are turning away. How did one of the world's most functional democracies go so very wrong? In "Tragedy in the Commons," MPs describe arriving at their political careers almost by accident; few say they aspired to be in politics before it "happened" to them. In addition, almost without fail, each MP describes the tremendous influence of their political party: from the manipulation of the nomination process to enforced voting in the House and in committees, the unseen hand of the party dominates every aspect of the MP's existence. Loat and MacMillan ask: Just what do we want Members of Parliament to be doing? To whom are they accountable? And should parties be trusted with the enormous power they wield with such little oversight or citizen involvement? With unprecedented access to the perspective and experience of Canada's public leaders, "Tragedy in the Commons "concludes by offering solutions for improving the way politics works in Canada, and how all Canadians can reinvigorate a democracy that has lost its way, its purpose and the support of the p

About this title

Product Description

In Tragedy in the Commons, Samara founders Alison Loat and Michael MacMillan provide an unprecedented look behind the curtain of Canadian politics. Based on their exit interviews with several dozen retired MPs, they share surprising observations about the practice of politics in Canada: the accidental arrival of many in political life; the mystery of what an MP is actually supposed to do in office; the role of the political party in an MP's life; and how complicated that role becomes whenever the media starts paying attention.

Review

This important book draws on the personal experiences of former Members of Parliament to illustrate the growing central control of party leadership in all major parties and how this has distorted the democratic process. Offering useful suggestions to address the resulting alienation of voters from the political process, "Tragedy in the Commons "is mandatory reading for all MPs and Canadians.
Michael Wilson, former Minister of Finance and Canadian Ambassador to the United States
Canadians participation in and respect for democracy are fundamental to maintaining a society of which we can be proud. Through the reflections of Members of Parliament, who have devoted themselves to public life, Loat and MacMillan give us insight into how far we have to travel, and how urgent is the cause.
Amanda Lang, co-host of The Lang & O Leary Exchange and author of "The Power of Why"
In every tragedy there is hope. Members of Parliament go to Ottawa hoping and promising to make a difference; but as these riveting revelations show, high priorities get lost too easily in the widening chasm between constituents, party leaders and good conscience. Is it any wonder Canadians feel disengaged from their hard-won democracy? Loat and MacMillan hope that pulling back the curtain will re-engage Canadians enough to keep our House of Commons from becoming a House of Cards.
Isabel Bassett, former Member of Provincial Parliament
"Tragedy in the Commons "is a thoughtful analysis of what is broken in our democracy and a must-read for anyone concerned about Canada s politics. It s also a cogent and urgent reminder that the struggle to make our Parliament and our politics work falls not only to politicians, but to us all.
Terry Fallis, author of "The Best Laid Plans"
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Edition details

• Publisher: Random House Canada
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0307361292
• ISBN 13: 9780307361295
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 278