COLUMN: View from the Legislature – Finding democratic civility

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to attend the regional meeting of the Canadian Parliamentary Association (CPA) together with other Canadian elected representatives from across the country. It was a meeting that had a variety of topics related to current policy issues. But one of the topics that took up the most time and garnered the most discussion on the agenda was that of parliamentary decorum. Essentially, the way in which elected representatives act toward each other.

I have been fairly outspoken about my perspective on how political civility has gone down both steadily and considerably over the past two decades. While the debates have always been rough and tumble, the level of personal toxicity has increased considerably. This used to be confined mostly to the daily drama of question period, but it has now not only leaked into other parts of the legislative day, it extends beyond into the world of social media.

For those attending the CPA meeting, this was of significant concern. Many relayed stories of personal attacks they endured from other elected officials and the impact it had on themselves and on their families. And, they expressed how these attacks were often picked up by some in the general public which magnified their impact.

As to the reason why it was widely felt that decorum and civility among elected politicians had declined, there were a number of factors given. One was that it was a reflection of what was being seen in society more generally. Another was that it was behaviour that was not being discouraged (and often encouraged) by political party leaders. Of course, social media, and the anonymity it provides, was a more general factor for the overall decline in public debate both in elected houses and the public in general.

As to solutions, a great deal of onus was laid at the feet of the Speaker of each assembly. The Speaker is there to enforce the rules of decorum. Of course, many current Speakers were at the CPA meeting, and they expressed their own frustration at how even rigid rule enforcement did not seem to have a long-term positive impact.

As I listened to elected representatives from across the country all express concern about the problem, and offer some possible solutions, I couldn’t help but feel some sense of irony. The reality is that the only people who can ultimately fix the problem of political decorum and civility are elected representatives themselves. It is a problem that is, at least in theory, completely within our control. And yet it seems to be a problem for which elected representatives struggle to find a solution.

While the decrease in political civility is not the reason that I decided not to run for re-election in the next provincial campaign, it is certainly something I won’t miss. But it is a problem that elected officials, if they are serious about, are going to have to find ways to make themselves and those around them accountable for. It is not a problem anyone else can fix. But it is a problem that is worth fixing. Because what is really at stake isn’t democracy itself, but who will be willing to participate in it if it doesn’t improve.