Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

Towards a more boring future

by Aaron Wherry on Thursday, November 4, 2010 12:37pm - 0 Comments

Glen Pearson calls for a less-entertaining politics.

Question Period in this town is a theatre of the absurd for the last few years now; everyone knows it and attempt to laugh it off. To even consider acting in such a fashion when pensioners are losing their way, food banks are facing record numbers, and those without jobs are giving up in despair is hardly the actions you would expect of pubic servants. In hard times, humour is always a welcome diversion. But not this kind, and not this way. The last thing we need right now is political tomfoolery disguising itself as compassion. South of the border this week, 37% of Americans voted, while 66% participated in Hallowe’en. That’s scary in any political scenario and there’s nothing funny about it. It’s time to get back to decent, respectful and boring politics.

Tags: democracy, elections, Glen Pearson, house of commons, Parliament, Question Period

More by Aaron Wherry

WDM

Step One for the Media to help: End MP Panels on political talks show. They're utterly pointless and a complete waste of time.
Emily

It wouldn't BE boring if they actually got down to work. It's the pointless circus we need to get rid of.
ZestyMordant

Aaron – pubic servants?
Jan

QP really isn't the problem. It's the governing, or lack of it, that is the problem. If the MP's want to throw tomatoes at each other 40 minutes, I'd be fine with that if they'd then actually go and solve some problems.
Blue

Well let`s see: the last three days in Parliament the opposition have been lambasting the Gov`t for allowing the sale of a great Canadian institution–Potash. When the gov`t said that they would make the announcement Wednesday whether they would allow the sale to go through the Opp. just repeated their questions and some pundit called the Gov`t powerless.
Now it`s Thursday, the gov`t have announced that they will not allow the takeover to happen, however, the law states that BHP have 30 days to attempt a different approach, so let me guess what the Opp. will question today……….
How dare the Conservatives give these guys 30 more days to sweeten the pot ?
Glen—-a part of the problem may be those guys across the way, but the big problem are those with their backs to you directly in front of you.

brooster2

Because, as we all know, every time an opposition member directs a reasonable question toward this government, the answer is always relevant, informative, and free of partisan rhetoric.

Blue

I agree that the gov`t should simply answer the damn question but damn politics gets in the way.
If one could hear a higher percentage of " reasonable questions " from the opp. then one could possibly support Pearson in his call for a more decent and respectful parliament.
His call for a more boring Parliament may have already come to pass since the opp. very predictably posed several questions critical of the 30 day extension period.

brooster2

Chicken and egg, cause and effect, stimulus and response. I agree that many opposition members don their clown suits for daily question period but I would suggest that, given the self-perpetuating dynamic, leadership in breaking the pattern should lie with the government and the behaviour of its ministers in the house. They start each new parliamentary session with the declaration that they want to work "with" the opposition but people like Baird seem almost reflexively partisan, aggressive and evasive in responding to questions.

gottabesaid

I think Pearson's on the right track… although I'd argue seeing the same act in Question Period every day is the very definition of boring.
tobyornotoby

"37% of Americans voted, while 66% participated in Hallowe’en."

That's it, we need costumes! We need to make voting more fun. We could have Mad Scientist Returning Officer, Zombie Deputy Returning Officer, and Slutty Poll Clerk! And we can show up as anything. We could even wear veils! And get candy after we vote!