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Turner Had a Message on His 90Th Birthday: Protect Canada's Democracy

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Turner Had a Message on His 90Th Birthday: Protect Canada's Democracy THIRTIETH YEAR CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2019 $5.00 Opinion Turner had a message on his 90th birthday: protect Canada’s democracy John Turner is still The Prime minister,” he said, arguing that it was time Ministers’ for MPs to reassert their central role. passionate about democracy Club: Prime MPs have tried to fight back by ad- Minister Justin vocating rules to limit the power of the and the central role of Trudeau, front leader’s office and restore the role of MPs. left, with Conservative MP Michael Chong’s private politics and public life. And John Turner, member’s Reform Act in 2015 marginally right; former expanded the role of MPs and caucus, but these passions were on full Liberal prime only after his bill was seriously watered display last week: he talked minister Paul down and only if party caucuses opted Martin, rear in. The Trudeau government failed to opt about the importance of a left, former in after winning the 2015 election. When Progressive Trudeau expelled Jody Wilson-Raybould healthy democracy, and a Conservative and Jane Philpott from the Liberal caucus, prime minister he ignored Chong’s intent that the decision strong political engagement Joe Clark, to remove someone from caucus should be centre, and made by the caucus, not the leader. by Canadians, and a central former Liberal More recently, Liberal MP Frank Baylis role for MPs in setting the prime minister has recruited Conservative, NDP, and Green Jean Chrétien. MPs to support a motion—the Democratic country’s agenda, debating The Hill Times Empowerment motion—to set the stage for photograph a review of House of Commons procedures policy and determining the by Jean-Marc that has to take place after this year’s feder- Carisse al election. It would take away the power of laws of the country. party whips to determine which MPs speak in debate, leaving the decision instead to the Speaker. It would share committee chairmanships among the different parties in Parliament and require secret ballots to choose the chairs. This would limit a leader’s office Lisa Haley in determining the makeup of committees and Marc and prevent a party leader from removing Kealey, the chair of a committee. The motion would two former also expand significantly the time available staffers to for private members’ bills and petitions. former prime The Samara Centre for Democracy, a David Crane minister non-profit established to strengthen democ- John Turner, racy in Canada, has focused on promoting Canada & the 21st Century organized the role of MPs, strengthening caucus over the 90th the leader. In one project, it interviewed for- birthday mer MPs from all parties who had served ORONTO—Former prime minister John bash. The in Parliament between 2004-2011 to learn TTurner’s 90th birthday on Parliament Hill Hill Times from their experience. It found that many was more than a party last Monday. Turn- photograph former MPs felt intimidated by the leader’s er is passionate about democracy and the by Jean-Marc office and resented the effort by political central role of politics and public life. And Carisse staffers to diminish the role of MPs, and these passions were on full display: he talk- faced an incessant pressure not to step out ed about the importance of a healthy de- from the party line or in any way diminish mocracy, and a strong political engagement the stature of the leader. by Canadians, and a central role for MPs in Trudeau’s own centralization of power setting the country’s agenda, debating poli- in the PMO, and rocky relations with his cy and determining the laws of the country. own caucus, has, on the eve of the election, There was, to be sure, a party atmo- forced him to belatedly respond to criti- sphere to celebrate his birthday, but Turner cism. He has now set up a caucus relations had a sobering message: our democracy office in the PMO and promised to be more is in trouble and we have to do something accessible to MPs. about it. It clearly struck a strong reso- Yet, in spite of efforts at reform, leaders nance in the room where there were figures still have many ways to intimidate MPs. In from the Conservatives, NDP, and Greens a rule introduced by former prime minister as well. Pierre Trudeau (he once referred to MPs This is how Turner put it: public service as “nobodies”), leaders have to sign off on is undervalued. Too few Canadians are each candidate running for their party so politically engaged. The role and impor- that a leader can punish an MP who has tance of Parliament itself is in decline. questioned party policy. Leaders can also Partisanship has become too intense and override constituency associations and im- too personal. And MPs have abdicated, or pose their own candidates. Under current lost, the central role they should play in rules they determine which of their MPs driving policy and setting the priorities for can speak in debates. MPs can be deprived the country. of committee positions or opportunities to While Prime Minster Justin Trudeau was travel. They can be blocked from promo- there to introduce Turner, his comments tion. were largely perfunctory and he left as In many ways, Canadian politics have soon as he had spoken, not staying to hear been Americanized, with much greater use Turner’s message. It was left to former of political consultants, much more focus prime minister Joe Clark, in his response to on the leader as a presidential-style figure, Turner, to most eloquently pick up Turner’s much more concern over constant fund- message, and amplify it, questioning wheth- raising, and much more promotion of the er today any political party, including his leader’s message. This has meant a reduced own, would tolerate debate within its own role for MPs, a decline in parliamentary de- ranks. bate, more intense partisanship, as well as “Democracy doesn’t happen by acci- diminution of the role of grassroots riding dent,” Turner repeated many times that associations and membership in political evening. It takes commitment. And “engage- parties. ment doesn’t happen by accident.” Turner Yet if Canadians lose faith in the vitality recalled that as a young Montreal lawyer John Turner, centre, flanked by Paul Martin, left, Mr. Turner’s daughter, Liz Turner, Justin Trudeau, of their political institutions and the role he had been invited to speak at the 1962 Joe Clark, andhis granddaughter Fiona Jasper, Jean Chétien. The Hill Times photograph by Jean- of the people they elect, then they will lose Liberal Party policy conference in Kingston Marc Carisse faith in the democratic process itself. That where he urged the implementation of legal was Turner’s warning as his 90th birthday aid so that all Canadians had the chance was celebrated on Parliament Hill. to defend their rights before the courts. By Turner has also been a strong booster be the masters of the House of Commons. David Crane can be reached at crane@ 1968 he was an MP, serving as justice minis- of the role of MPs. “I don’t like the term Under our system, “it is they who choose interlog.com. ter. In that position he was able to introduce ‘backbenchers,’” Turner said, arguing that it who shall form the government and it is [email protected] legal aid. His message: “Hang in there.” was MPs, not prime ministers, who should they who determine who should be prime The Hill Times.
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