Die Neue Zeit
3rd February 2012, 04:38
So much for "free votes" rhetoric, but cabinet-legislature relations need to be re-examined:
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/conservative-mp-wants-more-independence-parliament-185903740.html
By Andy Radia
A Conservative member of parliament wants more independence.
According to a story in the Star Phoenix, Saskatchewn's Brad Trost is questioning the "ironclad" party discipline that prevails in Ottawa, saying it stifles debate and prevents independent thinking.
"We need to have a cultural change. I think it would relax everybody," Trost said.
"The (party) whip needs to have less authority over members."
Trost adds that he admires politicians of all stripes who have voted according to their conscience or the will of residents in their ridings, rather than blindly following the national party line.
History, however, hasn't been very kind to these dissenting MPs.
In 1986, Progressive Conservative MP David Kilgour was booted out of caucus for voting against the GST.
In 2007, Nova Scotia MP Bill Casey's decision to vote against his party's budget legislation got him excused from the Tory caucus.
More recently, two Thunder Bay-area New Democratic Party MPs were disciplined by interim NDP leader Nycole Turmel for voting in favour of the abolition of the long-gun registry.
In a recent interview with Yahoo! Canada News, Green Party leader Elizabeth May said the level of party discipline was one of the things that surprised her most during her first session in parliament.
"The role of organized political parties in telling MPs what their duties are once they're elected has actually led to members of Parliament not even investigating for themselves the extent to which they have power," she said.
"I think very few members of Parliament actually read legislation. They are told by the party whip how they're going to vote. (It's that way) with all the parties, that's how things are run."
As for Trost, he says he's "kicking around" the idea of introducing a private members bill on the issue, noting that other western democracies such as Britain and the United States are mature enough to have more vigorous debates within parties.
"If everyone in a party thinks the same on every issue, not a lot of thinking is going on."
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/conservative-mp-wants-more-independence-parliament-185903740.html
By Andy Radia
A Conservative member of parliament wants more independence.
According to a story in the Star Phoenix, Saskatchewn's Brad Trost is questioning the "ironclad" party discipline that prevails in Ottawa, saying it stifles debate and prevents independent thinking.
"We need to have a cultural change. I think it would relax everybody," Trost said.
"The (party) whip needs to have less authority over members."
Trost adds that he admires politicians of all stripes who have voted according to their conscience or the will of residents in their ridings, rather than blindly following the national party line.
History, however, hasn't been very kind to these dissenting MPs.
In 1986, Progressive Conservative MP David Kilgour was booted out of caucus for voting against the GST.
In 2007, Nova Scotia MP Bill Casey's decision to vote against his party's budget legislation got him excused from the Tory caucus.
More recently, two Thunder Bay-area New Democratic Party MPs were disciplined by interim NDP leader Nycole Turmel for voting in favour of the abolition of the long-gun registry.
In a recent interview with Yahoo! Canada News, Green Party leader Elizabeth May said the level of party discipline was one of the things that surprised her most during her first session in parliament.
"The role of organized political parties in telling MPs what their duties are once they're elected has actually led to members of Parliament not even investigating for themselves the extent to which they have power," she said.
"I think very few members of Parliament actually read legislation. They are told by the party whip how they're going to vote. (It's that way) with all the parties, that's how things are run."
As for Trost, he says he's "kicking around" the idea of introducing a private members bill on the issue, noting that other western democracies such as Britain and the United States are mature enough to have more vigorous debates within parties.
"If everyone in a party thinks the same on every issue, not a lot of thinking is going on."