Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Backbench Revolution on House of Commons Night in Canada


M-431 -- February 27, 2013 -- Mr. Trost (Saskatoon--Humboldt) -- That the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs be instructed to: (a) consider the election of committee chairs by means of a preferential ballot system by all the Members of the House of Commons, at the beginning of each session and prior to the establishment of the membership of the standing committees; (b) study the practices of other Westminster-style Parliaments in relation to the election of Committee Chairs; (c) propose any necessary modifications to the Standing Orders and practices of the House; and (d) report its findings to the House no later than six months following the adoption of this order.
Pursuant to Standing Order 86(3), jointly seconded by:
Mr. Hsu (Kingston and the Islands) -- March 20, 2013
Mr. Benoit (Vegreville--Wainwright), Mr. Clarke (Desnethé--Missinippi--Churchill River), Mr. Goldring (Edmonton East), Mrs. Ambler (Mississauga South), Mr. Chong (Wellington--Halton Hills), Mr. Vellacott (Saskatoon--Wanuskewin), Mr. Bezan (Selkirk--Interlake), Mr. Bruinooge (Winnipeg South), Mr. Hiebert (South Surrey--White Rock--Cloverdale), Mr. Breitkreuz (Yorkton--Melville), Mr. Payne (Medicine Hat), Mr. Allen (Tobique--Mactaquac), Mr. Young (Oakville), Mr. Rathgeber (Edmonton--St. Albert), Ms. May (Saanich--Gulf Islands), Mr. Anderson (Cypress Hills--Grasslands) and Mr. Woodworth (Kitchener Centre) -- March 28, 2013
Mr. Stewart (Burnaby--Douglas) -- April 15, 2013
RON MACLEAN
On our last show, we were paying a lot of attention to a motion by Warawa to have his Member's Statement heard in the Commons...



DON CHERRY
...as is his right...

RON MACLEAN
...but the question arose as to whether party leaders, particularly government party leaders, had the discretion to vet statements Members wanted to make.

DON CHERRY
Exactly.  That was where the whole hockey team metaphor came into the discussion...

RON MACLEAN
Metaphor?

DON CHERRY
I knew you were gonna ask me that.  A metaphor is "a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable."

RON MACLEAN
Where'd you get that?

DON CHERRY
Oxford English Dictionary.  I have one with me at all times, like every House of Commons fan.

RON MACLEAN
Right.  So let's leave that to one side and get to recent developments on the back benches of the House of Commons

DON CHERRY
Yeah, we already talked about Warawa, but it turns out there's something even more fundamental going on.  Turns out there's another motion that was filed by Brad Trost from Saskatoon, it's M-341, that proposes a change in the way committees are formed, so that all of the House and not just the leaders get to vote with a preferential system.

RON MACLEAN
That sounds radical.

DON CHERRY
Not as radical as Jim Balsillie trying to put an NHL team in Hamilton.

RON MACLEAN
What's radical about that?

DON CHERRY
He has the money, or he used to have the money, but he rubbed the establishment the wrong way.  There's nothing transparent about ownership in the NHL.

RON MACLEAN
So how does that apply to Trost's Motion?

DON CHERRY
I'm just saying it'd be an interesting development in British parliamentary democracy.  It might change the committees from being off camera talking points parrots and start making a real contribution to the legislation.

RON MACLEAN
How do you think that will sit with the Prime Minister?

DON CHERRY
Mr. Harper is like the NHL establishment at this stage, and he's used to getting his own way.  It's good to shake things up.  But a week ago the Speaker ruled on Warawa's appeal, and among other things said this:  I'll read it out for everybody...

RON MACLEAN
Please...

DON CHERRY
I also wish to address what seems to be a widespread misconception about the role of the Speaker in matters of this kind. Several members have used sports analogies to describe me as a referee or a league convener. Perhaps there are elements of a referee role for the Speaker, but with one important difference: there is no league that appoints the Speaker to enforce rules from on high in a vacuum. Instead, here in the House of Commons, the members elect a Speaker from among the membership to apply rules they themselves have devised and can amend. Thus, it is only with the active participation of the members themselves that the Speaker, who requires the support and goodwill of the House in order to carry out the duties of the office, can apply the rules.
   
 RON MACLEAN
Wow.  What does it mean?

DON CHERRY
It means British Parliamentary Democracy is in great shape and in its own way has The Code that started with the Magna Carta.

RON MACLEAN
What's with your suit?

DON CHERRY
It's the Magna Carta.  I had Fabricland make it up as a special.

RON MACLEAN
And were there women in the locker room at Runnymede?

DON CHERRY
You're a bad influence, you know that? You look all innocent and I'm the guy that gets booed on Twitter.  It's like playing in Montreal.

RON MACLEAN
It's my job.  Until next time on House of Commons Night in Canada...

DON CHERRY
You like my tie?

RON MACLEAN
It's weird.

DON CHERRY
Come on.  It's the Speaker's Chair in the British House of Commons.

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