Irresponsible Government: The Decline of Parliamentary Democracy in Canada by Brent Rathgeber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the most depressing book I’ve read this year.
Rathgeber, now sitting as an independent in Parliament, is free to write without repercussion from political masters on what exactly he feels is wrong not only with the current Conservative government, but with the fundamental structure of Canadian government in general.
His main contention is that the federal government has become little more than an elected dictatorship for two reasons, the first being the concentration of power around the Prime Minister’s Office (a trend greatly accelerated by Stephen Harper, who prefers absolute control) and the second being the failure of MPs to act as a balance against the government/PM by being little more than cheerleaders for the governing party or powerless members of opposition who simply rail against everything the government does to better position themselves as a “government in waiting.”
He offers some solutions, some of which already exist in BC (recall and citizen initiatives), most of which make MPs more accountable to their constituents and less so to party leadership. One can argue about the details of his suggestions but it’s difficult to deny the reasons calling for reform.
Rathgeber even surprised me by presenting persuasive reasons for reforming the Senate rather than just shoving it into the ocean, my previously preferred solution.
One of the biggest problems we face in Canada or any democracy, is a disengaged electorate. It lets politicians–and governments–get away with too many things. Politics is depressing and this book, despite presenting solutions after laying out a disheartening litany of problems with our system, is also depressing. But it’s short and whether you’re a fiscal conservative (like Rathgeber) or a tree-hugging socialist (I’m somewhere between the two extremes), you should read it. And tell your MP to read it.
UPDATE: Here’s a story CBC posted to its site today that perfectly captures the kind of indifference and contempt the Harper government has for Parliament. They should be ashamed of such behavior but they don’t give a damn: Leona Aglukkaq admits reading newspaper was a ‘bad idea’ during question period
