28 / Canadian Government Executive // Winter 2023 THE LAST WORD In June of 2021, amidst rumours that a snap election was about to be called, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the media that Parliament had become a place of “obstructionism and toxicity.” He made this comment at a time when partisan relations in the House of Commons were at a low point. The Conservatives were using procedural tactics to delay votes on bills that the government wanted to pass before the summer break. Trudeau’s comments echoed those made in 2008 by then Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Before making an early election call of his own, Harper complained that the House had become “dysfunctional” and that his government needed a refreshed mandate as a result. These days, the mood in the House is arguably even more toxic, chaotic, and vitriolic than ever. To be fair, and as the comments above suggest, there has never been a “golden age” in Parliament when debate could be described consistently as rich, informed, measured, or substantive. The place has always been run by the partisan agendas of its occupants, who want to land compelling sound bites that will mobilize support in future election campaigns, recruit donations, and draw attention. But what is happening today seems to represent a more significant departure from civility than we have ever seen in the chamber before. There is no single cause for this, nor is there any particular factor that is present now that was not there 10 or 20 years ago. The gradual but certain decline in civility is due, at least in part, to the noxious tone of communications in social media, the prevalence of disinformation and the resultant negative effect on civic literacy, and rise of insecurity and anxiety about our financial futures. Taken together, these factors create the perverse incentive for politicians to engage in wedge politics that turn parts of the population against one another. Instead of creating unifying visions for the country, political leaders THE LAST WORD BY LORI TURNBULL Photo: https://www.instagram.com/hocspeaker/
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