Political issues will never rest
So as the new year rolls in, I thought I would take a look back and reflect on some of the themes that I found compelling last year. In a brief review of my columns, I noted five dominant story lines: the role of the Senate, the complexity of the B.C. election results, the reemergence of the call for electoral reform, the debate over free speech and the shifting political culture in Canada and the United States. Here is a quick review.
In my columns on the Senate, I argued that it is critical that we consider the difference between the role of the institution itself and its place in our parliamentary democracy and the behaviour of particular senators who break rules or fail to act in a way that dignifies their position. Over the years, there have been many requests to ensure that senators who act inappropriately can be removed from office. This week, in fact, the issue reared its head again when Senator Lynn Beyak was removed from the Conservative caucus for posting “racist” and “offensive” letters about Indigenous people on her Senate website. There still remains no mechanism, however, to remove a Senator unless they resign… and, quite frankly, there needs to be.
The B.C. election story also brought about lots of questions about our parliamentary democracy. The implications of minority governments, potential coalitions, the role of the Speaker and the role of Lieutenant Governor became critical talking points as B.C. waited to find out who would form government after an unusual election outcome. Christy Clark and the B.C. Liberals tried to hold on to the reins of power with a slim lead in the seats over the NDP but with a vote of non-confidence in the Legislature and an agreement by the Greens to support supply and confidence motions, Judy Guichon decided to allow John Horgan to form government.
With elections in mind, I also wrote about electoral reform. In fact I started that series in 2016 when a very kind reader asked me to review some of the systems. No system is perfect and any reforms that come have both advantages and disadvantages. Again, the possibility of electoral reform has reared its head again. I have had good discussions with people who are concerned about electoral fairness and representation, particularly of the north, and we need opportunities to consider those concerns.
Moreover, we need to talk about the consequences for our political system because any changes to the electoral system will have ripple effects on governing. Stay tuned as I suspect this topic will appear in my column again.
The topic of free speech appeared many times in my column over last year. I argued that the freedom to speak is both a right and a responsibility and that living together in a democratic society requires us to consider how our words impact others. Countries that are open and pluralist will inevitably have to deal with the clash of values and ideas. How we reconcile those differences is part of the challenge for politicians, courts, and citizens. Good discussion of difficult topics requires us, as I said a few weeks ago, to challenge our own assumptions. In a world where it is very easy to follow (and I mean this literally i.e. Facebook and figuratively) only the people you agree with challenging assumptions can be hard to do.
Finally, one theme that emerged last year and also throughout 2016 was the shift in political culture in both the U.S. and Canada. Contemporary globalization has brought new technology and new ideas into our world at a lightening pace. There has been a great deal of discussion about the decline of the middle class, alienation and income inequality. We have seen a rapid rise of nationalism and populism which have become acute, particularly in America. I suspect there will be much to say on this topic in 2018, too.
I look forward to another year of commenting on major political issues in the world.