Taking ‘1950s boys’ club’ out of Commons
New Speaker of the House says there’s no place for bullying, intimidation in 2015
OTTAWA — MPs elected Geoff Regan in early December to be Speaker of the House of Commons. He recently sat down to talk about parliamentary behaviour with the Ottawa Citizen’s Mark Kennedy.
Q Why did you run to be Speaker?
A I have long, throughout my career, sought ways to increase confidence in our political process and try to combat cynicism. Before I was ever elected, I would hear people say, “Oh, those politicians. They’re all the same. They’re all crooks. They only come around at election time.”
Q
But to become Speaker ...
A Part of the reasoning for that was because I wanted to fight that cynicism about politics and about our democratic process.
Q How do you think Canadians view the House of Commons?
A I think it has changed over the years and the view of it has become more negative because they see it more and more as a hostile place where members tend to be more interested in taking their partisan side of an argument than in looking for improvements and changes. That’s not entirely fair, I think, because members work very hard and they are determined and they are very serious about trying to build a better country. But I think what we need them to do in the House is to try to restrain themselves and show a little more respect for other points of view.
Q How do you do it as Speaker?
A I think that Canadians can help me, frankly. I think they want to see a change. To me, the best way to modify behaviour is through positive reinforcement. One of the best ways is for Canadians to tell their members of Parliament how important they think it is. And how much they like it when it goes well. And if, from time to time, their own member of Parliament, perhaps wasn’t listening when a question was being asked, they might let that member of Parliament’s office know about it. Generally speaking, the Speaker, I think, ought to have a light hand and a fairly light tone whenever possible.
Q You grew up in a political family. You’re the son of a former MP and former premier (Gerald Regan). Did your dad talk much about what he hoped people could accomplish in the Commons?
A I think that when my dad was here, and when he was in provincial politics, there was a much greater camaraderie on both sides than we’ve seen in the last few years. There has been, I think, a more negative environment that I’ve seen develop over the years.
Q Do you know why?
A I don’t know what it is, if it’s a change in society. I’ve talked to members who don’t accept the idea that someone should be able to blurt out when someone else is speaking. They feel that is very rude and unacceptable. It may have been 50 years ago that this place — which then would have been almost all men — might have been like a boys’ club. Where there was lots of testosterone in the room. Part of the challenge was to try to see if they could knock the person speaking off their train of thought and intimidate them a little bit. And see if they had the toughness to withstand that. But I think this is 2015. And it’s time for this not to look like a 1950s boys’ club anymore.
Q In your speech to the Commons after you were chosen Speaker, you said you will not tolerate heckling. I don’t know if people understood the spirit in which you delivered those remarks, but there was some half-laughter, half-heckling.
A I think that they knew I was serious. I think that they felt that it was hard to believe that I could actually accomplish that. Frankly, I never had too much of a problem with — at the end of someone’s answer or question — if someone said something that was two words and funny or pithy. What I object to is the heckling that goes on when someone is trying to make a point. Someone is trying to ask a question or answer a question. It’s really a form of intimidation and bullying and there’s no place for it here in 2015.
Q This is a long commitment for you. It’s the life of the Parliament. Is it intimidating?
A Sure it is. It’s intimidating partly because I have set the bar so high myself. But then again, I wouldn’t have been interested in this job if it wasn’t a challenge.