Don’t protect MPS from the voters
It’s been a rough 15 months since Canada’s first case of COVID-19. As it stands, our country’s pandemic response hovers somewhere between subpar and wondering what’d happen if we just let Polkaroo run the country for a bit. Yet amid all the anger, despair, and more anger, Canadians on both all sides of the political spectrum see a light at the end of the tunnel: voting the incompetent, corrupt, and cowardly out of office when the pandemic finally ends.
This is what democracy is all about. Politicians make decisions, then they answer to voters. Except, in Canada, that’s much easier said than done. With both the ruling party and official opposition committed to protecting nominations for sitting MPS, many incumbents will shirk any real accountability for the past year.
Protected nominations grant MPS a guaranteed spot on their party’s ticket. They don’t have to worry about potential challengers or being “primaried.” This practice has always been an affront to Canadian democracy, but in the wake of the country’s worst crisis since the Second World War, it’s dangerously autocratic. More than ever, Canadians must be able to freely select their leaders.
In 2019, despite Justin Trudeau’s public commitment to open nominations, the Liberal Party of Canada decided to protect incumbents granted they meet a lax set of qualifications. These included knocking on 3,500 doors or making 5,000 phone calls, and recruiting 30 new monthly donors. In October 2020, the Liberals whittled that list down to just one farcical requirement. Now, in order to skip the nomination process, MPS must recruit a whopping total of 10 new monthly donors with no minimum contribution. There are literal cats on the internet who can raise more money than that.
Liberals point to it being harder to fundraise and sign up supporters during COVID, but it shouldn’t escape scrutiny that their decision coincided with declining approval ratings and the realization Canadians were about to face a brutal second wave. Moreover, it’s unclear how having a captive audience trapped in their homes makes it harder to reach constituents by phone.
Lest you think this is a partisan issue, the urge to dodge grassroots challenges is just as strong across the aisle. Last February, the Conservative Party of Canada announced they’d protect all 121 of their incumbent MPS if an election occurred prior to June 2021. After Conservative MPS lobbied to extend the policy indefinitely, the party quietly acquiesced in April, saying incumbents could run unopposed post June 2021, provided they raise a minimum of $15,000– a low bar in the world political fundraising. The irony of a party that largely opposes government intervention hamstringing its own nominations can’t go unremarked upon.
While these attempts to subvert democracy should outrage all voters, they should especially anger Millennials and Gen Z. By protecting incumbents, party elites block paths to political participation and power for young Canadians experiencing historic economic and social crises. Safeguarding the status quo also means limiting opportunities for women, candidates from diverse backgrounds, and the LGBTQ community — all of whom Conservatives and Liberals claim they want to embrace and add to their ranks. It ensures our political leadership will largely look the same for longer than it should.
Want to challenge Liberal parliamentary secretary for housing Adam Vaughan and his pro-boomer policies? You can’t, because his seat is protected. Think you can do better than Conservative MP Cheryl Gallant, who was recently accused of peddling conspiracy theories? Too bad, you’re stuck with her. Sure, you can technically run for one of the other parties or independently, but many ridings aren’t realistically going to flip or vote in an unaffiliated candidate. Conservatives and Liberals alike know this and are taking advantage of it to hoard power.
Canadians are only being offered the illusion of choice; a wilting salad bar of fauxmocracy disguised as a sumptuous buffet full of possibilities. Even in unheld ridings, both Liberals and Conservatives stand accused of delaying open nominations so party leaders can inject their preferred candidates.
The next election will be one of the most important in Canada’s history. While voters may not agree on the correct path forward, they should all demand the right to hold politicians accountable for their COVID response. Citizens, if they so choose, should have a fair shot at running for Parliament. As gaps widen between segments of Canadian society — rich and poor, homeowners and renters, essential workers and desk jockeys — we can’t allow the political elite to further distance themselves from the people they’re meant to represent.