The secret no government wants you to know: no leader has a ‘mandate’

Opinion: Leaders across Canada’s political spectrum have used their mandate’ as a defence for their actions. But voters beware: that’s not how our system works. Democracy is like former U.S. Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart’s opinion on pornography: It’s difficult to define, but you’ll recognize it when you see it. And people see democracy all over the place. Do an informal poll around the dinner table or on the pitch or at the pub, ask “What is democracy?” and you’ll get an array of responses: It’s elections, or it’s the government doing what you want them to do, or it’s the freedom to choose, or it’s the ability to affect outcomes by participating in political decision-making. Governments also see democracy all over the place, but they conveniently adjust their definition to fit their ambitions, their agendas, and the particularities of the moment. Often, governments from across the political spectrum will cite a “mandate” as justification for what they have done or intend to do. “The people chose us and our plan,” rings the voice in the hall, “and that is what we are going to do ” It’s a familiar justification for policy, especially right now. In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford has decided to intrude into municipal politics returning to what he claims to know by announcing that his government will nearly halve city council seats in Toronto to 25 from 47 and cancel regional board chair elections in the province, just before election season. It’s like a referee stopping a match midway to inform the players that rules have changed and, if you don’t mind, half of you need to hit the showers and don’t bother coming back to the field.