Liberal (Minority/Majority) Government 2025 - ???

[Czech_pivo]

Bang on- and there's a good chance it will be his downfall. Watching him speak in Davos vs. QP and press conferences... speaking to the people does not come naturally , it's almost like "layman" is a 2nd language to him and he's having to actively translate his thoughts on the fly- and he's not good at it.

You eventually become a product of the environment that you spend the majority of your time in.

Teachers talking to non-teachers don't really come across very well all the time.

Doctors are mostly not known for the 'bedside manners' when talking with their patients

Accountants are thought of as being boring to talk with

Tech workers are considered to be socially challenged when talking to

Artists are thought to be all over the map when talking with them

Remember, Canadian news articles are typically written at between a grade 6 and grade 8 reading level. Carney has a PhD in Economics from Oxford. That's a huge gap to overcome. Much easier for a person like Trudeau/Poilievre with a BA to close that gap.

 

[daftandbarmy]

You eventually become a product of the environment that you spend the majority of your time in.

Is that a shot at Army.ca?

 

[Jarnhamar]

Yeah… I recognize the importance of question question period as an institution in our prominent… But also holy frig is it ever a big stupid waste of time, and that assessment carries regardless of who’s in government. For many years now it’s just devolved to sound byte theatrics.

Great points. It's quite the paradox for us. The only real opportunity for accountability but it's generally a waste of time. Here and there few MPs are called out for ethical violations but Canadians seem happy with said MP admitting they didn't know any better and chalking up the money lost as a rounding error.


If question period doesn't serve a purpose beyond theatrics maybe we should just stop it.

 

[Deleted member 175000]

You eventually become a product of the environment that you spend the majority of your time in.

...

Remember, Canadian news articles are typically written at between a grade 6 and grade 8 reading level. Carney has a PhD in Economics from Oxford. That's a huge gap to overcome. Much easier for a person like Trudeau/Poilievre with a BA to close that gap.

The inherent gap is one aspect- but I think the bigger issue is one of skill. He's spent decades operating in an different arena, playing a different game.

It's one thing to address the gap when having an actual good faith discussion. It's another to address the gap when engaging in an adversarial performative dance vying to win the social media vibes war.

 

[Brad Sallows]

The only real opportunity for accountability but it's generally a waste of time.

Almost as if it were gradually nudged to be that way.

 

[Jarnhamar]

We could do something crazy like the Welsh Parliament.

Law to make it illegal to lie in Welsh elections passed

Law to make it illegal to lie in elections passed in Senedd

Welsh parliament agrees law to outlaw lying in future Senedd election campaigns.

www.bbc.com

The Welsh Parliament has passed a law to make it illegal for candidates to lie during Senedd elections.

And a bonus

The bill also establishes a recall system, giving the public the opportunity to kick out politicians who have misbehaved from the Welsh Parliament in between elections.

 

[brihard]

Great points. It's quite the paradox for us. The only real opportunity for accountability but it's generally a waste of time. Here and there few MPs are called out for ethical violations but Canadians seem happy with said MP admitting they didn't know any better and chalking up the money lost as a rounding error.


If question period doesn't serve a purpose beyond theatrics maybe we should just stop it.

I struggle to even call it a mechanism of accountability. It's juts a place where people say stuff and can be sure there's at least one camera going. The only real distinction is they have a pretty high degree of privilege to say whatever they want- but without consequence.

 

[MilEME09]

I struggle to even call it a mechanism of accountability. It's juts a place where people say stuff and can be sure there's at least one camera going. The only real distinction is they have a pretty high degree of privilege to say whatever they want- but without consequence.

Well its question period not answer period, and as you point out parliamentary privilege allows people to get away with alot. Thanks to TV and social media those sound bites, true or not spread, and even if not true get treated as gospel. Reform is definitely needed in the digital age for something designed in the 1800s

 

[Halifax Tar]

It interesting reading people now question the validity of question period.

Look, I have been a pretty loud proponent for blowing up our system and rebuilding something more representative of the people. But The last few posts reek and drip of political biases.

I truly hope the same cohort will feel as laissez-faire and dismissive about question period when their own technocrat king is no longer the PM.

The inherent gap is one aspect- but I think the bigger issue is one of skill. He's spent decades operating in an different arena, playing a different game.

It's one thing to address the gap when having an actual good faith discussion. It's another to address the gap when engaging in an adversarial performative dance vying to win the social media vibes war.

Do you see that as an advantage or a crutch ?

 

[PPCLI Guy]

As long as we have Question Period (and I don't see that changing any time soon), I will expect alll politicians of all stripes to attend, where feasible. Their attendance (or lack thereof) will factor into my considerations come election time.

 

[Altair]

People will take Question Period seriously when the politicians do. Currently, I've see groups of kindergarten children behave with more respect and decorum than the grown adults we elect as representatives in question period. The yelling, heckling, with the speaker being as useful as a crossing guard in a bar fight, means that I would never show my kid a session of QP because that's not how I want my kid to behave or think is appropriate to behave.

Quebec fixed this culture of heckling and boorish behavior by banning applause, banning outbursts and empowering the speaker to actually boot those who cross the line. And when you're the only donkey who is screaming and even your own party members are looking at you like you're an idiot, eventually the culture of the place changes for the better.

So until QP in the HoC rises above the level of a group of misbehaving children that have had too much sugar, the best thing Canadians, and Canadian politicians can do is ignore it.

 

[Halifax Tar]

@Altair I was wondering where you vanished too.

 

[brihard]

It interesting reading people now question the validity of question period.

Look, I have been a pretty loud proponent for blowing up our system and rebuilding something more representative of the people. But The last few posts reek and drip of political biases.

I truly hope the same cohort will feel as laissez-faire and dismissive about question period when their own technocrat king is no longer the PM.

Fortunately I already covered that:

Yeah… I recognize the importance of question question period as an institution in our prominent… But also holy frig is it ever a big stupid waste of time, and that assessment carries regardless of who’s in government. For many years now it’s just devolved to sound byte theatrics.

IMO this has been true for decades. I’m in no way challenging the ‘validity’ of it; just lamenting what it’s devolved to.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Fortunately I already covered that:

IMO this has been true for decades. I’m in no way challenging the ‘validity’ of it; just lamenting what it’s devolved to.

Your internal motivations are only known to yourself. You have nothing prove to me.

 

[brihard]

Your internal motivations are only known to yourself. You have nothing prove to me.

View attachment 99586

Just so you’re not thinking this is stemming from some political bias on my part. I formed and have held this view since I first started paying attention under Harper. It’s only gotten worse since as we entered the ‘social media sound byte’ era. And when CPC next regain power I’m sure it’ll remain just as much of a clown show.

Senior members of cabinet and the PM should absolutely attend, subject to balancing with other duties, simply because that’s what is done. But I won’t pretend QP is more useful or dignified than it actuallly is.

 

[YZT580]

IMHO there are three categories of questions: the gotcha group that are asked simply to try and highlight a perceived failing, those others that are seeking a legitimate answer and the ones planted by the government to give themselves a pat on the back. Unfortunately the questions in the second group appear to be outnumbered by the first group. Regardless, the only time we get an intelligent response is when the government is responding to questions from their own members. This is true regardless of the party in charge. There are several suggestions for improvement in this string. Parliament should take a lesson from both Wales and from Quebec. In addition, the party whips should meet and create a proper standard for questions and then enforce it within their respective parties. It is simple enough to do as I believe that very few questions are asked on an ad hoc basis but are previewed by the party first. And, with the exception of issues of national security a dignified response should be mandatory.

 

[Eaglelord17]

They could completely do away with Question Period and it would change absolutely nothing. There is no accountability involved in anyway as accountability requires consequences and there is none.

I know I beat a dead horse on this, but a Swiss style democracy would have consequences involved, the voters could actively punish the government for the actions (or lack thereof). Every other type lacks accountability once elected until next election (and even then it is rare it is actually applied).

 

[Halifax Tar]

I know I beat a dead horse on this, but a Swiss style democracy would have consequences involved, the voters could actively punish the government for the actions (or lack thereof). Every other type lacks accountability once elected until next election (and even then it is rare it is actually applied).

Im with you.

 

[Deleted member 175000]

Do you see that as an advantage or a crutch ?

I think it's fair to say that Mark Carney is objectively less skilled at the tactical/daily execution of political communication than Poilievre or Trudeau.

 

[brihard]

I think it's fair to say that Mark Carney is objectively less skilled at the tactical/daily execution of political communication than Poilievre or Trudeau.

Yup. But I also suspect he sees the political game playing as a waste of otherwise valuable time.