Impressions of a First Week

Submitted by Bob Rae on Thu, 04/03/2008 - 21:50.

The most frequent comment I get after being sworn in as the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre last Monday is - besides "welcome back" ! - is "how have things changed ?"

Memory is a tricky thing. I can still remember the dryness at the back of the throat and the shakiness in my knees as I rose from my seat in October 1978 and asked my first question of Jean Chretien, the Minister of Finance. Mr Chretien enjoyed sparring about the Bank of Canada and interest rates, and took the time to engage a rookie MP. When I spoke in a debate early on a Progressive Conservative trio of Lincoln Alexander, Steve Paproski and Ray Hnatyshyn stayed to listen, and to heckle in a joking, teasing way.

Television was new to the house, and brought with it theatrics, but there were moments of substance and spontaneity.

No doubt those moments will come, but there is a culture of rowdy contempt that has seeped into the Harperite government and makes real exchange impossible. When I asked a question to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on the sale of Canadian space technology - including Canadarm, Dextre and RadarSat - to an American company, the Minister of Foreign Affairs shuffled it off to a Parliamentary Secretary, then realized it was part of his responsibility and avoided an answer. Every answer is accompanied by shouts, catcalls, and standing ovations. It is more like a medieval jousting tournament than a debate. Even the jokes bear the hallmark of the midnight oil.

The culture of contempt applies everywhere - question period, debates, committees - Prime Minister Harper has refused to answer any questions on the Cadman Affair, committees are stonewalled, the NDP is caught in a timewarp of class warfare and character assassination, the Bloc is fighting desperately for its survival and as a result is circling the wagons to defend the ramparts of linguistic nationalism.

Can we do something about this ? It will not be easy. Humour, spontaneity and good fellowship are always a good idea and should never be out of style.