The wacko downfall of democratic decorum

Parliament, derived from the Old French "Parlement," translates literally to "discussion" or "talking." Over time, it came to refer specifically to a meeting place where "discourse" would occur, emphasizing its connection to speaking and debate within a formal legislative setting. Fast forward a few centuries, and the Canadian Parlement has become more of a playground for social media soundbites, with decorum falling by the wayside. The decline in formal discourse has been long in the making, and reversing it seems a challenge few parliamentarians are willing to tackle. The lure of capturing the day's soundbite is too tempting, leading to a shift in language from formal debate to aggressive, terse, and often personal exchanges. The House has adopted the unfortunate trend of politics becoming angry, belligerent, and combative. This has serious repercussions. Olivier Cullen is a senior adviser at Summa Strategies and a former Liberal staffer. Photograph courtesy of Olivier Cullen Politicians need reminding that they sit in one of the most revered meeting places in the country. They were chosen through free and fair elections, and ought to conduct themselves accordingly. The House of Commons requires formal attire—lest we forget the early COVID days of virtual video voting and debate—and, as such, it should demand a corresponding level of decorum in language and conduct. Anything less should be considered unworthy of the institution. Words spoken in the House matter, as does the tone in which they're delivered. Angry, hurtful language is not debate. When the leader of Canada’s official opposition labels the prime minister a "wacko" in the most formal of settings, it's a moment history won’t forget—though it should. It is a moment that allowed this type of behaviour to be acceptable. Worse still was the refusal to retract the insult when asked to do so by the Speaker. On a more ridiculous note, recall the uproar in 2017 when another MP refused to retract the unparliamentary phrase used to describe how Alberta was being treated by the feds, “like a fart in the room.” The House of Commons made international headlines as our lawmakers debated the appropriateness of the word "fart," while completely missing the larger issue of declining decorum. In our latest departure from Parlement, the watchdog of parliamentary language, the Speaker of the House, was heckled voraciously (which is bad enough) while delivering remarks on (wait for it…) the need for better decorum in the House of Commons. How do we turn it around? One answer, of course, lies in respecting the Speaker's role. But the Speaker is not the sole arbiter of what should be deemed parliamentary. Beauchesne’s Rules & Forms of the House of Commons includes a “dictionary” of unparliamentary language, but it hasn't been updated since 1989. The list is almost as ridiculous as the exercise of compiling it. Imagine an MP yelling across the floor to their colleague that they are “scarcely entitled to be called a gentlemen.” Although, personally, I’d rather be called a “blatherskite” than a wacko, both are certainly unparliamentary. I would be remiss not to mention another Beauchesne entry, “ass”—but alas, no mention of fart. Despite the levity, the situation is serious. Our Parliament has strayed far from Parlement, and that is a significant problem. The language and tone used on the floor should be reserved for civility, debate, and nation-building. Historically, blame for this downfall has been placed on the installation of cameras to record House proceedings, then it was the 24-hour news cycle, and now social media and the overconsumption of news. But the true responsibility for proper decorum rests squarely with MPs and the staff who prepare them for debate. We need to respect the institution that is the House of Commons, honour the Speaker’s role, and find our way back to acknowledging that while party politics creates divisions in opinion, the true objective of parliamentary debate is to ensure Canada’s democracy remains strong, and that laws and policies are written to serve all Canadians—not for our various media platforms. Now a senior adviser at Summa Strategies, Olivier Cullen is a seasoned professional in marketing, communications, and government. As a former Liberal ministerial staffer, he held senior roles in issues management and operations within the portfolios of public safety, immigration, health, and Indigenous services. The Hill Times

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The wacko downfall of democratic decorum

The next session of Parliament will likely be more of the same—a lack of civility in one of the greatest chambers in the country. Canadians deserve better.

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