Parliament is stuck: we need leaders, not fiddlers and fire starters

Even before being sworn in, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump is marching ahead. But here at home, our government is stalled. The Liberals are bogged down in their latest scandal, refusing to come clean about the mismanagement and questionable spending in the green fund. They’re hoping a temporary GST break and one-off cheques in the spring will distract us long enough to forgive and forget it all. Meanwhile, the Conservatives seem more focused on measuring the drapes in the Prime Minister’s Office than on making Parliament work. More than a big green room with fancy chairs, Parliament is the place where decisions big and small—about the kind of country we are and want to be, and about how we take care of each other and how we fit in the world—are supposed to be made. But that’s not what’s been happening lately. I sat in on Question Period with a group of young people recently. Watching the so-called “adults” in the room was embarrassing to watch. This dysfunction isn’t just frustrating—it’s also costly. It drains public trust in government, feeds cynicism, and leaves the problems facing Canadians unsolved. When governments fail to govern, it reinforces the dangerous idea that politics is only about self-interest and power. That cynicism creates a vacuum for “anti-government governments” and opportunists like Trump, who exploit mistrust to serve themselves. We’re not immune to that here, where partisan bickering and scandals distract from the real work of building a better country. Here’s the thing: politics—even partisan politics—isn’t inherently bad. And as both Jack Layton and Jagmeet Singh have reminded me—not just through their actions, but by explicitly telling me—it’s not a game, either. It’s how we debate ideas. It’s how we decide who shapes our future. People who dedicate their lives to public service should care about winning because they believe their ideas will make the country better. The problem is when personal or partisan ambitions take priority over the greater good. And those problems are piling up. Trump’s looming 25 per cent tariffs could devastate Canadian industries—auto workers, manufacturers, and farmers would all pay the price. Fighting for Canadians should be at the top of the agenda. Instead, we’re stuck in scandal and sideshows. While the Liberals dodge accountability and the Conservatives stall, Parliament is paralyzed, and essential services Canadians rely on are running out of funding. Worse still, the next big Liberal scandal—the multi-levelled Randy Boissonnault affair—is already lined up to derail Parliament further. Rome is burning. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs to put down the fiddle, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre should drop the gas can, too. More than any time in recent memory, Canada needs leadership. Some of that leadership has come from Singh. Before the Liberals scrambled to hand out cheques, Singh pushed for meaningful GST relief on essentials like home heating and kids’ clothes. His proposals aren’t flashy, but they’re practical, immediate solutions for families who are stretched thin. That’s the kind of politics we need—solutions that prioritize people over photo-ops. It’s hard to see that potential right now, but when it’s focused on building, not bickering, Parliament can be a force for good. It can be a place where leaders debate the best ways to invest in our collective future—not just hand us cheques with our own money and call it progress. Giving up on the idea that government can be a place where big problems get solved doesn’t just create space for the wrong people to tear it all down. It allows them to sacrifice our kids’ future for their own gain. Even if it feels like we’re just getting the governments we deserve, we need to demand better. If we can’t do it for ourselves, we need to do it for our kids. We owe them nothing less. George Soule is a principal at Syntax Strategic and a former NDP director of communications. The Hill Times

Parliament is stuck: we need leaders, not fiddlers and fire starters

Fighting for Canadians should be at the top of the agenda. Instead, we’re stuck in scandal and sideshows.

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