The weakness of the Canadian Parliament, and the House of Commons specifically, results from the strength of the parties.

Few MPs, if any, see themselves as parliamentarians first, party members second.

Until or unless that changes, no reform to the formal powers or structures of the institution will strengthen it.

The point here isn’t that parties shouldn’t exist or that they don’t serve a purpose.

The point is that the relative strength of party and Parliament must be balanced.

Right now the scales are so far tipped toward party, that Parliament as an institution is too feeble.

Also, I’m an executive power guy. I think government should be able to act with decisively and with discretion in their areas of competency.

But the executive ultimately benefits from having a strong legislature, rather than a pliant one.

How so? Strong legislatures catch bad legislation and force government to up their policy game.

Governments that don’t face effective legislative review and scrutiny are more likely to screw up, get assailed by the ‘accountability branch’ (officers of Parl) and the courts.

Anyway, take the time to order Alex Marland’s latest, too. https://www.ubcpress.ca/whipped