Whom shuld your MP serve first?
- Thread starter Machjo
- Start date
In what way? The laziest people would just leave their votes with the original person they voted for, so for those votes we have the status quo. For the people who stay informed about issues, they would see that the bill was created by the special interest group and so change their vote away from the supporters, making it less prone than the current political process to manipulation by special interest lobbies.
You serve the national interest first and that means it has to be beneficial to the country
and in keeping with the constitution. If you want to change or amend something in the
constitution you have to open it for discussion. The problem is in Canada when you do
that, open the constitution for something it starts a discussion about everything. The
last time we did that we had a twenty year dialogue that has led to some of the gripes
we still have today.
Doing what is best for the country is the prime function of an MP, local constituents come
immediately there after. That is not my interpretation that is the function of and MP
and in keeping with the constitution. If you want to change or amend something in the
constitution you have to open it for discussion. The problem is in Canada when you do
that, open the constitution for something it starts a discussion about everything. The
last time we did that we had a twenty year dialogue that has led to some of the gripes
we still have today.
Doing what is best for the country is the prime function of an MP, local constituents come
immediately there after. That is not my interpretation that is the function of and MP
You serve the constituents first and foremost, even if it goes against the national interest. What might be good for everyone west of Quebec might not be good for Sydney NS so the MP for Sydney needs to represent his riding, not the rest of the nation. If his constituents want something against the constitution then his job is to try to open discussion on an amendment.
The party should be less than last. I think all candidates should run as independents.
The party should be less than last. I think all candidates should run as independents.
The Role of a Member of Parliament
AMember's job is as varied as the many regions of Canada and the people who live here. To understand their role, it helps to look at the different places where Members work.
In the Chamber
Television and the Internet bring the Commons Chamber into homes and schools across the country. This is where Members help to make Canada's laws by debating and voting on bills. The Chamber is also a place where MPs can put local, regional or national issues in the spotlight. They represent their constituents' views by presenting petitions, making statements and asking questions in the House.
With such a high profile, it is easy to think that Members do most of their work in the Chamber. Actually, Members spend a great deal of the working day — and many evenings — in committee rooms, at meetings and at constituency gatherings.
In Committee
Committee work is an important part of a Member's job and the law-making process. Members can look at bills in greater depth than is possible in the Chamber, where there is a large group of people involved and a full timetable. In committee, Members also study important issues such as finance and health, and the spending plans of federal departments. With the range of committees and sub-committees that operate, Members may sit on more than one. Committees meet regularly and often sit for long hours. They frequently consult with the public, and sometimes travel across the country to do so.
In Caucus
Activities in the Chamber do not start until 2 p.m. on Wednesdays so that Members can attend party caucus meetings. At these meetings, Senators and Members of Parliament from the same party determine policies and parliamentary strategy. They ask questions of their leaders and explain the views of their constituents. MPs from the same area also discuss common issues at regional caucus meetings.
In the Office
To meet their constituents' needs, MPs have an office in Ottawa and one or more in their riding. Their offices are often the first stop for people who need help. Members act as "ombudsmen," helping constituents with questions about visas, pension benefits, income tax — anything that is the business of the federal government. Members and their staff are good resources because they understand how federal departments are organized and where to find answers.
Aside from time in the Chamber and committee meetings, a typical day in the life of a Member of Parliament is filled with meetings, activities and other duties. Journalists call for an interview on a bill being studied by the Member's committee. A visiting constituent wants to talk about a federal program. A meeting is scheduled with parliamentarians from another country. A constituent is in Ottawa to accept an award and extends an invitation to attend the ceremony. Time has to be set aside to prepare a speech to give in the House. Plus there are letters, phone messages and e-mails to answer. Fortunately, Members have dedicated staff to help them in their work.
They return to their ridings as often as possible. For many Members, the trip home covers several thousand kilometres. But being in the riding lets Members talk to constituents face to face and attend local activities. Opening a new business, speaking to a civic group, laying a wreath on Remembrance Day, attending a high school graduation — these are many of the events that Canadians invite their Members of Parliament to attend. The work of a Member of Parliament is demanding and varied, often a balancing act between public and private life.
Guide to the Canadian House of Commons
AMember's job is as varied as the many regions of Canada and the people who live here. To understand their role, it helps to look at the different places where Members work.
In the Chamber
Television and the Internet bring the Commons Chamber into homes and schools across the country. This is where Members help to make Canada's laws by debating and voting on bills. The Chamber is also a place where MPs can put local, regional or national issues in the spotlight. They represent their constituents' views by presenting petitions, making statements and asking questions in the House.
With such a high profile, it is easy to think that Members do most of their work in the Chamber. Actually, Members spend a great deal of the working day — and many evenings — in committee rooms, at meetings and at constituency gatherings.
In Committee
Committee work is an important part of a Member's job and the law-making process. Members can look at bills in greater depth than is possible in the Chamber, where there is a large group of people involved and a full timetable. In committee, Members also study important issues such as finance and health, and the spending plans of federal departments. With the range of committees and sub-committees that operate, Members may sit on more than one. Committees meet regularly and often sit for long hours. They frequently consult with the public, and sometimes travel across the country to do so.
In Caucus
Activities in the Chamber do not start until 2 p.m. on Wednesdays so that Members can attend party caucus meetings. At these meetings, Senators and Members of Parliament from the same party determine policies and parliamentary strategy. They ask questions of their leaders and explain the views of their constituents. MPs from the same area also discuss common issues at regional caucus meetings.
In the Office
To meet their constituents' needs, MPs have an office in Ottawa and one or more in their riding. Their offices are often the first stop for people who need help. Members act as "ombudsmen," helping constituents with questions about visas, pension benefits, income tax — anything that is the business of the federal government. Members and their staff are good resources because they understand how federal departments are organized and where to find answers.
Aside from time in the Chamber and committee meetings, a typical day in the life of a Member of Parliament is filled with meetings, activities and other duties. Journalists call for an interview on a bill being studied by the Member's committee. A visiting constituent wants to talk about a federal program. A meeting is scheduled with parliamentarians from another country. A constituent is in Ottawa to accept an award and extends an invitation to attend the ceremony. Time has to be set aside to prepare a speech to give in the House. Plus there are letters, phone messages and e-mails to answer. Fortunately, Members have dedicated staff to help them in their work.
They return to their ridings as often as possible. For many Members, the trip home covers several thousand kilometres. But being in the riding lets Members talk to constituents face to face and attend local activities. Opening a new business, speaking to a civic group, laying a wreath on Remembrance Day, attending a high school graduation — these are many of the events that Canadians invite their Members of Parliament to attend. The work of a Member of Parliament is demanding and varied, often a balancing act between public and private life.
Guide to the Canadian House of Commons
- MPs are hired/elected directly by their constituents and they are also fired/defeated directly by their constituents. Accordingly, their first loyalty should be to their constituents not to the world, the country, their party or some other abstraction.
- Cabinet members in their cabinet roles have a broader constuency and the PM in his role has the broadest constuency of all which is the country as a whole.
- The closer we get back to and adhere to these basic principles, the more democratic and probably the more effective our government will be.
- Interestingly, the backbench MPs currently who are most inclined to buck the party line and to vote in what they see are the interests of their constituents are the Conservative MPs who have by a significant margin the highest percentage of votes against the official positions of their party.
- A question related to the excellent one posed by the initiator of this thread would be whether backbenchers best represent their constituents by faithfully supporting the majority view in their riding (as determined by meetings and polls and mail and other means of finding out what their community wants) or whether backbenchers also owe their constituents their consciences and the benfits of their accumulated experience, information, wisdom and judgement and may sometimes vote in what they honestly believe are the best interests of their constituents even though such votes sometimes go against the local consensus?
- I tend to favour the latter approach but I'm interested in the arguments on both sides of this question.
- Cabinet members in their cabinet roles have a broader constuency and the PM in his role has the broadest constuency of all which is the country as a whole.
- The closer we get back to and adhere to these basic principles, the more democratic and probably the more effective our government will be.
- Interestingly, the backbench MPs currently who are most inclined to buck the party line and to vote in what they see are the interests of their constituents are the Conservative MPs who have by a significant margin the highest percentage of votes against the official positions of their party.
- A question related to the excellent one posed by the initiator of this thread would be whether backbenchers best represent their constituents by faithfully supporting the majority view in their riding (as determined by meetings and polls and mail and other means of finding out what their community wants) or whether backbenchers also owe their constituents their consciences and the benfits of their accumulated experience, information, wisdom and judgement and may sometimes vote in what they honestly believe are the best interests of their constituents even though such votes sometimes go against the local consensus?
- I tend to favour the latter approach but I'm interested in the arguments on both sides of this question.
I see constituents as Number one simply because they voted the MP in and defining what is in the national interest in a country this big is not always easy. As Nick said what might be defined as being in the national interest might be really bad for a specific area.
For sure party line is last. Our MP is more interested in bringing the party line to us than represent our interests in Ottawa. This one happens to be a conservative but I don't see it as being specific to any party as I have had the misfortune to live in a riding that had a dipper and she most certainly did nothing to represent our interests but was quick to give us her party drivel.
You're putting too much faith in people paying attention to what's going on.
For sure party line is last. Our MP is more interested in bringing the party line to us than represent our interests in Ottawa. This one happens to be a conservative but I don't see it as being specific to any party as I have had the misfortune to live in a riding that had a dipper and she most certainly did nothing to represent our interests but was quick to give us her party drivel.
You're putting too much faith in people paying attention to what's going on.
My MP sends stuff to us by mail sometimes about the great stuff the NDP have done. What he doesn't understand is I couldn't care less what his party has done. I want to know what HE has done.
An MP should, in the interests of constituents, queen and country, serve himself first and well,. Directly upon assuming office he should conduct a purge subsequent to a short review exposing and salvaging useful remnants. He/She must not neglect refurbishment the office with appointments reflecting his sophisticated taste. Then a world tour fact finding mission is in order. Even if it regrettably draws him away from his beloved family and flock. This will not be the least of his sacrifice. Only when he has become comfortable in the job can he hope to serve the public. Contrary to the stupid conspiracy stories the origin of the campaigne funds never enters the Honorable members Honorable mind.
I voted Constituency. However, given that most MP hopefuls campain on party lines, the consitiuents should not be surprised when they follow party lines.
Just like the mail outs from the Cons. For sh*ts and giggles I put the Christmas card my MP sent in along with all the others.
- DB ... Best poltiical satire here in a while! But you did forget one thing which is that the new MP should also surround himself with at least two of the longest legged and biggest breasted babes in town to help him with his, err, constituency work. JFK set the original example on this with his two sexy White House secretaries, one blond and one redhead, whom he nicknamed Fiddle and Faddle and with whom he spent many a happy hour swimming in the nude in the White Hosue private pool. Here in the Frozen North, George Hees set the pace with his private suite in the Chateau Laurier just down from parliament hill where he would, err, entertain some of the most talented women in town who were, umm, working their way through college, etc.
Sure, in Sask. :roll:
(actually I dunno) We just use boarding house reach.
Our MP should practice walking and chewing gum at the same time. And serve himself some humility.
- DB ... GH aka Georgeous George actually did a good job as the Trade and Commerce minister under Diefenbaker and the Veterans Affairs minister under Mulroney but he was always a womanizer and too ambitious by half wanting to knife the leader so as to become PM himself. Still, it was hard not to like George and he along with Trudeau's Veterans Affairs minister Dan MacDonald were the two most popular VA ministers in the yes of actual veterans because they had both been in real armed conflict during WWII and cared about and fought for honour and benefits for veterans and they also both had a very down to earth manner with veterans of all ranks.
- I met Hees socially a couple of times but I actually got to know and like MacDonald back in the summer of 1976. That was the summer just before my 20 month stint in Nigeria and so I rented an apartment for the summer in a downtown apartment hotel (The Ambassador) whose most famous occupants at the time were minister MacDonald and the research offices of the Ledain (sic) Commission which was set up to study the medical and non-medicaal uses of marijuana.
- Since Dan and my mother were both from PEI and since I had been in the armed forces after university, and since Dan was such an engaging and down to earth guy who was a real veteran of combat (his missing leg on on side and missing arm on the other gave him away), we got along well as neighbours.
- I still remember one pleasant summer night sitting and chatting with Dan on the roofgarden of the building while downing a pint or two. Maybe ten feet from where we sat was the bottom half of a wooden barrel and planted in that barrel were unmistakenly a number of marijuana plants. Tongue in cheek, I chided MacDonald that as a minister of the crown he was duty bound to to take down the offending plants, confisticate them as evidence, and lead the search to find and charge the growers (obviously research staffers at the Ledain Commission).
- Dan responded, "Hey, its not my department, I'm not the police and I'm a live and let live kind of guy so I really don;t give a ****."
- I always liked Dan and hope he is enjoying himself in that big roofgarden in the sky.