The federal budget was delayed last Wednesday thanks to a protest of sorts in the House of Commons.
Opposition parties are outraged at a series of changes the Liberals are proposing for Parliamentary procedures. Among them, the Liberals want casual Fridays to get really casual – they don’t want to work in the house on Fridays anymore. (Who does?)
The Tories are hardly in a position to criticize, given their time in power being marked by decidedly undemocratic tactics: omnibus bills, prorogues, stubbing out debates, a no-show prime minister in question period. They also earned the distinction of being the only government found in contempt of their own Parliament.
They aren’t wrong, however, that the Liberals are attempting to push through procedural changes without adequate buy-in from the other parties.
Taking a wider view of the matter, it’s part of an age-old trend in politics, in which parties, once elected, adopt the self-serving, bad habits of their predecessors.
Other examples that transcend political stripes include pre-election ad blitzes paid for with public dollars, loading up the months prior to an election with spending announcements, and budgets that reward loyal ridings.
The sad truth is it’s almost impossible to change these awful habits because the governing party always has the most to gain from keeping the status quo.
But we don’t have to make their hypocrisy easy for them. Don’t be afraid to call up your representative and give them an earful. Don’t be afraid to make it uncomfortable.
It’s never too late to break a bad habit.
