It would be understandable if most people are sick and tired of politics this fall. One thing we won’t hear much of provincially, however, is the actual business of government being conducted.
That’s because the Liberals have opted to skip the fall legislative session in favour of campaigning.
They don’t overtly call it that, of course. But suffice to say door knocking and self-promoting photo ops feature prominently, all geared toward a provincial election still months away.
The session that’s been cancelled wasn’t exactly a back-breaking schedule. It was to total 20 days, running only four days a week (not including breaks!) until Nov. 24. Most people would likely be happy to swap their own work schedule for that one.
But now MLAs have been relieved of the onerous task of showing up, giving them more time to make announcements and promote themselves on social media.
It’s not the first time sessions have been cancelled, nor is it limited to one political party. But it’s part of a disturbing trend in which governing is skipped in favour of messaging. Campaigning used to be a mercifully time-limited event. Now it is almost constant.
Some politicians argue that the legislature sittings involve as much theatre as real work. True enough. But the legislature is also the one place that laws are passed and resources divvied up. It’s where the government is formally called to account for its actions, where they’re forced to answer questions.
That is an integral part of democracy that shouldn’t be taken lightly, or dispensed with so easily in favour of sound bites and political selfies.
-Guest editorial from the North Shore News
