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Public Consultations on Canada’s Democratic Institutions and Practices:
20070820
They promise what they can’t deliver;
[Politicians] manipulate their positions to suit themselves, or
their friends, or [the] friends of their friends;
If [MPs] are going to be…promising what they can [not]
deliver, they should be held accountable for it.
Not all participants were ready to blame politicians. “I…think a MP’s job is
an impossible [one],” volunteered one attendee, “because [they] have got so
many stakeholders who have so many issues that are priorities for them and
want them to be priorities [for the] MP [as well].” Among the solutions emerging
from discussion were suggestions for more free votes, more information shared
with Canadians about how the system actually works, and an automatic byelection
if an MP wants to change parties.
3.2.13. Youth Forum in Ottawa
The Youth Forum discussions of the Commons were intense. Youth
attendees shared the general view that MPs face a trust challenge. “Turnout is
in decline,” noted one participant. “…because people are mistrustful.”
“Politicians often seem a class apart,” the participant continued. “People can’t
identify with politicians.” 43 Besides, said another participant, “they have a history
of broken promises.” “People don’t feel,” said a third attendee, “[that
politicians]…are telling [the public] all we need to know.”
Youth participants do not place all the responsibility on MPs’ own door
steps. Promises can have an honest intent but turn out not to be “feasible.” The
nature of the political system does not always make it easy for politicians to
deliver on their promises even if they resolutely wished to. For example, “a
minority government […] is not afforded [the] opportunity to fulfill [its] promises”
in the same way that is available to a majority government, observed one
participant.
Another factor in mistrust is party allegiance. “MPs are supposed to
represent the voters vis-à-vis the government but in practice they are more apt
to serve the government by seeking to persuade the electorate to back what the
43 […] le fait que le taux de participation est en baisse, ...c’est ... que tu es méfiant. […] Il y
a une manque de proximité, souvent les politiciens sont une classe à part....On ne réussit pas à
s’indentifier aux [politiciens].
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