The boorish behaviour now so typical in Parliament has contributed greatly to Canadians' disenchantment with federal politics. It's not surprising that we're regularly asked what can be done to make the House of Commons more serious and relevant to our lives.

But it ought to be possible, even if it's not happening now, for Parliament to do what it's meant to do: to act as the country's main public forum of debate, reflecting the diversity of Canadians as indicated by the way they vote, and to do this with both passion and civility.