I heard CBC Ottawa reporter Susan Bonner tell Don Newman, in a lull on Newsworld, that recent scenes in the House may give a hint of what real democracy would be like. It was as if she’d suddenly barked a few phrases, Tourette’s-like, in Urdu. The stolid Mr. Newman managed not to react, and the moment passed. I doubt she meant Parliament’s raucousness. I think she was thinking instead about how concerns of various constituencies are finally getting some response. But can this really be Canadian democracy’s finest hour?

Maybe. It’s all relative. I mean, some of our political traditions are being desecrated. The question is: Do you care? We routinely hand four-year dictatorships to parties that win less than half the votes but a majority of seats. In the 1988 free-trade election, the Tory government got 43 per cent of the vote and a majority. The momentous deal sailed through. No one cried: It’s an anti-democratic scandal. Those governments frequently imposed things people didn’t want, like the GST, and didn’t do things they had promised, such as childcare. Why aren’t they called dysfunctional — unlike this Parliament, which keeps being tagged with the term?

Look at the Martin-Layton deal: It provides childcare, housing, urban relief, and a balanced budget — exactly what voters say they want! Finally they get it — and Parliament is dysfunctional? Paul Martin was dithering. Now he’s acting. So it’s time to pull the plug on him? As for democracy, the Liberals and NDP polled a majority of votes last election: 52.4 per cent, versus just 42 per cent for Conservatives and the Bloc. So their deal makes democratic sense.

Chantal Hébert wrote in her column for the Toronto Star, “There is no longer any question about how far Paul Martin is willing to go to avoid a snap election.” How far is that? Well, he’s actually giving citizens what they say they’d like, and what he promised to do. Why must he be punished for it? So what if fear made him do it? Stephen Harper got pressured into backing off on abortion. That’s politics — in fact, that’s democracy. Canada only went into the Second World War under pressure, as did the United States. Motives don’t matter. At least not for most people.

Columnists may be exceptions. They live by their opinions, they hate backing down, maybe it means more to them than the benefits of public childcare or urban renewal. They are incensed when voters indicate they might be willing to be “bought off” or “bribed with their own money.” Excuse me, but isn’t that the point of taxes: to spend on behalf of the taxpayers for things they couldn’t purchase by themselves?

Poor voters. They may be disgusted by the sponsorship mess, but must weigh the temptation to voice their rage, against the dire effects if they replace a Martin with a Harper. Do it and you will not get childcare or urban transit or tuition relief. And all this at a time when the system is finally starting to deliver for citizens. Me, I’d string the catastrophe out as long as possible. A dysfunctional Parliament may be as good as it gets. It’s like reaping the benefits of proportional representation without PR itself.

Ed Broadbent says if he was a teacher he wouldn’t bring his class into this dysfunctional House. Piffle, Ed. Visiting students are always appalled in the House. Teachers cringe and security guards roll their eyes. Lies? Peter MacKay, Conservative deputy leader, lied with gusto and signed a pledge not to merge his party in order to become PC leader, then reneged and didn’t even look sheepish. Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer’s head seems ready to explode in Question Period; but he had an aide impersonate him on radio and lied about it when he got caught.

They’re outraged? I’m outraged that they’re outraged! This is the worst scandal in our history? Canada was born in scandal. Ever hear of the CPR? For my money (and it was) sponsorship is less offensive than Pierre Trudeau sending the army into Quebec in 1970 on flimsy, WMD-like evidence. He made a strong Quebec separatist movement inevitable. At least from this scandal voters may gain a little ground in areas that matter to them. If this be dysfunction, make the most of it!

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Rick Salutin

Rick Salutin is a Canadian novelist, playwright and critic. He is a strong advocate of left wing causes and writes a regular column in the Toronto Star.