Glen Pearson in Ottawa: A Different Perspective on Canadian Politics

I am still new enough to Parliament that I view it through something of a detached lens. I watch the bitter partisanship that so often substitutes for political discourse and I feel the same sense of revulsion expressed by voters.

There has clearly been an alteration of tone and civility in this most hallowed of political chambers in Canada. All parties must share the responsibility and much of the blame. Something is slipping and it's becoming obvious. Seasoned politicians and journalists have claimed that it wasn't always this way; it has been primarily the last two years in which decorum in the House has sunk to significant lows. A certain moral and intellectual strength is ebbing away. The field of once blooming ideas has withered and Canada is slowly losing its way, its national will, and that deep and abiding sense of purpose that once brought this nation together and held it in place despite our numerous differences.It's probably easy for anyone reading these lines to understand that I'm something of an idealist. But I am an idealist without illusions. Great issues are debated in Parliament and partisanship actually does work for the greater good - but only when points of view are held in respect. We can't always agree, but we can choose to respect the other views, realizing they come from genuine public servants attempting to represent the hard-won convictions of their own respective communities. In my short time here I have witnessed many politicians from all stripes attempting to honorably live out their sense of purpose.It is when things turn mean or personal that our sense of a higher, more noble calling suddenly takes a nosedive. The public good must regularly trump rank partisanship, lest the political system itself become little else but words and reasoning always falling on deaf ears.In the coming days I will take readers inside what I call the parallel parliament, a place where committed individuals from all parties are coming together to affect real change. To see an example of what I am talking about, click here. Or here.Glen PearsonTo return to glenpearson.ca click here.