Retired school teacher Bill Perrin, while protesting in front of a backbencher's constituency office wondered (Citizen, p. 1, 4 June 2012) if he lied to his students when he taught them of the benefits of living under the Westminster parliamentary system.
He was not lying. The ills of Canada's current political system are the result of the distortion of the Westminster system.
When functioning properly, under a majority government, the backbenchers of the ruling party are a powerful check upon the powers of the executive (prime minister and cabinet), but in Canada, backbenchers have been stripped by the political parties of the power that they rightfully should have. In other countries employing the Westminster system, the caucus of any party, even the ruling party, can remove the prime minister by simple majority vote. In other words, the Tory caucus in Canada should have the power to meet at any time and immediately remove Stephen Harper as prime minister and replace him with a person of their choosing by simple majority vote.
Although it happens rarely, this power acts as a powerful check upon the party ruler in other countries. For example, even as recently as February of this year, the caucus of the Labour party of Australia voted as to whether to remove their own leader (and prime minister), Julia Gillard, and replace her with Kevin Rudd.
When Tony Blair sent British troops into Iraq, his own backbenchers flirted with removing him as party leader (and prime minister). Thus, the leader must answer to the whole caucus; they cannot be dismissed as "nobodies" as Pierre Trudeau famously once did. In Canada, each of the political parties has removed this power from their backbenchers. When devoid of any real power, the position of "Member of Parliament" attracts few gifted men and women of integrity, but many talentless and craven politicians who enjoy the trappings of power but do not mind meekly following cabinet's directives.
Sadly, political parties in Canada are unlikely to relinquish to their elected caucuses the powers that are rightfully theirs, but until they do, it is unlikely that Canada will ever again have a properly functioning majority government, regardless of what political party holds power.
Ted Binnema
Prince George
