Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

It has not been uncommon to hear people decry the democratic deficit in Canada. Former Prime Minister Paul Martin defined a democratic deficit as MPs having, among other things, very limited independence. Prime Minister Harper has been accused of increasing the democratic deficit by using parliamentary tactics and omnibus bills to confine parliamentary debate. These tactics have not been limited to the federal government as provincial premiers across Canada have cancelled sittings of the legislature and used prorogation to severely restrict debate. Has Harper’s government altered the role of Parliament in debate and scrutiny? With the recent omnibus crime bill and two budget implementation bills that both included over 400 pages of wide-ranging changes to legislation, many critics have argued that the Prime Minister has sidelined the House of Commons. Is there a difference in the role of Parliament under this government when compared with previous experiences? Should we be concerned about the function o