The Canadian Parliament through the eyes of a Ukrainian student

Soon after Ukraine won its independence in 1991, the Chair of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Toronto launched its Canadian-Ukrainian Parliamentary Program. Since then over 300 Ukrainian students have been able to learn the principles of Canada’s parliamentary democracy first hand. This program differs from similar programs in that all preparations and organization rest on the members of the Ukrainian community in Canada, which facilitates the soonest possible adaptation of the program participants to new circumstances. The program aims to involve Ukrainian students in study and work in the House of Commons of the Canadian Parliament and familiarize them with Canada’s political system. Without doubt, there is much to learn from Canada, a model of parliamentary democracy.

This country strikes one most with the openness and transparency of its system of government. Currently, Canada has a balanced system of power and a democratic government that has evolved throughout the centuries, which, unlike the professed American “power by the people,” grants each Canadian citizen equal opportunity. Canadian prime ministers from the currently ruling Liberal Party have for two decades pursued a policy of multiculturalism in an attempt to turn their country into a small model of the world, which is something that attracts people from all continents to Canada. A nation of immigrants, Canada needs an estimated 200,000 new immigrants annually to continue its further development. Precisely this factor has imbued Canadians with a sense of tolerance and respect for representatives of various nations.

It is interesting to watch the behavior of the Canadians, who strike one with their emotion, amiability, and freedom from restraint. We once saw a woman standing near the main entrance to Parliament, who, tired of waiting for a friend of hers, sat down right on the steps and began to read a newspaper (it is worth noting that in Ottawa steps and sidewalks are vacuum cleaned at night by a special municipal service). Likewise, tourists tired after hours of sightseeing sit down to rest right on the parliamentary lawn not far from youths who play soccer on that same lawn. Some way off a family settled down to marvel at the beautiful buildings of Parliament.

The line between the legislative and executive branches is blurred in Canada, since the leader of the party that has garnered the most votes in the lower chamber of Parliament, the House of Commons, forms the government from among the members of Parliament. Thus, government members are simultaneously MPs that also perform functions of people’s representatives. Thus, do not go looking for the government buildings in the capital: there are none. However, there are individual buildings of state departments and the residence of the prime minister as well as the upper chamber of Parliament, the Senate. Senate members are appointed by provincial authorities, and their appointment is most often an expression of gratitude for their significant contribution to their homeland, since the Senate does not play a major role in the country’s political life. Much like the post of the Governor-General (representative of the English monarch, who is formally the Canadian head of state) it is a tribute to tradition.

Such a model, based on the British system of government, is extremely effective and justified under the conditions of a market economy, when quick decisions are needed to meet the changeable market situation. Mind you, when the government submits a proposal to Parliament, it votes on this proposal itself without meeting any opposition. What about the levers of counterbalance, some might ask, for this looks like the dictate of a single party. But means of counterbalance do exist: this role is played by the opposition. Interestingly, because of the country’s bilingualism Parliament has a so-called permanent opposition, a party called the Quebec Bloc, which wants Quebec separated from the rest of the country.

Incidentally, even though it is small the opposition plays a tremendous role. Government members constantly come under a torrent of criticism from the opposition and are obliged to inform the nation of their actions on a daily basis.

This author was lucky to work in the office of Liberal MP Dan McTeague, parliamentary deputy of the foreign minister. There was not much left untold about Ukraine, since I was the tenth Ukrainian student in his office. My patron even exhibited the knowledge of several phrases in Ukrainian. What really struck him is the fact that I study at a university founded in 1576. It is a pleasure to work in the office of a Canadian MP. First, everyone has his own functions there. Strict order is also observed in the session hall, where the debates of government members and the opposition take place every morning. The MPs of the ruling party sit to the right of the speaker, and the opposition MPs face their opponents. When speaking in Parliament, the lawmakers address the speaker and only when looking him straight in the eye can they criticize their opponents. Perhaps this explains the relative order in the session hall, since it is not extremely convenient to quarrel with somebody while facing the parliament speaker. Our people’s deputies might want to learn parliamentary ethics from their Canadian colleagues: overseas it is unacceptable to begin speaking without addressing your opponent as Sir.

It is worth mentioning that any citizen or foreigner can appeal to his MP or even the prime minister without waiting in the line or any other inconveniences. Likewise, anyone can freely watch Parliament at work from the Strangers’ Gallery. Mind you, one does not even have to show his ID to the security guards. Can you imagine anything like this in our Verkhovna Rada?