Scan barcode
thehoserpolice's review
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Great ideas for reforming Canadian parliament to better serve Canadians. Have writers from across party lines demonstrates that MPs from across the spectrum can come together to collaborate with each other. It also demonstrates that the need and push for reform has to come from all parties within the legislature.
sashagrons's review
3.0
The idea of this book is beautiful: sitting MPs from all different parties each contributing chapters about how to make Parliament work better. The execution of the idea succeeds in part, if not in full. Much of the discussion is for the wonkiest (?) of wonks - if you've ever wondered about what Parliamentary committees do or how their members are chosen, then Michael Chong's chapter is a great read. If you've ever wondered about how the status of "officially recognized" vs. "unrecognized" (less than 12 seats in the HoC) came to be, and what powers such status confers to MPs, then Elizabeth May's chapter will enlighten you. I found some of the greatest value of the book to be in authors' descriptions of historical trends - how, for example, political parties and party leaders did not always have the control over MPs that they do today. To understand the historical trajectory of Parliamentary practices is to understand such practices not as given or natural, but as malleable and subject to reform. Indeed, party control is an important theme throughout the book and one I've been interested in for a while. Some chapters, however, fail to deliver. Niki Ashton, who I generally like, has a chapter on youth engagement and social media, but her ultimate point seems to be "youth use social media" -- not exactly ground-breaking insight. And the last chapter, Scott Simms' idea of an Assembly of the Federation, has too many holes and is too dismissive of provincial jurisdiction to be of any real merit.
Overall: some interesting, practical solutions for reforming democracy, at the level of granular detail of the workings of the House of Commons. Some broader ideas about politics that don't make their case terribly well. In the end, an impressive effort at cross-party collaboration among those who really do want to see Canada's democracy improved, regardless of party affiliation, which is a noble goal in my books.
Overall: some interesting, practical solutions for reforming democracy, at the level of granular detail of the workings of the House of Commons. Some broader ideas about politics that don't make their case terribly well. In the end, an impressive effort at cross-party collaboration among those who really do want to see Canada's democracy improved, regardless of party affiliation, which is a noble goal in my books.
sjlee's review
3.0
I was pretty excited when I heard about Turning Parliament Inside Out: Practical Ideas for Reforming Canada's Democracy. I'm a big nerd for electoral and parliamentary reform so reading essays from men and women who actually served within the House of Commons and their notions how it could best be changed was an exciting approach to me. It also coincided with the discussions about electoral reform occurring more broadly in Canadian society, but which were stymied by Justin Trudeau's government.
As mentioned, the book is a collection of essays and as such the quality of the commentary varies significantly from entry to entry. This is not a cohesive vision for what Parliament should be or how Canadian democracy would function. It's probably a universal belief that we should 'improve our democracy' but what that actually means is entirely within the eye of the beholder.
For those who are immersed in this subject already these essays are probably going to feel pretty surface level. I would assume the book is targeted more at the average engaged citizen who might not be familiar with this debate/discussion. As a result I think it does a fine job outlining some of the issues and possible solutions. It would provide a good foundation for someone to move forward on and do further research.
However, for me, I found it to be too thin and too light. Not to mention reading pages of proposals on how to fix Question Period seems like a major waste of time when how we elect and how we organize political parties is the source of the dysfunction we see there.
So, if you fall into the former camp this book is definitely something that can be of value, but for those familiar with the topics they can likely safely pass.
As mentioned, the book is a collection of essays and as such the quality of the commentary varies significantly from entry to entry. This is not a cohesive vision for what Parliament should be or how Canadian democracy would function. It's probably a universal belief that we should 'improve our democracy' but what that actually means is entirely within the eye of the beholder.
For those who are immersed in this subject already these essays are probably going to feel pretty surface level. I would assume the book is targeted more at the average engaged citizen who might not be familiar with this debate/discussion. As a result I think it does a fine job outlining some of the issues and possible solutions. It would provide a good foundation for someone to move forward on and do further research.
However, for me, I found it to be too thin and too light. Not to mention reading pages of proposals on how to fix Question Period seems like a major waste of time when how we elect and how we organize political parties is the source of the dysfunction we see there.
So, if you fall into the former camp this book is definitely something that can be of value, but for those familiar with the topics they can likely safely pass.
alexmulligan's review
5.0
Democratic and parliamentary reform is often presented as complex- usually because it is. This Complexity can be a real barrier to people engaging in democratic reform. But “Turning Parliament Inside Out” shows that parliamentary reform doesn’t have to be complex and can be “commonsensical”.
Turning Parliament Inside Out is a wonderful read that- while short- is rich in content, easily digestible, and written by some of Canada’s brightest parliamentarians. This book is truly accessible and loaded with great insights.
While some of the proposed reforms would be easier to implement than others (some would be very challenging) each author makes you think deeply about our democracy and ways to improve it.
It’s refreshing to see MPs from all parties work together to propose ways to make Canada a better place. Highly recommend!
Turning Parliament Inside Out is a wonderful read that- while short- is rich in content, easily digestible, and written by some of Canada’s brightest parliamentarians. This book is truly accessible and loaded with great insights.
While some of the proposed reforms would be easier to implement than others (some would be very challenging) each author makes you think deeply about our democracy and ways to improve it.
It’s refreshing to see MPs from all parties work together to propose ways to make Canada a better place. Highly recommend!