Parliament: A Reading List

In light of the recent prorogation of parliament, we’ve compiled a reading list to tide you over until March 24th.

The Adaptable Country
How Canada Can Survive the Twenty-First Century
By Alasdair Roberts

The Adaptable Country outlines straightforward policy reforms to improve adaptability – the capacity to anticipate and manage danger. In a turbulent world, authoritarian rule is a tempting path to security. Canada’s challenge is to show how political systems built to respect diversity and human rights can also respond nimbly to existential threats.

Speaking Truth to Canadians about Their Public Service
By Donald J. Savoie

The federal public service plays a vital role in Canada’s development. Speaking Truth to Canadians about Their Public Service provides a comprehensive review of the challenges confronting the public service, how the relationship between politicians and career officials has evolved in recent years, and what motivates public servants.

The Notwithstanding Clause and the Canadian Charter
Rights, Reforms, and Controversies
Edited by Peter L. Biro

The significance, effects, and legitimacy of Section 33 of the Charter have been vigorously debated. The Notwithstanding Clause and the Canadian Charter examines the NWC from all perspectives, asking who should have the last word on matters of rights and justice – the legislatures or the judiciary – and what balance liberal democracy requires.

Democracy in Canada
The Disintegration of Our Institutions
By Donald J. Savoie

Arguing that Canadians must reconsider the origins of their country in order to understand why change is difficult and why they continue to embrace regional identities, Democracy in Canada explains how Canada’s national institutions were shaped by British historical experiences, and why there was little effort to bring Canadian realities into the mix.

At the Centre of Government
The Prime Minister and the Limits on Political Power
By Ian R. Brodie

“Canada’s prime minister is a dictator.” “The Sun King of Canadian government.” “More powerful than any other chief executive of any other democratic country.” These kinds of claims are frequently made about Canada’s leader – especially when the prime minister’s party holds a majority government in Parliament. But is there any truth to these arguments

At the Centre of Government not only presents a comprehensively researched work on the structure of political power in Canada but also offers a first-hand view of the inner workings of the Canadian federal government.

On the House
An Inside Look at the House of Commons
By Rob Walsh

On a day-to-day basis, what does a newly elected Member of Parliament do? How does the House of Commons work? Drawing on his years of service to five majority and three minority parliaments, Rob Walsh shares first-hand insights into the inner workings of the House, beyond the political personalities that dominate its proceedings.